A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower.

Kin Hubbard said this. He was an American cartoonist (1868-1930) and, if you're wondering, as I was, why he has such an unusual name - it's because it's his pen name. His full name is Frank McKinney Hubbard which is a bit of a mouthful.

I disagree with his thoughts on bees.

Did I tell you we now have forty thousand pets? Well, forty thousand and three if you count Alfie, Poppy and Roly. (To me, however, the dog and horses are members of the family)

Peter has started bee-keeping.

No, that's not a HazMat suit he's wearing.

Forty thousand is an approximation. We haven't counted them. Nor have we given them names. I would if I could. Oh - the queen bee is called Queen Bee.

You can see the little white grubs in the lower cells. Our bee babies.

Bees are fascinating to watch, working so selflessly for the good of their community. I actually find it quite moving...and the beautiful symmetry of their honeycomb is a wonder to behold.We're looking forward to the honey next year though to me it seems hardly fair to take it away from them.

Our bees are FRIENDLY bees. Just don't stand in the middle of their flightpath, which hasn't yet deviated  from diagonally across the garden towards the flowerbeds. They have perfect lane control on their aerial motorway.

While I don't like the word 'ought' - I love the rest of this quote from Marcus Aurelius.

"We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne."

We have a grape vine too. He DOES have a name. He's called David, after David Vine, the sports commentator.

I don't name the grapes individually though. That would make them difficult to eat without terrible feelings of guilt.