It's always a noisy affair as the lambs try to recognise their mothers without their winter coats, but they seem to have worked it our now and all is peaceful out in the sheep field.
The same week was also one of national celebrations - the Queen's Jubilee apparently. As Wick Court has strong links with the first Queen Elizabeth it seemed only fitting to celebrate with the second. Several old bed sheets were cut into triangles and printed red, white and blue to make yards and yards of patriotic bunting then strung around the courtyard for a special "street" party where the queen herself popped in to help serve tea......
And down in the orchard there is another queen - a hive of honeybees has been re-located to Wick Court and when the sun does appear the flowers and trees are literally buzzing with them. There are regular visits from beekeepers looking more like spacemen in their strange protective suits.
The horses keep a wary eye on the hives from a safe distance. Word is that there are good honey stores and the Queen seems to be keeping her colony well-focussed. As well as the honey of course the bees should help with all the fruit and vegetable production as they go about their vital task of pollinating in the orchards and kitchen gardens.
I have heard that the male bees - the drones - have only one job in life - to mate with the queen. I was interested to find out more about their lifestyle as it sounded as if we have a lot in common. However I discovered that drones which mate successfully automatically die and any others are evicted from the hive at the end of each summer, maybe not so like that of a boar after all.....
Dudley
