Monday, July 4, 2016

Sensuous.


On the village green there is a large tilleul tree. As the sun climbs it becomes home to thousands upon thousands of bees. They come in all types, shapes and colours.


The tree hums. In fact it hums so loudly that we can hear it as we leave the front gate for our morning walk. Enormous black bees work alongside smaller honey bees. Bumble bees mingle with grey bees which hover, wings beating a hundred to the minute, like humming birds. All have a sense of place and purpose. Time is too short and life is too sweet for discord.

The bees knock the stamens from the tiny lime flowers as they collect pollen. The falling stamens are in their way worthy of study - they fall, are picked up by the breeze and float away. The scent, as the sun warms the air, is  rich and sweet and dense. Above all dense - in a sensuous sun soaked almost oriental way. 


Angus and Sophie stop and stare. Not that we don't have better things to do but today, for some reason, this small , simple wonder of nature holds our attention. 


On our way home we see a local farmers sheepdog standing at the side of the lane. He is besotted with Sophie. 

Sophie, as she makes plain, is not besotted with him.


Bob returns from his power walk round the lake. He and his sister settle down in the shade of a holm oak and doze. So begins a hot July 4th in deepest, deepest France profonde.


A record of those little things too inconsequential for a diary but too important to go completely unrecorded.



16 comments:

Coppa's girl said...

What a wonderful picture you paint, Angus. I can just imagine that multitude of bees weaving in and out of the leaves of the Lime tree. So evocative of a drowsy summer's day.

WFT Nobby said...

A lovely appreciation of the tree which I think is the same one I know as a lime. Just don't park your care under one for any length of time!

Is there a dog on the planet worthy of Sophie's admiration?

Taste of France said...

What vivid details about the tree. I know tilleul from tisane--I wouldn't have recognized the tree. We get a similar buzzing when the acacias (really black locusts) flower. Much activity. Once, though, we had a huge swarm that blackened the sky above the house. A beekeeper was called and was happy to make off with the bees.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely start to the day. Merlin has just made friends with 2 Border Collies called Wiggins and Bryony. This is practically a first for Merlin and I am delighted.
I hope you all continue to have a great day.
x

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

At a time when bees need all the help they can get, this tree is perfect -- Just what the local farmers dog thinks Sophie is!

Angus said...

We've found that PONs are pretty affable - as long as they're not on their home turf. Then the urge to guard kicks in !

Kari said...

I'm glad to hear bees in your area are thriving.
Your flower pots, they have plants in them! Have Bob and Sophie lost interest in digging?

MrsDuncanMahogany said...

That sounds like an absolutely exquisite day! I didn't realize there was such a thing as grey bees - I must go and research this.

Angus said...

They bees here have marvellous names. The Hairy Footed Flower Bee being a favourite. The grey ones are. I think, Ashy Mining Bees. Your comment has made me go and look them up. There are so, so many types that I never even knew existed. Bees seem to ignore the dogs whereas wasps get territorial.

rottrover said...

Sophie, you could do much worse...Just sayin'

Unknown said...

Lovely description of the bees. Sophie's admirer looks like a friendly fellow.

Louise said...

Thousands of snails. Thousands of bees. There's something about that place .

Louise said...

Thousands of snails. Thousands of bees. There's something about that place .

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Perhaps they are massing for the new church wallpaper.

Anonymous said...

I love the tree.

Millie and Walter said...

Your description of what we call a Linden tree is eloquently the most accurate description I could ever imagine. We planted a linden tree in our backyard over 20 years ago about 20 feet from our house and never knew about the beautiful fragrance it produced. The branches now touch the house and when the windows are open I sometimes just sit and drink in the wonderful scent. The amount of insect activity is difficult to describe, but you hit the nail right on the head. I like to stand under our tree and just listen. You would think you are standing under a beehive.