Spring

Spring is definitely here in Kauroa.

 Time for motorbikes and grandchildren.

 The bees are busy.

 They've survived the winter well - there has always been food available from tagasaste (tree lucerne), gorse and buttercups, but pollen varies in nutritive content from plant to plant, so they are glad to see new sources.

I love scything. It is useful: the entrance to the beehive needs to be clear for the bees to easily fly back in; and the trees grow better if they don't have long grass growing underneath competing with the tree roots.

 But scything is so much more than that. To do it successfully you have to move correctly and when you finally get it, it is like dancing and meditating all in one, but with a satisfyingly productive end point.

It's clean - no petrol fumes -  and peaceful - just a gentle swishing, over which the bees and birds are easily heard.It works muscles and stretches my body in ways that otherwise only happens when I occasionally do some yoga. I have never found a way of 'exercising' that I enjoy but I love this work.

 It's spring!