July 01, 2020
Review, Edit and Update:
Bees n' Apple Trees is Dez's first inkling of the challenges she would face in establishing her 'big idea'. She's still excited, but has yet to dig just a little deeper. The only change I made was an addition of the description of Dez trying to imitate Samuel's voice when talking to Emmie.
Bees n' Apple Trees
Something that had seemed so simple had turned into a really big job. But Dez couldn’t get the beautiful image Samuel had painted out of her mind. When she spoke with Emmie the afternoon before, it was only to ask if she would approve of supplies for DIY beehive boxes. Dez had been in the orchard on her own before but had never really looked at the apple trees. The trees that would blossom and provide food for her beekeeping project.
Dez had been a city girl for most of her life. Her grandparents lived on a farm in another part of the province. Dez and Emmie stayed with them each summer in the school holiday. It may have only been two or three summers, but to Dez it seemed like it had to have been each and every summer. Every year she looked forward to helping her grandmother pick peas or beans. She could never pick them as fast as her grandmother. Every year she looked forward to helping her grandfather on the tractor. He would sit her on his lap and let her hold the steering wheel and ‘drive’ the tractor. He rested one big calloused hand on the wheel ‘just to give my arm a rest, little Dez.’ As she got older she knew he was really keeping the tractor from going kitty-corner across the field. Listening to Samuel talk from his storied memory welcomed back all those summer memories. Her city-ness fell from her shoulders and lay among the weeds and grasses growing among the trees.
That night, alone in her apartment, she opened her patio door. She needed to hear the sound of the wind in the trees and birds in the air as they settled for the night. Sweater on, she sat on her balcony, hunched over her laptop. Consistent through several websites were the basic needs for a healthy bee colony. A good supply of fresh water. A variety of food sources. Limited exposure to pesticides. Not always in that order, or in that wording but always the same. Yes. It would be a big job. A quick email to Emmie confirmed that they meet at the orchard again in the morning.
~~~~~
“Emmie, I’m really excited about my ideas! We’ll get the trees pruned, and I’ll need a little tractor to cut down the grass, and then I’ll plant wild flowers in the back meadow. Oh, before I do that we have to make sure there’s a water supply near by and…….”
“Dez. Slow down. You’re always the one to tell me that when I have one of my big ideas. What are you talking about? I thought you were just going to get a couple of beehives and take care of bees.”
“Ok” Dez took a deep breath. She barely slept the night before. All her ideas and plans swirling through her head. First it was too much. Then it wasn’t any good because she didn’t have any money to put into it - but she had to check the bank. Then all she could see was apple blossoms, bees and honey. Delicious honey on Cook’s fresh homemade bread. Then it was no good because the bees would die………She finally fell asleep. Bizarre nightmares of giant bees stinging her right through purple beekeeping gear while Samuel was falling down laughing at her. Lopsided beehives buzzing all around her.
“Emmie, it’s not as simple as all that. You may not want to go ahead with this project.”
“Why not? You get a few bees and a couple of beehives and they make honey. I really didn’t think it was all that complicated.”
“I did get caught up in the story of Samuel’s grandpappy building beehives. When you and I walked out to the orchard, we didn’t go very far inside. I’m grateful that you ok’d the DIY beehives. But, like I said, you may not want to keep going with this. When I went home last night, I looked up what a bee colony would need to be successful. After all, I wouldn’t want you to spend a bunch of money only to have the bees all die. So this is where it gets difficult. First bees need a supply of good fresh water.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Samuel has talked about a stream at the back of the property. What’s the next thing.”
“The bees need a big variety of flowers. Not just one source. That’s where the wild flowers come in. It’s mostly weeds way at the back where the beehives are going to be. I don’t know if any of the weed flowers are ok. And one other thing - we have to keep pesticides away.”
“We can talk with a beekeeper - remember Matt? He’d know about all that, and Samuel might too. What else.”
“The apple trees. The ones at the front aren’t that old but the ones at the back are. Samuel says they haven’t produced apples for years. ‘Gone stagnant. Nobody takin’ care of them’." Dez dropped her voice low and gravelly. "When I looked that up, he is exactly right. So….and here’s the really expensive part - the trees need to be pruned and any diseased ones taken out.”
“So you need money, equipment and help to clear up the orchard for two beehives. Wow! What would the advantage be to the estate? I suppose a healthier supply of apples. And honey. We may even be able to expand the number of beehives.”
“Are you serious, Emmie? It will cost so much and take so much work!’
“Think about it Dez. What are you willing to do to make this work? Between the two of us, we can map this whole thing out. We’ll need to call in someone to help do it right. But you’d have to give up your job in the city and maybe even move out here.”
Dez was stunned. She was sure Emmie would turn the whole project down. “Emmie, I don’t have any money to help fund this thing.”
“But if you gave up your job and your apartment, moved out here, I would hire you on as…I don’t know….project manager. I wouldn’t be able to pay you much, but if we can make this a viable project....who knows what could come of it. What do you say……Project Manager?
Dez wanted to say yes to the whole thing right then and there. But this was important enough to take some time to think about it. “Emmie, right now I need to go home. Have some supper and sleep on it. I know, right now, what I want to say, but I need to paint right now….That sounded weird but I need to paint. I’ll call you in the morning and let you know.” Dez gave Emmie a quick hug. “I think I can hug you now. I’ll call you in the morning.” Dez turned away quickly. She was sure she was about to cry.
“You can’t make decisions based on fear
and the possibility of what might happen.”
~ Michelle Obama
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