Dr F I Lee (Dad) RIP 13/05/2007

I'm so so sad to say that I lost my dear dad a few days ago after a short illness. As this blog is dedicated to him I felt it only right that I post a couple of pics and a few words in his honour. My dad was a sweet and humble man whose gentle and kind demeanor touched all those who knew him well or in passing. Through his work as a Doctor he was able help countless people through the pain of illness to recovery. My dad was a man full of warmth and empathy that belied his inner steely resolve, which he used fully to make it easier for everyone who was fond of him to cope with his increasing weakness of body. His keen interest in natural history was infectious and love of sport a source of great pleasure to him. He will be missed hugely by all who knew him especially his loving and large family who are all so eternally grateful to have had him in our lives.

Dad & me insect watching

Dad RIP - Always proud to be your loving son, Philip.

Hive renovation still on-going

Just a picture as evidence that the renovations of our hives are still on-going! With so much equipment it's a real marathon but as long as we have 2 or 3 full hives in order by the time our nuclei arrive we shall work our way through the rest at a more leisurely pace. Incidentally it's the 'bluebell walk' at Lytham Hall tomorrow (29th April) so for a lovely walk round the grounds pop down in the afternoon and enjoy a spectacular sight.

Mosaic puffball

I also grabbed a snap of this Mosaic puffball (so called due to it's patchwork skin appearance) , a few of which seems to appear regularly in Spring and Autumn just off the track that leads to the emergency exit. I have to admit this particular puffball is no longer there as it ended up in an omlette I had for lunch last week, but at least we have a picture!

Peacock butterfly

Thinga are a little quiet on the bee front at the moment as we are waiting for our bee nuclei to arrive from Hoy Lake so I thought I'd post this snap of a lovely peacock butterfly I caught warming itself on the bark chipping path outside the bee shed.

Rhododendron update

Just an update on the previos photo of the beautiful flowering mass!

A hive of activity (sorry!)

I have taken advantage of the recent good weather to start the renovation of the apiary hives which we decided would be my task. We have ordered 4 nuclei of bees from each of which we intend to nurture strong colonies and hopefully harvest some honey in the near future. I am flat out getting 4 hives completely over-hauled so the new bees (which incidentally will be certified disease free) will have a thoroughly fresh start and hopefully no sign of varroa mites. Alan's job at present is preparing frames and fitting them with wax foundation, photos of which will be posted asap.