Bee A Little Bold

We need every tiny act of courage right now.

You may feel small, and like the good you can do is limited. You may feel like you’re just scrambling and trying to survive.

But you are one of oh so many. Your work, your voice, your efforts all matter. Together, we will make this place better—one tiny action at a time.

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Here’s What’s Happening At Good Spirits Farm

It’s bee season! Technically, it’s always bee season, as these critters need year-round tending. But spring is an especially critical time, as hives emerge from their boxes and begin the process of rebuilding from winter.

You may have seen the news that this was a terrible winter for honeybees, and that honeybee losses are expected to be as high as 70 percent this year. So far, all of my hives have made it through, which feels more like a stroke of good luck than a credit to my skills as a beekeeper.

We cracked open the hives this week to begin looking for new queen cells, which will prompt the hive to “swarm” or split into two smaller hives.

We didn’t find any, which feels unusual for this time of year. The first few days that it hits into the mid-70s, we almost always have swarms. I’m wondering if all my hives survived, but just by a thread, and as a result, they have not felt healthy enough to split yet this year.

What I am seeing is tons and tons of pollen being brought into the hives. I love looking for pollen sacks on their little bee legs. See them? The tiny dots of yellow and orange are pollen they’ve collected from flowers and are hauling back to the hive.

I love that the amount of pollen each bee is bringing in is miniscule. And yet, it never discourages them. They’ll drop off what they found, do a cute little bee dance to tell their sisters where they found it, and then they’re off for another round. Keep doing tiny things, I tell myself as I watch them. Collectively, it matters.

My current little action? Planting a slightly bigger garden this year, knowing that with cuts to food banks, there may be more friends who could use some veggies this spring and summer. Luckily, I have good garden help.

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Here’s What I Loved This Week

The fall before the pandemic, my parents visited and spent a day planting bulbs in my yard. That following spring, when I was worrying about them living in a crowded condo building with a pediatrician’s office on the first floor, these beauties popped up for the first time.

Ultimately, my parents ended up coming to live with us for longer than any of us expected, which was one of the few bright sides of that long, lonely time. And every spring when the daffodils and tulips emerge, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to have wonderful parents, how grateful I am that I could provide a safe spot, and how being together with those you love becomes even more important when times are tough.