"All for one and one for all!"

So much for sunny March! It started out as a pea-soup-thick-foggy day and then turned into a messy day with the threat of tornadoes. Another day to be stuck inside the Little Bayou House and dream of hikes around the Bayou. As I listened to the steady drone of the wind, I thought of how much it, at times, sounded like a swarm of angry bees. This thought soon turned to honeybees and how Pop used to keep beehives. I miss those days of fresh honey! Not that I should complain, as my brother keeps me well supplied with honey from a local farmer! But still, there is nothing like bees to make the garden produce a lot better!

Several years ago, I was out back when I heard that buzzing sound. After looking around in the trees, I found the large clump of honeybees hanging on an oak tree limb. It was up about twenty feet off the ground but could have been retrieved if we had a hive handy. We did not. I watched the bees for quite some time as they crawled around on each other. The swarm reminded me of some large, pulsating blob from a Hollywood horror movie! Although there were thousands of bees in the mass, it appeared to be one complete living thing. They were steadily moving and occasionally some would literally fall from the blob. These would drop to the ground, crawl around a bit then fly back to the group.

The swarm stayed on the limb for an hour or so before moving on their way. I stood under the tree while they grouped together and then started as a unit moving off to parts unknown. I am assuming that the group is still in the area since when the wisteria or citrus trees are in full bloom, they are usually covered with honeybees. Perhaps, they went into one of the hollow trees in the creekbed or found some other suitable, naturally-protected place to turn into their new hive.

It was fascinating to watch these bees at such close proximity and not fear getting stung. Even though one would occasionally land me, not once did I get stung. It is quite the experience to witness the swarming of honeybees and realize the spirit of community that these insects project. They move as one..they work as one..they live as one. I suppose they would make great Musketeers! "All for one and one for all!" Aremis, Athos and Porthos have nothing on these honeybees!

~(Quote and characters from the Alexandre Dumas novel "The Three Musketeers".)