Busy Bees

This morning was the ultimate combination of sunny and fresh.  The blue sky beamed down benevolently as the sun warmed our skin, still warm enough to feel luxuriously cuddled but not so warm as to feel boiled and baked.

Perfection.

We headed out for a field walk, exploring trees, bushes and hedges along our route.  As we came down into bottom field there lay a gloriously large swathe of bird foot trefoil, impossibly yellow, scenting the August air with sweetness.  As we got closer I noticed that we were surrounded by the buzzing of bees, looking closer we had the chance to observe them about their work.  In and out of flowers they went, collecting, moving on, collecting, moving on.  We crouched down for a while and watched them, they seemed oblivious to us as the darted in and out of the sunflower yellow flowers.

Oh those bees.  So fluffy you want to squeeze them (but resist on account of either killing them or being stung really hard), buzzing about doing all their work creating that amber wonder liquid that is honey.  I have a love affair with honey that has been progressing for many years, I love all textures, tastes and variations of it.  I know from experience that the kind of flowers the bees collect from heavily influences the taste of the honey.  Well I know for sure that bird foot trefoil is in the mix, as is the golden rod growing everywhere right now.

Yellow seems to be a favourite colour of those nectar loving critters.  Collect away my bee friends, we’ll be sharing the bounty before we wrap you up tight for winter.  I hope, as I ladle honey into my tea in the cold winter to come, that I can taste this sweet August day in the mix.