The times, they are a changing…

The rhythms of life ebb and flow. As the seasons change, so does my routine. In the summer, when I awake at 5:30, the sun is climbing, painting the sky in streaks of honey gold. I make a cup of tea and wander out to sit next to the hive. The bees are up to greet the day, lazily crawling around on the landing board and taking timid flights in search of pollen and nectar.

As the days grow shorter, I awake in the dark. I make my tea but wait over an hour for the first rays of sun, weak and straining to push back the night. I can hear the hum of the hive as I approach, but they do not emerge until later when the warmth beckons them from their cosy home.  There is little food for gathering and I am feeding them regularly. The birds that…