Category Archives: Bees

#My Time Week 23 – Candle-making

Following on the theme of bringing light to this mid-Winter, #MyTime with 18 weeks to go, is candle-making.  It needs to be warm when dealing with wax, otherwise it sets far too quickly, so I retreated to the warmth of the kitchen yesterday to make candles.  Don’t you just love the smell of beeswax!

Lighting a candle against the darkness

Pure beeswax candle

Nothing better than a pure beeswax candle to bring some light into the dark days.  The picture is of our Christmas Day candle with its wonderful aroma and constant flame.

A good reminder that we’re past the half-way point in the year and the light will get stronger and longer.  But whilst the days remain short, I can light a candle against the darkness …

This is the last one of my stock of candles and so there needs to be some serious candle-making in the very near future.   Today, I am rendering yet more wax as part of my clear-up so I will have plenty of wax and no excuses.

#My Time Week 22 – Catch the daylight in the open air

At the turning point of the year, #MyTime has now passed its half-way point too, with just 19 weeks to go before I enter my 60s.  So, as with the solstice where we’re looking forward to the days lengthening and the naturally-lit hours increasing, I’m casting forward to making more of my time in that precious daylight.  The day almost disappeared before I’d had chance to leave the house yesterday but a late walk into Bridport meant I did catch some of the daytime before it faded on my return.  So, my intent for week 22 is the catch to daylight when I can and to get out in the open air as often as possible.

#MyTime Week 10 – honey production

honey spinner

Honey pouring from a radial spinner

Yes, I can see that honey production will continue to be a theme for me in #MyTime – not so much when I have the time, but rather as I need to make the time!  This year I managed to get the bulk of the honey spun fairly early – for me at least – back in June but there remains a few supers still to sort so that’s what I’ve been doing today.  It’ll take me a few days and then there’s the bottling but the reward is worth it.

I think #MyTime might feature a few more products of the hive but honey is a pretty crucial one.  It’s my regular hay-fever cure (a spoonful of local honey each day throughout the year) and you can’t get much better than your own back garden for “local” honey.  Plus I manage to keep the family supplied as well as selling jars from the door (as well as from a little shop in Beaminster).

So, yes, #MyTime includes honey production.

Heading into Week 5 #MyTime in the company of Bees

Picasso: Woman Sleeping 1932

Picasso’s Sleeping Woman 1932

I enjoyed our trip to London this week, especially seeing the #Picasso1932 Exhibition at Tate Modern.  There really was a favourite in every room and so, yes, exploring art remains something I want to do in #MyTime – when I get some.

So, I have been pondering what to select for #MyTime consideration as I head into the fifth week of my countdown.  I have been continuing my family history research and have sent off my DNA test for processing so those are threads that continue.

This week was the Melplash Show in Dorset and I did my usual stint in the Bee tent for West Dorset Beekeepers, talking to people about beekeeping, bees and what threatens them.  And this weekend I have continued to focus on Bees.

Honeybees

Honeybees

I keep honeybees with my partner, David, and we really want our bees to be in the garden where we can enjoy their company, whilst we are able, and not to be running around all parts of the Dorset countryside in an attempt to keep on top of chores relating to the bees.  From a ridiculous position in our early beekeeping days of having in excess of 30 colonies across five locations, we have managed to reduce down to two strong colonies and, with one final move over the next few days (weather-permitting), we stand a chance of having them both in the garden.

I hope I will be able to continue beekeeping in my pre-retirement #MyTime and, if I do, it needs to be in a low-intensive, sustainable way.  Having the bees in the garden makes a big difference but the Winter tasks will include lots of sorting of old equipment that needs cleaning, fixing or being disposed of in order to both create some space and make it easy to access what we need.  That’ll be a key focus for #MyTime; there will be plenty to sort over the next few months.