The prospective house sitters seemed nice, and sensible, and to genuinely like the house. You could say that it doesn't matter whether they like it or not. We're the ones going on holiday, while they're professionals hired to do a job. It's better all round, though, if they do like it. I don't want two people spending a miserable week of their lives on my account, and it will be nicer for the cats to spend the week living with somebody sympathetic, and in a weird way better for the house. As a scientifically trained, non-superstitious rationalist I can see that last claim is absurd, but every house has an atmosphere, which is not improved by having people who hate it live in it, even for a week. Psychologists have demonstrated, scientifically, that there is such a thing as a lucky person, in the sense that lucky people put a more positive interpretation on events, or react to them in such a way that the outcome is better than it might otherwise have been. So maybe it is entirely scientific to expect house sitters who appreciate the whole set-up, house, pets, plants, and garden, to look after them with more competence and flair than people who feel uneasy at being here. Alternatively put it down to my sentimental good nature. Anyway, I would rather have happy house sitters, even though I'm not going to be here to share their pleasures or suffering.
Fired up by having a clean house, and the question of sitters sorted, I turned my attentions to the beekeepers' treasurer's duties. Having read everything in the two carrier bags I was given I think I know roughly what I'm supposed to be doing. I had to go to the bank to get myself certified for security purposes, as I'm not an existing customer on my own account. The form you have to complete so that they can check you out for money laundering contains some questions that seem entirely reasonable, such as name, address, length of time at address, nationality, date of birth, and some that seem quite irrelevant for that purpose, though the answers would be handy were Barclays, hypothetically speaking, to be using the information at a later date to try and sell me financial products. Number of dependents and whether I have a mortgage or own my property outright? What, exactly, does that have to do with whether or not I am a money launderer? They might have well have gone whole hog and asked for my annual income bracket, and when my buildings and contents insurance expire. Anyway, I now possess stamped and signed photocopies of my passport and a recent bank statement, to be sent off with the form and a second form to change the bank mandate, which has to be signed by the chairman and secretary. The secretary volunteered so recently, I'm not sure if she's official either.
Then I worked my way through the spreadsheet of subscriptions paid, and think I am now in a position to fill in the form for Bee Disease Insurance. One of the benefits of belonging to a part of the British Beekeepers Association is that you get insurance, including for the loss of bees and equipment if your bees are found to have a disease so serious that the bee inspector has to burn the hive. Beehives are not cheap, and this is worth having. The standard membership covers three hives, or double that for joint members, and then you can opt to pay extra if you think you might have more than three hives at any stage in the year. Three is not very many, since if you start with one, split it in two for swarm control purposes, and collect just one swarm, you are up at three already. I'm quite surprised that so many members reckon they won't have more than three, since running just one hive is more difficult than running at least two, and if you start with two hives and split them for swarm control you are immediately above the insurance limit of three. Anyway, it's their business. I just process the fees.
I have probably overcooked my own estimate for the maximum number of colonies, since one of my overwintered colonies is not building up well and doesn't look a likely candidate for splitting or swarming. I need to work out why that's the case. I shall put an empty hive out, when the swarming season starts, since I fancy some free bees, and empty boxes that smell of bees do attract swarms.
As treasurer I have been invited to the meeting to make plans for our stand at the Tendring Show, and as we take quite a lot of money at the show, including for sales of members' honey and candles which we then pass on to them, minus a commission, I think I'd better go. When I originally checked the show date in my diary it was for a weekend when I'm due to be working, assuming I counted forward the weekends correctly, so I had better break the news to my employers that I'd like to take a Saturday off. By mid July things are generally winding down in the plant centre, and with the hosepipe ban this year they almost certainly will be, so that shouldn't be a problem, except to me since I stand to lose a day's wages.
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