Day 23: Today’s blog is all about bees, honeybees. David and I drove to The Bee Centre in the grounds of Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire, for a two hour pre-booked bee experience. After donning our bee suits and taking the obligatory photos, we (of a group of nine) were escorted to the outdoor hives. Kath opened up a hive and explained what was happening in the frames.
David in bee suit
Honey bee
Christine in bee suit
Christine and hive frame
Honey Bees
Kath used smoke to make the bees (native black bees) more docile, while she inspected the hive. The bees gorge on honey, thinking there’s a fire so that they can take stores with them when they set up a new colony. We witnessed a drone (male) being born and lots of male/female brood cells and also the odd queen cell. It was fascinating to learn so much about life in a hive! Everyone has their own role and worker bees can fly up to three miles for food. The queen lays 2,000 eggs a day and is solely dependent on being cared for by the other bees. A worker bee can live up to six weeks whereas a queen can live to five years.
After meeting the bees we returned to the centre for honey tasting. The centre has an ethical and sustainable view on beekeeping and only extract honey when there is a genuine surplus. Due to this year’s wet June the bees are having a hard time and need our help! You can do this by planting more bee friendly plants, a helpful list can be found here.
Our experience really whetted our appetite for beekeeping and whether a hive would be something our yarden could accommodate?
Sharon from the wonderful Sunshine and Celandines suggested the topic for today’s post. I already do a yearly video compilation (watch out for that in the new year), but I thought I would post 12 pictures (or video) that give an impression of the year 2016!
So here goes!
January:
The year began with a little trip to North Wales. On a cold, drizzly day David and I visitedRhosydd Slate Quarryat Cwmorthin. The weather made the scenery even more atmospheric! Who knows how many ghosts wander the rugged, unforgiving slate scattered landscape?
Rhosydd Slate Quarry, Cwmorthin
February:
On another of David’s days off work, we visited the Lake District and took a leisurely stroll along Derwentwater. Little did we know, we would visit the shores of Derwentwater several times in 2016! I had discovered a new hobby!
Derwentwater
March:
With spring just around the corner, March was all about the yarden! I busied myself with planting free packets of seeds that I’d requested from Grow Wild, a Kew Gardens initiative!
April:
The much anticipated Hans Zimmerconcert in Birmingham came and went in a blink of an eye! A good time was had by all that night! Hans himself introduced film classics such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy.
May:
In May, David and I returned to the shores of Derwentwater. This time I bravely stripped to my swim suit and slipped over rocky stones to embark on my first ever wild swim! It would be the beginning of many swims undertaken in 2016 in scenery that is nothing but inspiring!
Facing Blencathra
June:
For the second year running I took part in The Wildlife Trusts, 30 Days Wild. This year I packed even more wild into June. We built a pond, harvested our first crop of maris bard potatoes, grew borage for bees, and I even went without technology for a day!
Maris Bard Potatoes
July:
In July, David and I took a day trip to Sheffield to see their herd of colourful elephants.
August:
The year wasn’t all fun days out and wild swimming! There was lots of hard work to be done on the house. With detritus clogging up the space under the hallway and sagging/rotten beams found under the dinning room, the long summer days were filled with the sawing of wood and hours of reconstruction.
Dining room floor
September:
At BrownsLiverpool, I partook in my first, but very rich afternoon tea. The red velvet cake was delicious but the whole afternoon was a sugar overload!
Afternoon Tea, Browns, Liverpool
October:
Autumn became centre stage in all its colourful glory as I participated in Wild October! I watched a garden spider spin its web, relived childhood by kicking fallen leaves, turned 40 and holidayed in the Lake District.
November:
The iconic Weeping Window from the Tower of London poppies came to Caernarfon Castle, just in time for Armistice. The poppies are touring the UK, thanks to 14-18 Now, and are a fitting memorial to the fallen.
The Weeping Window at Caernarfon Castle
December:
Christmas Tree
December is all about Christmas and spending time with family. My little 3ft Christmas tree, adorned with birds and polar bears always goes up on the 1st. Artie once again had an Advent calendar to count the days to Christmas, and this year I managed to get a Christmas wreath for the front door!
So there you have it, my 2016 in pictures!
For some this year has been a harsh year, but for David and I there have been more happy times than sad. Indeed we have made many wonderful memories out of new experiences this year.
I wish you all good health and happiness for 2017! Let’s make it a year to remember!
Here goes: I’m going to use this challenge to indulge in some reminiscing. You are all probably getting a bit fed up with this subject. It seems of late, I just have a one track mind… that track is my wild swims!
On my Facebook page, in the past week I posted some pictures highlighting some of my ‘favourite’ swims. So I thought, on my blog I could expand on the theme. So forgive me for indulging… just a little bit! 🙂
Actually, it’s quite difficult to chose an actual favourite, out of the six swims I have done between May to September. I asked David what swim/location he enjoyed the most. We both agreed that Rydal Water had a special charm. Perhaps the low lying mist and the fact that it was early in the morning added to the magic.
Rydal Water
My very first swim in Derwentwater, has to hold a special place in my heart. I remember being excitedly nervous, but determined to make my dream a reality! I even amazed myself that day!
Facing Blencathra, Derwentwater
I am already planning on revisiting the shores of Derwentwater again for my birthday treat this October. I secretly can’t wait!
My most epic swim has to be in Wast Water! With giants such as Yewbarrow and Great Gable watching over me, it was scenery to inspire! It was also my longest swim of 20 minutes, though the shivers on shore later were fierce! Wast Water is a place I most definitely want to revisit.
Wast Water
Another place I want to revisit is Buttermere, my favourite lake! The time we visited, it was a cool, drizzly June, definitely no sign of summer! I also suffered the disappointment of not swimming in Buttermere’s ‘sister’ lake, Crummock Water that day. Now having swam in Rydal Water and Grasmere, another two lakes adjacent to each other, I can safely say I will return to Buttermere!
Buttermere
Grasmere had a lot to live up to after my magical swim in Rydal Water! I think the whole experience of bagging two swims in one day was quite overwhelming for me! The late summer light on Grasmere made the scenery look like an oil painting!
Grasmere
The coldest swim I’ve experienced, has to be my only tarn of the season, Easedale.You expect a glacial tarn to be colder than the lakes, but with the weather turning as I slipped into the silent waters, it didn’t help with temperatures. It made for a very moody, thought provoking swim.
Easedale Tarn
So that’s me all reminisced out! Well, not really… I can go on and on! 🙂 One thing is for certain, I am very happy to have discovered this new hobby. It gives a different element to walks in the countryside, of being totally immersed in the landscape, not just teetering on the edge!
My hope for the coming year: is to continue to enjoy walks/swims around the Lake District and to bag a few swims in Snowdonia too! The Miner’s Track, (though it’ll be tough) has Llyn Glaslyn as its jewel and I want to revisit where this passion all started, Llyn Idwal.
I’d like you to come with me on my journey. Perhaps I can inspire you to try wild swimming? We will learn many things along the way and perhaps it will lead to a journey of self discovery?
Day 23: Today’s blog is all about bees, honeybees. David and I drove to The Bee Centre in the grounds of Samlesbury Hall, Lancashire, for a two hour pre-booked bee experience. After donning our bee suits and taking the obligatory photos, we (of a group of nine) were escorted to the outdoor hives. Kath opened up a hive and explained what was happening in the frames.
Christine Lucas 