MARCH

It now being the third of April, let me apologise for the absence of a March posting. Not that there has been much to shout about, but the truth is, that having spent a morning compiling March’s literary masterpiece, I somehow pressed the wrong key and stupidly managed to erase it all. I just sat looking at the blank screen, unable to believe how stupid I’d been, and after fully five minutes of muttering rude, if not entirely deserved, expletives in the general direction of my laptop, and not able to face the prospect of starting all over again, I turned the wretched thing off and retired to the kitchen for a conciliatory cuppa.

So, what follows is the abridged version, always provided that I don’t make the same stupid mistake again, but then, you’ll never know will you.

So, what with “The beast from the east” followed closely by “Storm Emma”, and as if that wasn’t enough, “The mini beast”, March got off to a pretty shakey start. With both of my apiaries accessed via fairly narrow lanes, the snow drifts meant there were several days when I couldn’t get near either of them. Normally March sees all the floors changed and the first brief inspections behind me, but not this year. All I’ve managed so far is to keep the candy topped up. In between the rain and snow we have had a couple of really sunny days, and it’s been reassuring to see the bees making the most of them. Even the sun has been accompanied by a really cold Easterly wind so I’ve resisted the temptation to take more than a quick glimpse below the crown boards. So, that more or less sums up our month thus far. The first couple of days of April seem to indicate more of the same but, with the days visibly lengthening, I’m sure Spring is just around the corner, fingers crossed. Speak with you soon.