Darth Vader

Darth Walrus

Darth Vader I have just completed a Star Wars marathon, which involved watching all of the Star Wars movies and stories in the correct chronological order on Disney+. One film per evening, for eleven straight evenings. In order, they are:…
Walrus on a bee cartoon emoji

Soul Walrus

Walrus on a bee We recently took delivery of a piano. My wife saw it in Forsyth’s in Manchester and, having declared it to be a lifelong dream to learn to play, persuaded me that such purchase made perfect sense.…
Mike Palmer moving a barrel of honey

Dreaming of 2020

Mike Palmer moving a barrel of honey I often like to have some theme for my blog posts, but today I'm just writing whatever pops into my head. There are lots of things to say about bees, but after a…
Honey Show Entries - jars of clear honey

Navigation Issues

Honey Show Entries At the risk of revealing my grumpy old man tendencies, I shall describe a series of unfortunate events which unfolded earlier today. Perhaps somebody will identify with circumstances like these when multiple small problems cluster together to…
Steve Donohoe and Elaine Bousfield in Scotland

Modelling Success

Walrus and Mrs Walrus Obsessions If you asked somebody that knows me well to describe me, they would probably mention my obsessions. I've had a few over the years. The biggest one, the one that would have killed me if…
Steve Donohoe with Frame of Sealed Brood

Pragmatism or Xenophobia?

Frame of Sealed Brood Beekeeping is Local Maybe I am naive or just positive and optimistic, but I'm sure that to many people I have some dangerously liberal ideas. For a start, I deliberately travelled all over the place to…
butt call graphic

Crazy Busy and Butt Calls

butt call As I was planting out some tomatoes at my Mum's place today, I became aware of a voice emanating from my back pocket. I grabbed my phone and was horrified to discover that I had "butt called" Murray…
Apple Watch Screen

Diary of a Beekeeping Walrus

Apple Watch Screen Am I Dying? For the last seven months, perhaps coincidentally since my Dad died, I have been having strange aches and pains in my chest and back. I'm okay with pain, mostly, but when I don't understand…
Gate to walled garden at Dromoland

Bee Boles and Blarney

Gate to walled garden at Dromoland Last week I hopped over the Irish Sea for a short stay in the ancestral homeland. I had volunteered to be Mike and Lesley Palmer's driver for a few days. Mike had finished his…
Steve Donohoe 2019

Interview with Walrus

Steve Donohoe 2019 Just in case any readers want to know what little ole me thinks, I have answered some of my interview questions: Q: Is there any family history of beekeeping? A: Not that I know of Q: How…
Lush green river valley

Happy to be a Brit

As I write this, the bells of Big Ben are chiming across London Town as part of the Remembrance Day commemoration, which is particularly poignant this year as it was precisely 100 years ago that the World War One hostilities…
English Cream Tea with scones and jam

Argyle and Walrus

I’m sat in the luxurious lounge of Anchorage House, Tighnabruaich, gazing across a narrow stretch of blue/grey sea to the rolling hills of Bute, with my laptop perched upon a cushion on my knee. It is a favourite family holiday…