The bees have arrived and not only did they survive their travels with very few casualties, but they even tucked themselves up into their own new homes without terribly much bother. You see, yesterday morning early I hurt my back. Not badly but enough to disable my strength and slow my stride to a creep. I cannot believe how stupid this is and am appalled at how much of my work depends on me being in top top health. I have a long list!
Right at the beginning of the day I lifted gallon jug of molasses. I have lifted one like this every day, twice a day for years and bang went my back. This so seldom happens and not for years, so the lift and twist had become casual.
We drove to collect the bees and drove back with me sitting very carefully in the passenger seat with its seat heater on, Blue the Mouth sitting at my feet, TonTon behind my seat. And on the way home two boxes of bees in the rear. I would have taken photos at the apiary but I was having some trouble walking upright without grimacing (I have my public to think of you know) and my arms were quite tingly (gone now). So it was all I could do to smile and say thank you ever so much, receive my two pounds of bees and saunter back to the car as nonchalantly as possible. Ill is something I Do NOT do.
So as I am the bee brains I used John as the brawn and we proceeded to release the bees into their new homes. Usually I can just give the boxes a couple of good thumps and the pile of bees fall straight into the super but I was feeling weak and clumsy and the things you cannot do when your back is acting up makes me so mad. Consequently both boxes only released half the bees, I found the tiny boxes with a queen in each and snuggled her in between two frames, (she has a cork door of candy that the bees will eat away as they get to know her) bees were flying everywhere, it is bee bedlum. So I decided to replace the tops on the hives and deal with the leftovers differently from the instructions.
The under cover of the hive has a hole in it so I rested the boxes on top of this with the hole in the box above the hole into the hive. This way the bees walked into their own box at their own pace. Then I left the bees to settle down and work out what they were going to do.
The dogs and I visited LuLu who is getting alarmingly fat. hmm. I kept walking because I wanted to keep the muscles in the back warm and loose. It is either flat my my back or walking – the in between bits get me into trouble.
We coaxed Queenie Wineti onto the grass with hay which quite defeated the purpose. But she stood staring at the open gate ( a new gate in an old fence) and had no idea what she was meant to do.
And on our return we found that the bees were in fact walking gently down into the hive. Blue The Mouth discovered that bees are not for kissing. I was too slow for that photo. And getting on the ground for a shot had the problem of getting back up so I was staying high. I am so frustrated!
This is the magnolia in the daily view. Soon we will have flowers.
I foolishly sat my sore back down in the rocking chair and then could not get back up, I knew I should have kept moving. While I was waiting for help to arrive I shot the daily View from a slightly different angle.
Once I had been hauled up out of my chair the dogs and I returned to the hives and the boxes were almost empty. I gingerly put the boxes back on the ground next to the entrances so the last of the stragglers could make their way in and closed up the hives. Our garden will slowly come alive again now. I missed these guys.
In two weeks we will investigate to see if they have released heir queens successfully. Then we are back in business. I hope.
Good morning. Daisy failed her once a day milking test. Her mastitis came back with a roar. So we will milk her twice a day (three times today to help her clear up) and she is allowed on the grass now. John is milking for me today. I have made the executive decision to push her morning milking time to 8am and her evening milking will go to later in the evening too. After dinner. This will give me more morning and afternoon writing time.
You all have a lovely day. I will do a very slow walkabout the farmy today then remind me to add the bees to the Cast of Characters above. Now, I had better get busy. Though getting up from this chair is a worry. I hate this. This back had better fix itself smartly. I have no time for this kind of rubbish. Pain I can cope with, not being able to do everything I want to do when I want to do it, makes me angry. I am a gate climber not a gate opener.
I will be better tomorrow.
your bent friend celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
75 responses to “Well beehaved bees”
Wasn’t that a commercial? I don’t have time for pain. Anyway, I hop yours goes away soon.
Take care and feel better soon, c.
Oh dear Celi..pulled a back muscle by the sound of it. That is so easy to do and it doesn’t need to be lifting heavy oblects which does it…just turning slightly the wrong way. The quickiest way to heal it is to rest it and rub with green linement..like stuff you rub on horses legs.
My Magnolia tree is as dead as a doornail… Five years I waited for it to flower, then that winter the frost got to it and now it is as dead as a do-do.
Love the bees, and what a brilliant idea letting them sort themselves out…bet they appreciated that.
Please get well my friend..I do sympathsize ( wrong spelling) I have sympathy..that will do. Take it easy and all will be well
Sorry about your back. You have my sympathy. It is never a good time for this to happen, but Spring is probably the worst given all you have to do! Take care, go easy on yourself and try not to make things worse! I too recommend a few good chiropractic adjustments. I don’t trust allopathic medicine myself. They’ll just give you drugs, pain killers, muscle relaxers, etc. that will do nothing to help the root of the problem. Here’s a very gentle exercise for a lower back problem: (you didn’t say where the pain was, so if it is indeed low back…) lie on the floor with your calves and feet resting on the seat cushions of a couch, bum snugged up to the couch. Gently raise your arms up over your head and back down beside your body slowly and gently. You are using the arms to gently massage the back muscles! I have gotten relief this way. Ditto on all the suggestions from your other readers too. You’ll be right in no time, just from all the loving energy sent your way by friends!
This is hardly the news I was expecting to read. I hope you’re feeling better soon, Celi.
Ouch … let other people help you and rest up for a few days. Go to a doctor if it doesn’t improve soon. Laura
Oh dear, poor girl. That sucks. Robert threw his back out picking C up for a great big hug and she’s only 100lbs soaking wet. It can happen so suddenly. His father was a naturopath so he resolutely refused to take any meds for it and finally he was in so much pain I took him to the emerg where the Dr said take your meds and use the back normally and he did and his back was fine within a couple of days. I usually kink my neck and that’s bad enough. I agree with Viv. That hot rice/barley/something bag has saved me more than once. I know you’ll get better soon. ❤
Sending you magic thoughts for a quick heal! Nothing worse than a back problem.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Oh I feel for you and also recommend the heat and cold to help. And wine. Seriously, take care celi!
I am so sorry about your back. I wish the bees could buzz around you with a healing spell.
Feel better soon/
Oh dear. Oh dear Celi. Those of us who has had a similar back experience know of what you speak. The problem is – it is non-negotiable until one sorts it out. The kingdom of the Farmy demands much. I am saying spells and mixing magic potions and sending them flying through the air to you. Heal oh back, heal. Virginia
Nice kitty.
Please take care of yourself first. This is the only advice I have. I’m so sorry you’ve been temporarily laid low. It’s a terrible cross when an extraordinarily busy person as you are can’t get all what needs to be done. I sure wish poor Daisy could go to one milking. It would give you much-needed time.
Celi, dear Celi, oh how I wish your back was not acting up. It is a challenge not to be able to do that which we expect we should be able to perform. Take care and don’t push yourself too much. We wouldn’t want the situation to get worse now, would we? That is my “mom” lecture of the day. And here’s a hug, sent from Minnesota. Feel it?
A big hug! thank you.. c
Good to hear this morning that you are feeling a wee bit better.
Go slow and easy Celi and give yourself time to heal, okay? I know you want to be 100% well immediately, but your body may need a little more time. Be gentle with you! xo