An old photo of mine taken near Walney Pond Visitor Center in 2011. The old beehive isn't there anymore, long worn out but I am glad I have this photo.
I found this interesting snippet online the other day.
"Telling the Bees - In an old Western European tradition, bees were seen as part of the household and needed to be told when major life events happened. Deaths, births, marriages, even someone leaving or returning home, all would be quietly whispered to the hive.
Why? Because forgetting to tell the bees was said to bring misfortune: they might stop making honey, abandon the hive or even die.
This custom may have roots in Celtic belief, where bees were thought to move between the world of the living and the spirit world. The presence of a bee after death was once seen as a sign the soul was departing.
To share the news, the keeper (often the "goodwife") would approach the hive, tap gently and speak softly, letting the bees know, with respect.
This practice was especially common in the 18th and 19th centuries across Western Europe and even carried to the U.S. It may have deeper roots in Celtic lore, where bees were seen as a spirit messengers, a belief that adds another layer to the tradition's quiet power.
It's a tender, beautiful reminder of how deeply people once honored the natural world, and the quiet bonds between all living things."
Thanks for looking and
I wish you all a great day!