This worked out fine for me and so Jo and I got Sebastian all tucked up in bed before I popped out in the car once more. This time I tried his gate to gain access to the orchards from the other direction, which is ultimately what I will be doing tomorrow rather than going in via the house; I don't fancy carrying the hive all that long way. It unlocked first time, and on this beautiful September evening I made my way up to his house though the fields, the twilight of the dusk now surrounding me. Halfway there, down a dirt track, I saw Steve in front of me, with his eldest son by his side who was probably no more than nine years old. There he was, shotgun cocked and in his finest hunting regalia, and as I pulled up next to him he looked even more daunting than usual.
I lowered my window, gave him a friendly hello and was met with three grunts as he pointed at three different areas of his vast orchard. Within a couple of minutes he walked off in the opposite direction and I drove off, feeling rather excited, in the general direction of his pointing and had a quick look.
The first area looked a little too close to his house and so I discounted that immediately. If I was to expand the number of hives next year it wouldn't be entirely practical to have them too near the house and, if I am honest, I am a little bit worried about those dogs because if they got close it wouldn't be great for them. Their aggression would be no match for several thousand bees. The second option he had suggested was an area towards the back of the orchard which looked simply beautiful. On one side there was open fields and to the other was the orchard. I could see that in the springtime it would be stunning, but I also felt that it could be a little exposed. The third option was by far the best. Protected by a hedge and yet with a direct view into the orchard it looked fantastic. There was enough room for expansion and also it was far enough away from the house.
I got out of the car and stood where I feel my hive will go tomorrow. It just feels right and I cannot wait to see what it will look like next year with the blossom out. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have this on my doorstep.
Thinking ahead to tomorrow, I have only one slight fear; the thought of being stung again while moving the hive. I must remember to take it easy and not to rush. I just can't deal with the itching all over again.
SEPTEMBER 19 – Sunday
Another D-Day has arrived. I have enlisted the help of a good friend of mine, Jeff, who I recently heard had wanted to become a morris dancer therefore making me think he would be perfect for the job of going to get the beehive. Bearing in mind last time I struggled to lift the hive there was no way I was going to do it on my own this time.
There is another ploy here as well. Jeff and I met when Jo and his wife, Kate, were both pregnant and attending these slightly unorthodox childbirth courses. While the adults on the course bonded over the hilarity of our course tutor's love of herbal medicine and its effect on childbirth, our children have also grown very close since. Sebastian and their little one William, now nearly two, have become inseparable.
However, Jeff and Kate were brave enough to have gone for the second one a lot earlier and Luke popped out in June this year. Therefore my little journey with Jeff today is also to ask him a whole load of questions about how on earth he is coping. Bearing in mind he has bags under his eyes which give the impression he has been out shopping for the whole of the country, I am not looking forward to the feedback I might receive. Even so, I need to know what having two children is like and this is the perfect opportunity.
We left early on a slightly autumnal-feeling morning. I can't believe it is coming around so quickly again. It was absolutely beautiful at that time of the morning, however, and there wasn't a soul around. Hopefully it would be early and cold enough that the bees wouldn't have started flying around yet.
We found the turning and got down to the hive pretty quickly. Looking around it was evident that the cows had been moved on again, just as my bees were about to. In the distance I could make out my hive and all looked quiet.
I had mentioned to Jeff that I only had one suit and was happy to give it to him while moving but the first job was to secure them in the hive once more. I pulled out my mess of a contraption to do just this. It looked like one jumbled heap of masking tape and tea towel but it had seemed to do the job. I approached the hive and all was silent. I quickly attached the entrance block, securing the mass down with drawing pins once more. It was all over in a matter of seconds, which was perfect.
I gave Jeff my suit and the move went pretty smoothly. I had left the ratchet mechanism in place so we just lifted it all straight into the car. The good news was that the hive seemed that little bit heavier than when I had lifted it into position previously. Perhaps there was hope. Within five minutes of getting there we were driving back out again and I was feeling rather pleased with myself as there was not a sting in sight. Result.