Of bees and rain

Today there have been quite a few rain showers. Today I have also had a little bit of time totally to myself and during that time I was sitting in conservatory using my prayer beads and listening to the rain fall.  I have lavender bushes beside the back door from the conservatory to the back garden and as I sat I began watching the bees.  The lavender I have has not long started to flower and the bumble bees round here always visit the bushes.  I watched as bees clung to the lavender stalks waiting out the rain and one bee in particular caught my eye.  This individual had clearly been caught by some heavy drops of rain as she was soaked.

When the rain paused for a bit she crept slowly around the flower head, clearly looking for some sustenance, clearly too wet to fly to another flower head.  I watched and felt I had to try and help. So I went through to the kitchen, tore off a piece of kitchen roll and dribbled a few small drops of honey onto it.  I took that into the conservatory and placed it on the floor.  Then I went outside and gently reached out to this poor soaked bee.  She climbed onto my finger and I brought her inside.  With  a little coaxing I was able to get her transferred from my hand to the piece of kitchen roll and then I gently moved her to one of the honey drops.

I was able to watch as her tiny tongue moved round the honey soaked kitchen paper.  I watched as slowly this tiny being fed.  I watched as she stretched, shivered began to dry out and then finally groom herself.  With hope in my heart I watched as this tiny life recovered her energy and began to move around that spot of honey and eventually left that one to move to another close by.  I was filled with joy when her wings from being stuck together flat on her back sprang apart.  And eventually my small guest took off with a whirl of her wings.

I opened the door and I watched in joy and wonder as out she flew.  I looked down as I reached out to pull the door close and saw another soaked bee on the step in front of the door. Waiting.

As the rain had paused I took the kitchen paper outside this time and encouraged this bee onto the area with the honey.  I moved the paper over into a more sheltered spot in case the rain returned and left that one for  a little.  I’d been on the floor for a while watching the other bee and I needed to move myself.

I kept checking on this second bee and when wind and rain returned brought this one too inside for a little.  More swiftly this time I watched as energy returned helped by the sun coming out and filling the conservatory with warmth.

After a while this bee too left the kitchen paper and flew up. Again I opened the door and this second bee flew off into the garden.

I feel blessed to have shared these moments with these small but incredibly precious lives.