Yesterday I went to the post office to mail a package to a friend in Australia and some books to the Bartram Trail Regional Library in Washington GA. They’d bought some of my books, and I told them I’d donate some others. I love libraries. Anyway, while I waited in line, one of my favorite postal workers, Debbie, told a man at the counter that the way to measure a box was along the longest side and then all around the shortest way. How on earth would anyone ever remember that? But then she added, “Head to toe and around the waist.” Don’t ya’ love it?
The bad news was that the postage for four books to Australia was over $40. On the other hand, what’s the cost of flying a really long way? I guess $40 is well worth it, since hand-delivery would be impractical.
Bees never have to worry about that sort of stuff. They gather their pollen and nectar within a five-mile radius of their home hive. Of course, large commercial beekeepers transport hives all around the country on huge flat-bed trucks to follow the large commercial crops, rather like my flying to Australia to deliver a present of books. Wouldn’t it be nicer if we encouraged bee tending all over the country? Think of it. Every house with a hive or two. Every orchard or garden with dozens of them. Let the bees do their thing. Don’t worry about medicating them. Don’t use pesticides on the crops. Don’t try to force honey production.
I know – that’s a Mother Earth News kind of mentality – and there are plenty of folks who simply aren’t interested in keeping bees or eating pesticide-free food. But, just for a moment – imagine! Wonderful, isn’t it?
BEEattitude for Day # 45:
Blessed are they who, like our field bees, deliver gifts, for they shall rest assured that their hive is safe.
One thing Fran is grateful for right now:
The nice people at the Lawrenceville GA Post Office on Buford Drive.
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