As I have so often mentioned, this tiny village is quiet.
Yesterday there was a real buzz about the place.
I glanced up and saw that this chimney was being covered by a swarm of bees
with more arriving all the time.
The bees love this chimney and roof space.
They visit most years,
the owners don't seem to have a problem with that
and just leave them to it.
I snapped a couple of quick photos
then Toby and I continued our walk
through the village.
Six or seven years ago, we had a swarm at Parsonage Cottage.
Our lovely next-door-but-one neighbour, John/Oscar
came to the rescue.
He had been a beekeeper for practically all his life
and
was delighted at the prospect of taking the swarm
and having a new queen.
Unfortunately, the bees were high in a tree and he wouldn't let anyone else collect them.
It was scary, to say the least.
The man at the top of the scaffolding was 95 years old at that time.
I'm glad to say that he survived, got his swarm, and went home triumphantly.
Unfortunately they turned out to be very bad tempered bees
and gave him a lot of trouble.
There are lots of superstitions and sayings about bees,
I've been racking my brains to remember some,
but only the 'nicer' ones.
Some say that a swarm of bees on the roof of a house is a lucky sign
others say that it means none of the daughters of the house will marry.
That one is fine because this family have three sons
but we'll settle for the good luck.
Old John insisted on giving us a jar of his marvellous honey
but
not for the swarm, for that would have brought bad luck.
Given that they turned out to be bad tempered,
perhaps this one proves the truth of the saying,
no matter how that 'payment' is disguised.
The elderflowers are blooming now, it is time to make some elderflower cordial.
In the old days I would have made elderflower champagne, but my body reacts badly to alcohol these days, it's not worth risking a migraine, cordial diluted with fizzy water will make me just as happy, plus the cordial can be used for puddings, cakes, jellies and ice creams, etc.
Elder, of course, comes with lots of superstitions attached, luckily I can't remember many of them.
Elderflowers were not allowed to be taken into homes in the Fens because they were said to attract snakes. Eeek! Some would say that that elderflowers would fill a house with evil powers, but that could just be the sometimes overwhelming smell of them.
Just as well I am not very superstitious. Touch wood, all will be well.
More amusingly, it is said that elder can help prevent saddle sores - the rider had to put a piece of elder in their pocket and they were protected.
Have a lovely weekend.
I remember the swarm collecting episode! Long ago I grew elderberries. Pick them, strip them, boil them to reduce them to syrup, strain, reduce to jelly, into jelly jars. Tedious work for tiny jars of pure pleasure. Worth more than a bar of gold apiece. I wish you equally wonderful cordial.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joanne. Old John made it to his century, Joanne. His 100th birthday treat was a trip to a garage which sold the motorbikes of his youth, they helped him to sit on one, he was too frail to be taken for a spin, but he had fun.
DeleteI've got some Elder superstition in my next post!
ReplyDeleteNo elder flowers here yet
Elder superstition in next post. Lovely!
DeleteI love all old lore!
I'll look forward to reading that.
DeleteOhhhhhhh, a swarm of bees.... Have read something about this, but forgot. ,-) It's so interesting, how a new queen "happens." Etc.
ReplyDeleteThe gentleman who collected them... 95! Sure hope we will be that agile, when we are 95! But I'd never climb that now. And I'd have a fit, now, if my husband tried to climb like that!!!!! ,-))))))
Love all the old lore, about so many things!!!!!!!!
Elderflowers are beautiful!!! I see so much, in blogs, about them and cordial.
To me "cordial" means alcohol. But I must be mistaken. It can mean, non alcoholic, as well.
To prevent saddle sores, I'd think it should be placed---between the saddle, and that part of the anatomy, which could get sore!!!!
Again, love all the old lore!!!!!!!
It was terrifying, but he was a very stubborn and determined man. I got many more grey hairs on my head that day, Luna.
DeleteWe miss him, his way of life, his gardens, his animals, all added to the charm of this small village. There have been big changes. Still, things move on, as they do!
“Touch wood”? We say knock on wood here! Not sure I would even want to be near a swarm of bees. But that brings up the question how does one gather a swarm? Is there some other attraction to pull them to a container?
ReplyDeleteYou have such interesting items to share. I learn so much reading your posts.
Old John came along with a big cardboard box and a bed sheet. Quite how he got them into the box, I'm not sure, some beekeeper's magic! No doubt he told us, but the stress of the day has wiped out the details. The box was closed, then the sheet was wrapped around it to transport the bees.
DeleteI'm waiting for two dry days in a row...then the Elderflowers should be good for cordial
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that you get your two dry days soon - ooops! Did I say that I'm not superstitious?
DeleteWith my mother it was always lilac which should, under no circumstances, be brought into the house. I remember her face when my future husband's mother gave me some gorgeous lilac to take home and she quickly said that no, it would not come into the house, but I insisted, so as not to cause offence, that it went into the porch!
ReplyDeleteNot heard about elder being unlucky, but I expect if we dig deep (sorry, garden pun!) enough there will be a superstition about almost anything.
Margaret P
www.margaretpowling.com
Hello Margaret, I'm glad you found a solution to the lilac problem! They are such beautiful flowers, I imagine your porch must have been beautifully infused with the fragrance.
DeleteSo far today I have found: one pair of frogs legs, a small bird without a head, and a dead 'teenage' rabbit, goodness knows what superstitions one could find out about that lot, but I'd rather not know. I will settle for the idea that a hedgehog got disturbed while eating the frog, ditto a cat while eating the bird - and perhaps the poor rabbit had myxomatosis and I am staying indoors for the rest of the day.
It was actually the porch of the hotel my parents had from 1962-1967, on Paignton Sea Front, so the guests benefited from the lilac but Mum wasn't happy with it there, I do know that! She was a very superstitious person, no crossing on the stairs, no crossed knives, turning your money over in your pocket when you saw the new moon, not looking at the new moon through glass … I expect there were more little day to day perils that would trip her up (yes, not walking under a ladder!) but the lilac was the one she was truly fearful of.
DeleteA teenage rabbit? Maybe it had gone to the rabbit version of a rave and taken some kind of forbidden potion!
It's been a gorgeous day here for the 2nd day of the Torbay Air Show, it was thrilling when I was sitting in the garden, underneath the walnut tree, when suddenly the Red Arrows screamed overhead, right over our garden, just about 200ft up if that. The noise was incredible, they were so low, I absolutely loved it!!!
What a sight, those red planes, screaming overhead, sunlight glinting on them, and their cannisters issuing red, white and blue smoke. Wonderful! Not quite the countryside, but a super sight nonetheless.
Margaret P