Memorial Day 2007 was in a word, memorial. It wasn't the typical holiday where you plan to be a bum and do nothing more than pig out all day, but rather we had planned to work and our guests had too. Three of us tackled robbing bees and extracting honey. Others took over in the kitchen and somewhere along the line Norman kidnapped all the young ladies and went horseback riding. The day ended around 10 pm after the guys had done some major destruction to the yard with the tractor and a chain saw and everyone finally tuckered out. We all agreed it was one of the best days ever. There was lots of love, lots of laughter, the company was good and there was lots of good conversation. And yes, there was lots of good food too.

I remember such times from my childhood. Some of my best memories are days on my grandparents farm when the family gathered to butcher a hog. Even though I didn't understand why they wouldn't let me do anything involving a sharp knife I'd be given a job and would do my part. It gave us dignity and a sense of having done something worthwhile. And the talk and jokes with family members forged bonds that have lasted a lifetime.

The family that comes to my house is very different. They're not family of blood but family of kindred spirit brought together by the grace of God. Our work is different too, but I hope and pray that the good part, long after the honey is gone and the grill is rusted, remains a sweet place in our hearts and minds that will go with us forever.

I'm finding myself convicted by a woman who lived thousands of years ago. She was very rich. Tradition says she was beautiful. She was certainly very powerful as she had an army and more wealth at her disposal than most people would know how to count.

And it wasn't enough. Her heart yearned for answers and upon hearing that answers were to be had she risked it all and set out on a journey in search of what her heart longed for. She took much of her army leaving her country's defenses weak. She risked political ruin by leaving her position. She traveled with a large caravan at risk herself to spend months crossing a dangerous hot desert. She didn't even know if she'd be received as this was an uninvited visit. But she went.

And she was welcomed by one greater and more powerful than herself who didn't immediately answer her questions but told her what her questions were. She found the answers when she found his God.

I know this God. He's been my God and my Savior most of my life. And even living for Him to the best of my ability I suddenly find myself as deficit for answers as she, who had only heard distant rumors of Him. At this point I'm not even sure I know what the questions are. Perhaps I should start with "Am I willing to go extraordinary lengths as she was to find answers to the mysteries I find myself faced with?"

This is Bit. I think the name is short for Little Bit. He is my neighbor Liz's dog up at the shop. Every morning when I pull up he comes out to meet me and we spend a few moments together. He has to be the sweetest dog ever.

The crazy thing is I've never petted him. He won't get close. He started coming up because I offered him treats and graduated to him licking my fingers almost daily now. But that's as far as it goes. I've longed to pet and play and wrestle him a long time. But it won't happen. Our relationship is strictly on his terms and he refuses to get any closer. I can tell he wants to, but something in that doggie psyche stops him.

It occured to me this morning that Bit treats me like I sometimes treat God. God loves us and deeply longs for more. But no, we have to call the shots. We warm up to a point of having to take the plunge to trust more of ourselves to Him and back off. We get as close as actually touching the hem of his garmet and we know He's good and kind and invites us closer, but we back off, afraid of the consequences of going further, locked behind whatever emotional wall we think we're protecting ourselves with.

This is Bit's problem and he will never know the sheer delight of interacting with a human who cares for him. He'll never romp or get his ears or belly rubbed. He's missing out. I stand convicted wondering how much I've missed out on with my God because I've done the same thing.

Lord, help me to never hold out on you but to trust and love you completely. Help me to long for you as much as you long for me to come to you freely and joyfully.

All I know about Colony Collapse Disorder, aka CCD

Ahh yes - my favorite topic. - - - - NOT!

I'm asked about this almost daily by non beekeeping people. All the articles have got the public actually CARING about bees. This is a good thing. They've been mankinds underappreciated little caretakers and servants for centuries. We rob and eat their honey, make candles and cosmetics from their wax, and feast on food they pollinate whether directly or indirectly. It's time we cared. So here's the lowdown as I know it today, 5/10/2007.

