Last spring, we completed the apiary move: a project that enlisted the support of an entire colony, so to speak. Gifts from as far as California supported the construction of the enclosure and purchase of new hives. Friends arrived on a Saturday morning to spread chip for the apiary’s footing and by lunch, more friends pitched in with a truck; installation of the apiary fencing went well into evening; and, benches to keep the hives off the ground were donated and restored with love - all proving the saying, “Many hands make light work." For me, start to finish, the apiary installation was a reminder of the values the sanctuary was built upon...the very values that describe the essence of Catherine’s spirit: Compassion, Acceptance and Determination.
And now the bees are buzzing! Especially over the last week, I have loved seeing the bees do their thing while humans did their’s. It was busy at the sanctuary and yet the familiar comforting peace remained. Bees traveled back and forth from hives as people planted the future fruits and vegetable they will pollinate. And the best part? No one - NOT A SINGLE PERSON - swatted a curious bee. It was a glimpse into our long held vision of "the sanctuary" - a place where all creatures will know they are safe and humans are kind - just as Catherine would have wanted.
