Martha Stewart Living - June

I have a thing for bees. When Em and I were living in the country, we came this close to getting a hive.
For a couple of months we attented regular Bee Society Meetings (lots of tea and cake) with about 12 old blokes in a hall.

Eventually they invited us to to take part in a hands-on bee experience because one bloke needed to replace his queen.

It was amazing. I was really nervous when the day arrived. I grew up watching KILLER BEES OF AFRICA movies and naturally, the best advice I got was "don't show fear". Right.

We didn't wear full bee gear - just made sure everything was tucked in (lots of layers) and the blokes gave us big bee hats and glvoes.

The worst part was that initial shock of seeing them ALL - 1000s of teeming, buzzing, droning bodies fluttering and zooming. Brilliant.

The only moment that really threw me was when I casually turned around and asked Em if there were many bees on my back. The sharp in-take of air was a pretty strong indication...but it didn't totally freak me out. In the end we didn't get a hive but every time I see a bee, I get a little wistful.