sunday - the start in pictures

I heard the first birds at 4.15 this morning and had to check the time because it seemed too early to be late (if you get what I mean?).  I drifted off to sleep again and then the phone rang at 7.15.  Ginny - my early morning friend who was up and about and ready to go.  We have a bee hive under our house and Ginny knows about all these things.  I am now off to the hardware store to buy some mesh.  She is then going to make me a contraption to get the bees out from under the house. 

So I was up early and decided to give you my day, so far, in pictures:-

Begin at the very beginning.  The view from my bed through the bedroom window.  I frightened Michael a bit when I jumped out of bed, ran out of the room and then jumped back into bed with my camera.  The silky oak trees looked so pretty with the sun filtering through the leaves.  Michael (and early morning riser and brilliant gardener Ginny) keep advising me to get rid of these alien trees.  I just can't.

A cup of tea and armed with camera, into the garden at 7.30.

 The two culprits from the front door

 One of two of yesterday's bags of leaves

Every leaf picked up yesterday - Today's share

Orange hairy caterpillars out for their breakfast

Bags of leaves and cuttings and nearly the end of the Pride of Madeira

I am sure the bees are here because of this plant

Cape May flowering for the first time

Not so pretty - we have planted Buffalo runners for the shady spots

The bee hive is behind this airbrick and partially covered by the downpipe

So after my tea in the garden it was off to the hardware store.  Ginny had given me instructions of exactly what to buy.  Easy.  Back home to measure the size of the airbrick (because I forgot and thought they would all be the same size - apparently not).  Off to Ginny to get this device custom made.  I took quite a bit of measuring and stitching to get it perfect.

This gets taped around the airbrick.  The bees can get out but then cannot get back in though the small funnel opening at the top (sorry bad photographs which do not show the tip of the funnel).  If all goes to plan eventually the queen bee will be the last to leave her hive to look for greener pastures.  Mean, I know, but apparently beehives can get seriously large and I have visions of bees making their way through the floor boards in the lounge.  This is also far better than killing them or smoking them out (although losing your home, friends and mistress must be pretty hard on them).

Now I am waiting for the rain to stop before I send Michael out with the duct tape to tape it to the wall.  I've done my bit!!