Some days it seems that whatever can, will. Some days just do not have that “fine edge” of a bright spring morning when Uncle Remus sings Zip A Dee Doo Dah. Some days just do not have that zip. It all started yesterday, if one remembers correctly, and it didn’t get any better today. Whatever the thing is that is bothering you seems to be in control of your feelings and your day. There are enough small things that have been just off kilter that you don’t want to even think of anything big you have to do. And... you can’t think very well anyway. Some days should mark themselves on your calendar as “You are going to mess up several important things today” and then you could be prepared. Think how our history would be different if Napoleon would have paid more attention to events the day before and told his generals to pull back a kilometer or seven from the city of Waterloo. No doubt we would have some different laws in our history books if julius Caesar had listened to the soothsayer when he said, “Beware the ides of March.” For his time and for the general tone of civilization at that time, Julius was a good ruler. His death resulted in much strife and years of turmoil. Remember, at that time people didn’t go to the polls, they gathered in a mob, some say crowd, and if they didn’t like you they probably threw stones at you.
Napoleon Bonaparte was officially said to have died of stomach. There is, however, evidence of arsenic in his hair after he died. I think a small diet of arsenic would cause some sort of stomach problems. His problem was he didn’t have a big sister telling him when to be careful and to watch what he ate. Megalomaniacs just find it hard to believe that every person does not worship them. Some days it just does not pay to get up in a bad mood as not everybody is going to be sympathetic. Sometimes even the simplest things can turn hard. Sometimes, if you could remember how, you may just want to go off and sulk or cry some. Not every day is a Zip A Dee Doo Dah day, as seen by Juli and Nappie.
Not talking about bees just because I have some, but I want to use this as an example of what a mood-cloudy day can bring. At this time of year the bees are preparing for winter. The hive is getting smaller so as to use less stores and there is less food available. A beek needs to be careful at this time of year so as to not let the hive get below sustainable numbers and resources. Having that in mind, yours truly decided to feed sugar water to his hives so they could store some and eat all they wanted. I have a five gallon chicken waterer which can easily be made into a bee feeder for sugar water. Remember the words “can easily be made.” Nosir, didn’t work that way. Check this:http://www.lumber2.com/Metal-Chicken-Waterer-p/lgfount.htm to get the idea of what a waterer looks like as not many people who did not raise chickens as a youth will know.
In the open space one puts a mesh to keep the silly bees from drowning themselves - you hope. Many of them will find some way to commit suicide no matter what you do. That usually turns a bleak day into a dark day. In my case the mesh did not work so I used a rolled up cloth as the bees were surrounding me because I thought the mesh would work (it did before!) and had to change it after I had the set up fixed. The rolled up cloth worked just fine, it wicked the liquid right up, until I left to go do my other work. Upon my return the cloth was about three inches deep in bees trying to drink. Under the cloth, where they could not possibly get, were dozens of bees who had manage to get under so they could drown themselves. At this time of year I do not recommend drowning multiple bees as hives really need enough workers to get through the winter. It was distressing enough to see all those drowned bees but to know they did it out of spite just makes it worse. Again: It made a moderately bad day much worse. Pop did not dance around the yard Zip A Dee Do Dahing.
But we humans have the capacity to keep moving forward and keep looking for the bright side of whatever the situation is. The next day I attended a Google presentation about techniques for small businesses. Now I am ready to get back in the cruise selling game and see how many people I can help have wonderful vacations. Zip A Dee!
