I am still working out exactly what I am doing on Facebook but it has certainly accelerated my learning alongside the course and books. Primarily it's because around the world, every beekeeper is at a different stage given their different climates, which gives me a fascinating insight. It is great to see photos and videos being shared of apiaries varying from one hive to several hundred hives. It's amazing to see the variety of hives and techniques as well as beekeepers.
I am learning so much from beekeepers called Chuck and Chad, not to mention the number of Vladimirs and Machmels I am now in contact with. I like to think it will make me a more rounded beekeeper.
FEBRUARY 7
Jo and I have just staggered back from a fantastic wedding in Oxford. Not only was it at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, which was stunning, but it was, far more importantly and of far more historical importance, the first night we have been away from Sebastian together. It was quite surreal to actually have time together. We even got excited going into Beaconsfield Service Station, for example, knowing that we could sit down, have a coffee and read the paper! It is odd to have reached the stage where even a motorway service station is an exciting prospect.
However, I got into her bad books as I decided to extend my trial of whiskey. I have never liked whiskey but really want to 'learn' how to drink it. I went through three or four samples at way past bedtime. I just love the ideology of whiskey, the heavy tumbler, the ice, a roaring fire and a traditional drink that is steeped in history. The pub had all of those elements and so I couldn't escape it, especially as our friends Ian and Darren are seasoned whiskey drinkers. A couple of hours later, and feeling as if I could say I was a whiskey drinker, I stumbled away from the bar. Great wedding, Sarah and Ben, congratulations.
Sebastian loved being away from us, by the way. He had a great time with Nanny, not realising we had gone away.
On a separate note, I have now had more time to read through the plans for the beehive. They look far more complicated than I initially thought and this is not because they are somewhat misshapen and littered with teeth marks from Sebastian's attempts to eat them a few weeks back. I thought it was essentially a box. I hadn't really considered the types of joint that were required, the glue that was to be used or the paint to preserve the hive. It was all very particular and precise.
A hive should be perfectly square and have absolutely no holes or gaps anywhere if you want your bees to survive through the winter and generally accept the hive. It does state quite clearly 'competent woodworker required', as I noticed when I first opened the plans, and the fact that I struggle to identify what is wood and what isn't probably doesn't put me in this category. I was beginning to think that the Dearsley Bodge Job and a beehive were looking an unlikely combination.
There was another funny comment in the plans and my eyes just went out on stalks when I thought of the consequences! It states that the National hive is preferred by many because 'more hives may be packed on commercial vehicles or the domestic car' – yes, the domestic car! Who would be crazy enough to put a beehive in their own car? Can you imagine if just one of the little insects got out and the carnage that could cause, let alone all 60,000. I then read on a little further: '… and up to eight, transported in estate models.' WHAT!!!! One hive was mad; eight would be bonkers! Imagine if they all got out: 480,000 bees flying around the car. What on earth would other drivers think?
Tomorrow I will be sending my plans to my father to get prepared. I have to find the cedar wood to start with as this is what is recommended. Where on earth am I going to find that?
FEBRUARY 11
There I was, at work, logging on to my Twitter account as usual. I use it a lot in my corporate world, much to the amusement of my colleagues who hear me 'tweeting' all day long with the bird type sounds the computer makes every five minutes or so! I was settling down to my cup of coffee, catching up on the news and information flying past my eyes on the computer screen. Suddenly a message popped up from @stevefreeman, someone I had been conversing with and a relatively local beekeeper.
It read: 'Might have some bee news for you James, can you send me your email if you are still interested in a nuc or two? Thanks, S'.
Wow, could this be the first step to getting some bees? A 'nuc', or nucleus, is a small amount of bees; usually a hive will have eleven frames and a nuc will contain five, ideal for a beginner. Would my journey actually turn into something real? What exactly did he mean by 'bee news'? My heart was beating a little faster and I got a little excited. I realised this could be the moment my beekeeping life kicked off and became real.