Bye, Bye, Bees

It was a final farewell today. Someone purchased our empty hives with all of the equipment that accompanies bee tending. They are gone for good, along with any nostalgia that remained when I gazed at the empty hives. It's funny that I would miss something as impersonal as bees, but I did. Even in the middle of winter, when the weather rose to the 40's in the middle of the day, I would wander out in the back yard and watch those little hummers leave the warmth of their hive to relieve themselves far from their clean home. It was not as much fun as watching them in the spring and summer when they buzzed back to the hive laden down with yellow pollen, but it was more reassuring to see them fly in and out in the cold and bleakness of winter, an amazing sign of life humming inside of those small white boxes.

There are not many wild bees in our back yard as when we had our bees buzzing around. The yard is quieter this summer, with the exception of the lumbering, fuzzy black and yellow bumblebees, going about their work of pollinating and keeping life moving along for future summers.

Our house is quieter, too, with our faithful old cat gone from our lives. Bob put a headstone in the flower garden where he lies beneath our peach tree. As that tree grows I will know that Bugsy helped give life to future peaches in that side garden, in view from his favorite lounging window where he spent so many peaceful hours dreaming in the sun.

Life is easier. There are less chores. There is less commotion, less to worry about. But then there is less to love.

Meanwhile, I wait for more hellos. They have always arrived when I least expected them.

This coming week I have family from the Cities, books to sign and five days of a celebration honoring our veterans in our Veteran's Town. Life does go on.