I decided I'd scroll through pics and start where I left off - which appears to be the week of Mother's Day.
Something interesting happened around here that week. One afternoon my boys were outside in the back yard playing with their buddies. Quinn was out there trying to keep up with the big kids. I was working in the kitchen and had opened the windows so I could hear if someone needed me.
Suddenly I heard Owen yelling, "Quinn RUN! There's a bee!"
I kind of chuckled to myself because Owen is very protective of Quinn and I thought his concern was a bit dramatic.
A few seconds later I heard ALL of the boys yelling, "Run! There are bees!"
Hmmm. I calmly walked outside to help...and maybe even tease the boys a bit for being, oh I don't know, wimps?
But then I saw it - a giant, AND I MEAN GIANT, cloud of bees hovering in our yard. It was a swarm - probably 5 ft. by 7 ft. solid bees.
"OH MY GOSH! BEES! GET INSIDE QUICK! QUICK! BRIAN! GET OUT HERE AND LOOK AT THIS!" Yes, now who's being dramatic?
We watched out the window as the bees held their position mid air - then, when we turned our heads for just a second, poof - they were gone! Weird. Where did they go? Brian went to look around the yard. When he heard a loud buzzing noise he looked up to see them clinging in a giant mass to our old cherry (plum?) tree. They had found their home.
What followed next isn't that important. I (along with Hudson and someone who's identity I will protect - but her name rhymes with Lissy) may have tried to persuade the bees to find a new place of residence. That is all I will say about this because I have since learned that you DO NOT disturb bees during this process. If I open up and tell you our various tactics I may have bee lovers hunting me down and throwing paint on my gorgeous fur jacket....well, I don't really own a fur jacket - but you see my point. I wish I could say more because I have some pretty ridiculous pictures of the moment. SCARY and ridiculous.
Luckily another couple of friends stopped by and one of these friends had read an article in the paper that morning telling the residents of our city to be on the lookout for these swarms of bees. There was also an article in the paper that day about the killer bees entering our area - say what?!
(By the way, I like the fact that I have smart friends who do grown up things like read the paper...since I do not. )
I wish this picture was better at showing just HOW many bees I'm talking about. I took this before I discovered 3x as many on the other side...and then I was too chicken to take more pictures. My smart (newspaper reading) friend gave me the phone number of the University Bee Department (or whatever) and boy oh boy were the people there excited to hear about the size of the swarm. They dropped what they were doing and appeared at my house lickity split!
And so I began to learn a bit about bee's from the bee whisperers. (Brian already knew all about bees because he has seen The Bee Movie - impressed?)
The whisperers were not happy that my accomplices and I had injured (killed) some of the bees while trying to rid ourselves of them. I apologized and explained that I panicked because I have a cloud of children hovering in my yard at all times. I was told by one of the whisperers that he too was worried about his children - his "bee children". That statement kind of stopped me in my tracks...but to each his own. They were both especially worried about the bee children because if I destroyed the queen bee then it would be a huge tragedy. Apparently leaving the bees without their queen would be like leaving my own kids without a mother...stopped in my tracks again when I heard that statement.
Oh no. I began praying that the queen was alive! If she was gone I was in for a major lecture - plus I didn't want to dry the weeping eyes of these grown men (who were actually really great and don't deserve to be poked fun of).
The whisperers brought a white wooden box filled with honey and all things bees desire. They told me that if the queen flies into the box and is happy there then the other bees will follow her until they are all together.
I stood watching with the nervous men until they concluded the queen had indeed survived! Hallelujah! Long live the queen!
My kids and I watched throughout the day as more and more bees left the tree and made their way to the bee mama. It was pretty amazing - a thousand bees all wanted and needed to be with her. She had power, that queen bee did. Home for the bees wasn't a certain place but rather a certain bee - the queen was their home.
Of course, being so close to Mother's Day and all, watching this spectacle made me think of motherhood...
One of the greatest gifts in my life is my mother - Barbara Lee. In my mind she is without question the QUEEN OF ALL QUEEN BEES. There is no perfect way to describe her - if there were then you would all swarm around her just to feel her warm heart and nurturing soul. She is a constant source of happiness and peace in my life.
About five years ago Brian and I were up working at my dad's cabin. He has a lot of property there and we were trying to get the entire thing mowed before night came. I was on the tractor mowing while I watched Hudson and Owen play in the trees down by the stream. They played and laughed - occasionally stopping to go check on baby Jude who was asleep in the shade.
After awhile Owen headed my way. He had a mop of blond curls and rosy cheeks under his blue eyes. He lifted his arms high toward me so I stopped the tractor and piled him onto my lap. I began mowing again but figured he must be terribly uncomfortable and wouldn't want to ride with me for long. By the time I made my second turn down at the white wooden fence, I glanced down to see him fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and as I snuggled him tight I had this thought, "I am his Barbara Lee. I am that person in his life. "
Never before had I truly internalized just how important I am to my kids - how my presence (yep, little ole' me) brings them a feeling of peace and safety...the feeling that all is well and happy in the world. I was suddenly struck by how special and divine my role is. I understood the power I have as a mother by truly feeling it with the heart of a little girl who adored her own mother.
I AM THEIR BARBARA LEE.
I am their queen bee.
I am their home.
Wow.
Motherhood has never felt the same to me after that day.
It feels far more significant.
I feel far more significant.
As I watched those bees fly from my tree I was reminded of this...reminded and determined to do better by my little honey bees.
Happy belated Mother's Day to you.
I dedicate this post to Sweet Mertilda.
Next on my catch-up list...the end of school!
I loved this post!
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