Out of Africa
A while ago I ordered one of those DNA test kits because I was very interested to see what they would make of my walrus heritage. I used the Genographic Project which is far from the cheapest, but I am…
Remembering Buckfast
As Monday mornings go, this isn’t a bad one. There is a chill in the air which seems only right given the time of year, but the sun is shining and I am settling down to write something for my…
I shouldn’t talk about this, but…
Apparently we should never discuss religion, politics or money at the dinner table, or probably anywhere else. I think this must have its origins in etiquette, and if so we have the French to blame, although it is no doubt…
Bee Sex!
Yesterday I attended the Autumn Cheshire Beekeepers’ Convention and Honey Show at Forest Hills Hotel in Frodsham. As usual I stayed for the two morning lectures, ate a hearty lunch fit for a walrus, and left. The speakers were excellent.…
What they don’t tell you…
I am going to write about some things which I have found surprising since taking up beekeeping. It could be that I did not talk to the right people or read the right books, but for whatever reason, these are…
Bee Armageddon?
Typically, when I tell somebody that I am a beekeeper I get a big smile, then I get told how wonderful it is that I’m doing my bit to save the bees, because they are really struggling at the moment…
Sunshine in September :)
I am recovering from a mild bout of walrus flu, which is a bit like man flu but heavier. I still ache like I’m 80, but today the sun is shining and life is for living, so what to do?…
What do bees do in Winter?
Did you know that honey bees are experts at managing the temperature inside their colony? There are even “heater bees” who act like little radiators, applying their heat as required. They vibrate their wing muscles vigorously in order to generate…
Does size matter?
I recently had my 54th birthday, which was a pleasant affair spent with family doing what walruses do best, eating and basking. Well, actually we ate tapas then laid about watching Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which is like basking…
Oh to be in England, now that Balsam’s there
Ahh, peace at last. My wife and her friends have just taken our two beagles out for a walk in the nearby Chorlton Ees nature reserve, and their deafening howls can no longer be heard, by me at least. Anyone…
Are you feeling lucky, punk?
I used to be a "striver". I was always striving for something. It never really felt that great, all that striving; it felt like I was running on one of those airport conveyor belt walkways but going the wrong way,…
How very Vulgar
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris), queen As we are now in the middle of the summer holiday season there are plenty of opportunities to use my word for the day, “vulgar”. What a delicious word. Just saying it makes my walrus…