Cathedral top bar Bee Hive - Enjoying some milder weather.

Unusually warm weather (15degC) has allowed my bees to get about this past couple of days and some pollen is being brought to the hive. The National hive next door seems even more active today.  Possibly due to my hive being better insulated and a lighter colour, therefore slower to warm up after the cold spell. 

Notice the Pollen

Through the Side Window

Propolis streak inside the viewing window

Honey stored on outer combes. During cold weather these are vacated - bees migrate to the left into the brood nest.

Darkest older comb is now about 5 months old.

Brood comb tightly packed. A digital thermometer reveals the two combs at the middle of  the colony to be the ones here on far left of the image.

I found myself a usefull little sugar sprinkler last week in readiness to dust them off with icing sugar and get a regular treatment going against the Verroa mite.

Autumn colours on Dartmoor

Helen and me enjoy a Sunday jaunt across the moor to see the kaleidoscope of tints along our favourite woodland trail and an all day breakfast at the Fox Tor Cafe. Its busy feeding dozens of lycra clad cyclists, racing about the moor from Plymouth. It's halloween and many are wearing fancy fascinators of the devilish kind. The run alongside the Dart from Ashburton to Poundsgate is not to be missed at this time, and in the Morgan 4/4 the canopy of russets and gold leaf a real joy.

Shame on Westminster

As a parent and grandparent the realisation that Britain is plagued by a minority of  predatory deviants who target children horrifies me. 

When those in power promise to act, but fail to put their words into action, the conclusion must be that the powerful are choosing to leave an open door for themselves and their fellow abusers to continue as before.  Two years ago some important amendments to Section 67 of the 2015 Serious Crime Act were promised. A simple modification to a straightforward existing act and doable at the stroke of a pen.  Prompted by the N.S.P.C.C. David Cameron promised to do just that.  Nineteen months later no amendment has occurred.

Government ministers have it in their power to act, but now are seen to be dragging their feet. Their members having closed ranks in desperate efforts to preserve their reputation. So desperate, that whatever historic cases remain undisclosed, these must be of such proportions that UK governance would be exposed as nothing more than a disgraced club of ill repute.

Read the Independant Newspaper to follow this ongoing issue here. 

67

    Sexual communication with a child

After section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 insert—

“15ASexual communication with a child

(1)A person aged 18 or over (A) commits an offence if—

(a)for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, A intentionally communicates with another person (B),

(b)the communication is sexual or is intended to encourage B to make (whether to A or to another) a communication that is sexual, and

(c)B is under 16 and A does not reasonably believe that B is 16 or over.

(2)For the purposes of this section, a communication is sexual if—

(a)any part of it relates to sexual activity, or

(b)a reasonable person would, in all the circumstances but regardless of any person's purpose, consider any part of the communication to be sexual;

and in paragraph (a) “sexual activity” means an activity that a reasonable person would, in 
all the circumstances but regardless of any person's purpose, consider to be sexual.

(3)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or a fine or both;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.”

Letting off Steam - All's well that ends well.

What better place to vent some heat exchange than a scenic train ride alongside the Dart Estuary. A gentle ride to the marina and ferry trip to Dartmouth- walking stick in hand, back pain and all.
Soup and crusty bread is all I can manage this Saturday morning. The Doctor in the Accident and Emergency department did say to try and keep mobile. Take five deep breaths every half hour or so, to clear the lungs, and don't be afraid to take paracetamol, ibuprofen or your preferred pain killer.
Thanks, but no thanks!  I prefer to listen to the messages my body returns to my stubborn head. Harbouring self doubt and fear that someone or something is about to stray into my path and cause another visit to A&E.
Hercules is the name of the engine, just shy of 100 years old, still hauling this lovely cream painted coach built train. Now full of the expectant and the excited and chuffing along the green valleys to Kingswear from Paignton and back, several time a day.

Live steam.

A few days later and I am happy once more: One replacement Volvo V70 bought and paid for with insurance money from the Allianz Plc. Insurers of first choice. The dear lady with whom I found myself in potentially mortal A379 road combat, survives the ordeal and is as sorry as me, that we found ourselves on a collision course.  Eleven days of sore ribs but now able to laugh once more.

     

Reversing to re-attach to the train for the return journey.  The bruised octogenarian lady is recovering from her bruises and able to walk to the village post office as well as I can.  Her transport out of the village by free bus pass. I still have the choice if the need should arise.

Volvo V70 Estate write off.

At 5.20 pm. yesterday, (Tuesday) at the wheel of my lovely Volvo, travelling into Exeter, I had the misfortune to collide with a local Citroen being driven by an elderly lady, without due care and attention. Heading for me on her wrong side and with both vehicles travelling at about 30 mph my avoiding action included steering into the hedge to my left which canted the Volvo up on that side to about 30 deg.
Conscious  throughout, I was subjected to some instant traumatic noisy impact as the air bags deployed. The smoky mist of venting refrigerant from the air conditioning immediately began to fill the cab. All windows were closed. My reaction was to open the driver's door which proved difficult. It required my swivelling through 90 deg so that I could put my full force with both legs against the door after releasing the seat belt.
Both myself and the lady were wearing belts and the airbag deployed in the Citroen as well the Volvo.
Both vehicles sustained extensive damage due to the frontal impact. Mine lost a wheel plus a large sector of its offside suspension; I shall be seeking a replacement with a similar specification and less than the 150,000 mileage.
After being taken to the RD&E  hospital for a check over, my injury includes bruised  or cracked ribs and a sore neck.  Mobility has been seriously slowed up but recovery should occur in about a week or two. I was advised by the medics that adrenalin in my  blood would be subduing the pain and that pain would increase during the following weeks before subsiding. 

The waiting areas of our crowded emergency department are constantly busy here as they are in most places and the medics are the very best.

One  conversation overheard in the corridor: a man sat beside his wife, phoning  a friend about a dog incident during which his hand was bitten. Apologising for the dogs behaviour as was the other dog owner in responce. It would seem that one dog's ear was bitten off, because he said to the friend: "Be sure not to get the ear sewn on back to front".

Remember:  Wear a seat belt - Think about what to do in scenario before it happens. In the seconds before impact - take all avoiding action possible. Don't freeze up in panic. 

Be aware the roads are used by the elderly, the inexperienced, the intoxicated, the aggressive, even the suicidal.  In the wrong place at the wrong time you too may be faced with such a choice.  Even if you have driven many hundreds of thousands of miles - be safe and keep others safe.