Chapter 18: A BEE UNDER THE MITRE by BERNARD PRESTON

by Barrie
(Holland)

Note from Janette at www.health-benefits-of-honey.com

Sometimes life throws you a treasure and sometimes a "Really Good Read"

Having recently been in touch with Barrie who runs an on-line Chiropractic Service a came across this wonderfuly Good Read"

Barrie very kindly gave his permission for me to use parts of it. The story does not begin or end here in this excerpt, however, if you are like me I wanted to read the whole article.

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You're going to need some more hives, Bishop, I said, looking at the sorry state of what remained of his bees.

Yes, and I had hoped to increase to thirty hives this season. Martha is going to university and I know we are going to need the extra income, he said confidentially, out of earshot of the boys. I nodded.

During the next few days the bishop and his needs were not too far from the back of my mind. I kept thinking back to the days when I had first made a personal commitment to Christ. Sandy, my mentor, had insisted that the Lord had called the Church to go out and make disciples, not just converts, and there's a big difference. I was expected to attend a weekly discipling course. Tithing is amongst the many teachings of the Church and it was not omitted: Bring the full tithe and put me to the test, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I had already tested those windows and knew that it was no vain promise. They had helped me get through Chiropractic school. I decided to spend the next few months tithes on the bishop and his needs. I ordered enough hive parts and frames to make up thirty empty beehives.

Bishop Ashton, will you be home next Saturday morning? I have a few friends coming over to my place, and I wondered if you and Mary would like to join us.? In the meantime I had phoned several members of the parish whom I knew were handymen, and a couple of beekeepers who would not be averse to helping a bishop in need. Helen and Mary had arranged for a few of the wives to join us so the inner man was not to suffer.

Bishop Ashton's eyes were like saucers as we unloaded the dove-tailed hive parts and honey-frames, all still unassembled. Others carried out half a cube of kiln-dried pine planks, still in the rough and the boys and I rolled out the 200 litre drum of wood preservative, an industrial wax. It wasn't long before the drum was up on blocks with a hot fire burning underneath it, and the workshop was abuzz with activity. The planers and saw benches were humming, hammers were busy and the boys and I were dipping the assembled hives into the boiling wax. The more experienced beekeepers were assembling the honey-frames whilst the carpenters were making up bottom-boards and lids for the hives. Discarded printer's sheets of aluminium completed the hive lids to keep adverse weather out.

It's all very well having these wonderful hives, the bishop said to me at lunch time as we were nearing the end of our task. We were all admiring the rows of neatly stacked hives, sandwiches and hot tea in hand. My sons were barbecuing a couple dozen pork sausages over the hot coals. But how do I catch thirty swarms in a hurry?

Just then one of the large commercial beekeepers ambled over to join us, hot dog in hand. He overheard the question. Very easy, Bishop, he said pulling one of the finished hives off the stack. The swarming season is about to begin so all we need to do is to prepare the hives with a few used combs to attract the bees and then we put strips of beeswax into the hive like this..........

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You can find Barrie and read the whole of this article at

http://www.chiropractic-help.com/unexplained-infertility.html