Buzzing...

"If there's a buzzing-noise, somebody's making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you're a bee." Then he thought another long time, and said: "And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey." And then he got up, and said: "And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it." So he began to climb the tree." Winnie the Pooh

Tonight there is a buzzing noise in our garage. Two screen boxes, each about the size of a small shoe box, are humming on a table there. The boxes are filled with a boggling number of bees. The bees came from Georgia, on a truck. They arrived in Maine today, on a cold and blustery afternoon that boasted hail and rain and decidedly un-bee-friendly weather.

The poor things must be terribly confused, not to mention cold and hungry. My friend Marion will be taking one of the boxes of bees. She has bee keeping experience and, as always, is so nice to share her knowledge with me. She told me how to mix up some sugar water to feed the bees until we can introduce them to their hives. I followed the directions carefully, then, using a basting brush painted the sticky liquid on the screen sides. It didn't take long for it to all dissapear into the little bee bodies. I gave them more a bit later, and they were decidedly more active and buzzy after a snack.

Tomorrows weather promises to be a bit more bee kind, and we will introduce the newest additons to their new hives. And hopefully they'll settle in happily, make lots of buzzing noies and honey, "so I can eat it." That would be sweet!