It was sleety, squally and chilly, a trio of incentives to get the fire lit as quickly as possible and on top of that, there were people waiting at the door to come in. Once there was a crackling fire to gather around, I learned that the two early birds were from Hawea Flats and not unfamiliar with freezing temperatures and hardly phased by Riverton's cold snap. And they were apiarists, so it was from them that I learned that the dreaded varroa mite has arrived in Wanaka and surrounding areas. I'd read of the mites entry into Queenstown amongst hives that a hobbiest beekeeper had carelessly imported from further north but nothing about Wanaka and Hawea. It's not good news and little can be done about the spread, experience tells us. It, they, get around. Our hives are free of it at the moment and we can still enjoy our organic honey and happy bees, but the time will no doubt come when we will have to review our beekeeping ways.
Meanwhile, I'm looking for information on mid-winter mead and how to prepare it. I've read that a hot poker, plunged into a tankard of mead will do the trick. It certainly suits the theatrical side of my nature and would look good for the longest night celebrations beside the water, amongst the unicycles, sparkling pyre and, hopefully limp, flags.
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