Moonlit Apiary

Do you hear that sweet sound? It's the soft hum of Hamish's honeybees collecting the last of the day's nectar as the sun swims low in the sky. If you are hearing them now, you've come upon the moonlit apiary, nestled between the lavender fields and the twilight forest. As the warm summer day cools down tonight and the bees tuck back into their hives, a moonlit world emerges. Come, take a midnight stroll through this gentle valley. Before we begin, let's take a beat for a brief wind-down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it in the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You are nice and relaxed. We are going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So, are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Now breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now, returning the breath to normal. The apiary is nestled between Hamish's Honey Barn and Blackberry Pond, with its rows of lopsided honey hives all painted different colors, forming a miniature village on stilts, like something out of a fairytale. In the cool night air, the bee yard lies still and quiet save for the soft hum of crickets and the occasional breeze rustling the nearby trees. But in daylight hours, the hives buzz with life as forager bees venture out into the lavender fields and beyond, bringing back nectar and propolis to feed the hive. Inside the colony, bees twitch and buzz between the hexagons of honeycomb. Each hive is a series of stacked boxes elevated off the ground by stilts to help with ventilation and protect from field mice and any other little creatures who try to make the honey boxes their home. One deep box forms the foundation of each hive, lined with vertically propped frames coated with beeswax. This is where the queen lays most of her eggs. Stacked on top of these are the mediums, boxes with more beeswax frames where the bees can often be found making honey. A flat roof called a telescoping outer cover keeps the hives safe from the elements. The bees often enter and exit through an opening at the bottom of the hive. They swarm out into the sunshine by day and return safely to store their nectar, pollen, and propolis as evening approaches. The bees must bring home nectar...