Following on from last week, when I had to post quicky and close down in order to be ready for the bee man, just 20 minutes after posting, he arrived, with an apprentice, to sort out our swarm. The bees were well enough behaved that I was not at all fussed to sit and watch from the safe distance of 15 yards or so, as the guys identified the swarm, had a word with them and judged them to be a friendly and sweet swarm.
With my permission, they cut off the branch of apple tree that held the swarm, and knocked it all into a spare nuc (that's a small hive for collecting bees to you and me), getting as many in as they could. The guy then explained to me that he was hopeful that the queen was in the hive. She would inspect it, and if it was to her liking, then all the workers would mass around her in the hive by nightfall. He would come back at dusk and take them away. With a very Gallic shrug, he said that if she liked the hive, all would be well, but if she didn't, they would fly off somewhere else.
When I mooched past to have a look, they seemed happy enough to queue to get into the new hive, and were making very little noise, so I assumed that the hive passed muster. We heard the bee man come and collect them at about 10pm, leaving a pot of honey on our back doorstep as he went. This was a kind gesture, but you don't pay beekeepers to take a swarm away; they are only too happy to get a nice new colony. This is particularly the case this year, as so many hives were lost last year to Asian hornets. The fact that I am an active Asian Hornet Trapper might have helped too I guess! Anyway, a couple of days later, I got a message to say "my" bees were very happy and the Queen was doing her thing. Along with a nice regal portrait of herself.
Our hornet trapping is doing well finally. We have caught some 4 or 5 in the garden at home, while the trap in the Orchard, and situated under acacia trees is positively crawling with them. It is very hard to count how many we have trapped there, but I am pretty sure we are up to at least 9. I can see why the last week has been so successful, the scent of acacia blossom is so heavy, pungent and full of nectar-promise. So strong indeed that it killed my sinuses and I am having an evil reaction to it!
This week included the 1st May - International Workers' Day - the most closely observed bank holiday in the French calendar. So much so, that there have been questions in the Chamber and Senate as to whether bakers and florists can open on the 1st, even with staff paid double time and time off in lieu, as the right to not work on International Workers' Day is enshrined in law. It was a ridiculously hot political potato this year. The question about florists is a bit weird to the British, but it is also a tradition to give a small bunch of lily of the valley to friends and relatives on the 1st May, and if you don't grow your own, where do you get them? We don't have them in the house as cats are allergic, but it is a nice tradition. I found some growing in a garden to photograph.
Despite what I said about people not working on May Day, our local pub had a band in on Friday night - a flamenco duet, singing in Spanish.
They started quite early for France, at about 9:15pm, so old folks like us weren't too inconvenienced for staying for the second set, where they were joined on a few songs by a couple of local musicians on double bass and on acoustic guitar. It was fascinating to watch how the two extra musicians adapted to the style of the music and jammed most effectively, given they can have had very limited practice time beforehand. For those in the know, yes, that is indeed Pierrot of the local punkabilly band D-Track.
I will go off on a popular hobby horse of mine here. The bar and the live music were a wonderful evening of community getting together and having a great time. The quality of musicianship was excellent, the bar staff were running around, providing quality food and drink, but also able to enjoy the music and ambiance. This is what life is about! It has to be encouraged and supported, because if it isn't, then venues like this disappear, and music becomes the anodyne mush that is churned out by the mile on TicTok and other media. If there is something going on near you, go out to it and enjoy, or one day when you want to go out, there won't be anything to go to!
End of rant.
While sitting and watching the bee man, I was protected by one of my chickens - Mac the Knife. She is now probably a bit over 5 years old now, but still provides an egg 6 days out of 7, and is looking particularly fine after a gentle moult.
May is a month of bank holidays - we've had one so far, the 1st, but we have another three to go. Friday 8th is Victory in Europe day, which is taken pretty seriously in Europe, then the 14th is Ascension (a Thursday, so most take the Friday too and make a very long weekend of it), and finally Monday 25th is Whitsun. Not much gets done in May, a bit like December in the UK really. However i will be back next Sunday, with more tales of life in France, probably quite a bit that is uncomplimentary about the French tax filing system, unless I am pleasantly surprised!
Have a good week!
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