The temperatures had risen enough that she’d been able to unwrap the hives a few days before.All but one of her two dozen colonies had survived.Still, she mourned the loss of those who hadn’t made the winter.
Scientists believed bees died in their sleep without pain or fear, and she hoped that was true.The poor things deserved peace.They were the hope of the planet.
When she’d removed the winter wraps from the hives, she’d also added some sucrose syrup to a few that felt light, hoping to help the surviving bees grow and thrive.
The bears would be out of hibernation by now, so she needed to check on her fences today.Bears weren’t allowed to eat her bees, no matter how hungry they were.That wouldn’t be a peaceful way for her friends to go.
It wasn’t quite warm enough for Dani to check on the queens yet, but it wouldn’t be long.Although the previous year, there’d been another bout of snow late into the spring that had thrown off nature and Dani’s routines.She wasn’t taking the hive boxes apart until she was sure there was enough outside heat to replace the warm air inside.
This was her third year running the hives, her second year running Frannie B’s Honey.Despite the name, she didn’t stick just to honey—more advice from her great-grandmother.
Diversify.Find out what your target audience wants and give it to them with quality and love.
So, Dani had learned to make beeswax candles and lip balm along with her honey.She also collected and sold pollen, propolis, and beeswax.
Along with selling her metalwork, she was happy and had enough money to pay the bills without touching the rest of the trust fund Frannie B had left her.
The thought of having the freedom to choose had her twirling again.
This was much better than boring conversations about business and stocks, much more fun than staying tidy and wearing just the right makeup and clothing.
Dani raised her face to the sun.“I hope you’re looking down from wherever you are, Frannie B.I love you and appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
Without her, Dani would be trapped in a life she hated and married to a man who was as emotionally attractive as bear scat.
Laughing, Dani danced to the clearing where her hives surrounded a small pond and her lunchroom.Well, lunch truck.
The rusty old truck had likely been in the forest for decades.She knew nothing about vehicles, but this looked like one that might have rolled out on Ford’s first assembly lines.
She couldn’t imagine why it had ended up in this clearing in the woods.The road was on the far side of her cottage, more than half a mile away.Maybe someone had taken it for a joyride and dumped it when it had broken down.
Whatever the reason, she enjoyed having Beatrice there.Her truck bed provided Dani a dry place to have lunch or hang out when she finished her daily apiary tasks.She’d hung some tiny fairy danglers from Beatrice’s mirrors, inside and out.They caught the light and sparkled, bringing her more joy.
Dani had read more than one romance novel while lounging in the back of the truck, imagining a hero of yore striding purposefully through the trees in search of a damsel to join him on his quest.Not to slay dragons, but to befriend them.
She could easily imagine a dragon swooping overhead, the downward stroke of its wings brushing the treetops and causing a breeze to rush through the clearing.
That wouldn’t work today as she hoped to plant more wildflowers in the clearing, along the forest paths, and in her backyard.
With more flowers, she might increase her hive count or at least ensure the bees had enough pollinators to thrive.She didn’t want so many bees that the tasks became actual work, but she also wanted her business to thrive.Frannie B had insisted that if work wasn’t fun, you weren’t doing it right.
Dani wanted to live her life according to that policy.Her bees and metal art brought her joy and gave her time to read and enjoy her property.
Happy barks drew her attention to the forest.Her best buddy, Bibi, a giant Newfoundland dog, and the neighbor’s Great Pyrenees, Fox, raced through the trees toward her.
Just the two friends today.Some days, her other neighbor’s dogs would join in the romp.None of the dogs bothered the bees, and the bees ignored them right back.
They were pretty much the only company Dani needed.
Being alone was far better than being with people who didn’t respect you or who pressured you to be something you weren’t.
After rubbing down both dogs, she checked on the hives.Not that she could do much until the weather was a few degrees warmer.Maybe tomorrow.
Dani put her pots on the blanket she’d set down earlier on the edge of the meadow.That way, she could easily move between the sun and the shade.She’d brought out soil and seeds on her earlier trips, so now she was ready to work.
Some seeds were ones she’d harvested in the fall.Native plants she knew could thrive in the Vermont climate.Others she’d ordered from companies that specialized in wildflowers for bees and showed a commitment to environmentally friendly practices.The new seeds would give the bees a wider variety of food sources.
Dani wanted to seed a pathway through the trees with the new pots.If she wanted more bees, she needed to know if she could support them.And even if she didn’t expand, it would be fun to have a wildflower trail throughout the forest.The soil in most areas wasn’t thick enough to support them, but she hoped they’d survive in the pots.She’d chosen flowers that loved shade, so she had high hopes.