#1 No known incidents in Alabama. :)

#2 and I quote:

"Good story for sure, (speaking of a mass hysteria cell phone article) except that the study in question had nothing to do with mobile phones and was actually investigating the influence of electromagnetic fields, especially those used by cordless phones that work on fixed-line networks, on the learning ability of bees. The small study, according to the researchers who carried it out too small for the results to be considered significant, found that the electromagnetic fields similar to those used by cordless phones may interrupt the innate ability of bees to find the way back to their hive. Those searching for answers for the recent disappearance of millions of bees in the United States - what researchers are calling colony collapse disorder - jumped on the possible explanation though there was one particular, cellphones and cordless phones emit different types of radiation and what you learn studying one type is not necessarily significant to the other, according to the researchers. We cannot explain the CCD-phenomenon itself and want to keep from speculation in this case, Jochen Kuhn, a professor in the physics department at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany who co-authored the bee study, wrote in an e-mail message. "Our studies cannot indicate that electromagnetic radiation is a cause of CCD. "If the Americans are looking for an explanation for colony collapse disorder, perhaps they should look at herbicides, pesticides and they should especially think about genetically modified drops, said Stefan Kimmel, a graduate student who co-authored the study last year with Kuhn and other professors It's not my fault if people misinterpret our data, said Kimmel. Ever since The Independent wrote their article, for which they never called or wrote to us, n one of us have been able to do any of our work because all our time has been spent in phone calls and e-mails trying to set things straight. This is a horror story for every researcher to have your study reduced to this. Now we are trying to force things back to normal." Herald Tribune

#3 University of Ohio claims it's related to stress (so what ARE the stress factors???)

#4 Other universities are looking at the above mentioned items: possible residual pesticides in comb, modified crop dna, contaminated pollen, etc. Nothing conclusive announced to date.

My personal gut feeling is that regardless of specific "causes" that the poor honeybee is groaning under the curse of sin just like the rest of creation. They've gone about their business pollinating the food we eat for thousands of years with little appreciation and lots of abuse. Remember those sweet romantic upside down baskets they used to keep bees in called skeps? You harvested that honey by immersing the skep and drowning the bees! I'm not the only Christian to consider that disappearing bees may be a contributing factor to the end time famine that has not happened yet. It's a frightful thought, and while I love bees, I have to cry "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" about the whole issue. God's plan of ultimate redemtion WILL go through, but dark times are ahead till that happens. In the meantime the bees DO matter and as a steward of God's earth part of my job is to take care of them to the best of my ability. It's a mandate I hope everyone else takes seriously now.

Ok , now I'll get off my soap box.

Wow - A week into May already! I'm happy to report that today is exquisite. Last night was cool and it's in the upper 60's right now. It looks like my bees are starting to venture out into the sunshine - a very good thing considering we're in the thick of honey flow. I added supers to two hives this morning and moved a crowded nuc into a deep. I'm hopeful to do the same for some of my other hives at the farm this afternoon.

Church was good. Pastor's message yesterday morning hit the bulls eye on laying aside weight and sin and running the race. I had never thought about Paul's greatest fear being the same as my own - that of doing something that would dishonor the Lord. I want God's grace and mercy to be magnified in my life - not his justice because I do something stupid or sinful. I find myself being pulled in directions I should not go a lot more often than I care to admit these days. I have no trouble admitting stuggle - I'm just not keen on saying what struggle(s). God knows. Best that this lady have many secrets I guess.

And my stupid back is out, or at least giving me fits. I felt like I was 12 again when Dr. C told me one leg was shorter than the other last week. Thankfully he can and did fix it - it's just the residual pain and tenderness that are so daggone aggrivating. So I move slowly and carefully. But I do move. I want to find a strength training routine. We've got the equipment - I just don't want to tear something else up using it. The machines at the ladies gym contributed to my present situation so there's no going back there. Oh well . . .

Ros out for now. Blessings to all.

The rest of the story.

As a follow up to last week's rant I think it necessary to tie up some loose ends.

I spoke with my NP and she confirmed everything I wrote about being shut down. She's heartbroken over the turn of events but believes that when God shuts one door, he opens another and is taking care of business until such time He deems good to do so. Her primary concern is that her existing patients continue to receive the care and products she started them on and is advising everyone who calls to that end.

But there ARE some things that can be done. Here's her request list:

1. Pray about the local situation.
2. Write the two owners of her clinic who made the final decision to protest and express concerns. (I'll gladly furnish names and addresses to anyone who emails.)
3. Go to this link and contact your congressman. Wyeth Laboratories (the horse pee hormone specialists) along with Senator Kennedy and a few other misinformed idiots are trying to push through a bill that would restrict or eliminate plant based hormones. THIS BILL HAS TO BE STOPPED.

Also, for what it's worth, there is another local clinic now prescribing bio-id hrt. I'll gladly furnish that info too.