The World Turns

I checked to make sure I'm not posting exactly the same 'farewell to the bees' scene that I used last year, and I'm pleased to find it's from exactly the opposite direction on exactly the same day. Our minds travel familiar pathways

It's a similarly beautiful day but, unlike last year, it's not Diwali - the festival of light changes date every year, like Easter. I tried to understand why, but it defeated me. There are several Hindu calendars and all of them are 'lunisolar' - taking account movement of both the sun and the moon. I think I am right that Diwali is always a new moon and, this year, that takes it into December November

My sentiments are the same though. Everything is bedded down as well as it can be for winter. The bees have fondant above the ceiling of the hive, if they want it. Cushions, blankets and sheep's-wool are doing a good job of keeping heat in - I could feel the snug warmth when I moved them to check the feed. The extra weight is on the roofs to defy the storms. The huge blackthorn thicket behind the hives offers very effective protection from the worst winds. My mind is calmed by what I see

The tree on the left is not the oak I referred to last year, which is just out of shot. Rather, it is a huge walnut, actually rooted on our neighbour's land, but overhanging a little (slim pickings this year). There is an oak in shot though - a self-sown sapling, with its leaves just turning, above and in front of the rightmost hive. I hope it is now mature enough that it will not tempt the muntjac that I saw as I drove down the track. The old oak is dying (as I have been saying for 25 years) so, one day, a replacement will be needed

The red fruit on the right are haws; I don't see them in last year's picture, but I think they may be ripening early this year. There is also a hint of redness in the huge hawthorn at the top right, confirming that it is similarly laden. This is one of a large number of these overgrown hedgerow shrubs that we have - there are mountains of fruit. The fieldfare and redwing have not yet made it back to us from their Scandinavian summer, but they will be enjoying the bounty by the time I next see this spot