Greetings from Ocean City MD, where I’m busy conducting extensive research on local wildlife…more commonly known as a destination wedding. Traditions sure have changed since I was a blushing bride. The demure hearts and flowers have left the building, and the birds and the bees have other things to do. Today fancy dresses paired with flip-flops are de rigueur. I kinda like it.
Speaking of wildlife…the winged variety…I’m hoping to see some signs that all the players are still carrying out their primary mission…keeping the planet, and the people on it, alive and well. This season has been a strange one, for sure, and the calendar has been no help on what to expect when. The fireflies, after a nerve-racking wait, finally made it to my lawn. But butterflies are still largely MIA in our region…my milkweed monarch nursery is, so far, empty of fat cats.
And what’s the buzz about the bees? According to sources, bee populations are still down, but…call me a cock-eyed optimist… I’m hopeful. I’ve been seeing lots more bees than in the past years…all thanks to the uptick in pollinator gardens and mini meadows right in the middle of civilization; if my front patch is any indicator, wild thyme is just their jam. And with some luck and a bit of education we can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor for generations to come. That whole circle of life thing. Pollination…join in the dance.
Which brings us to the topic I had in my head when I sat down here…tawkin’ bout HONEY. Sweet, slow and sensuous. Possibly the world’s oldest commodity. Truth is, no one really knows who first figured out what to do with this sticky stuff. Whoever it was probably didn’t stick around to ask the bees’ advice.
Best guess is they probably caved in (see what I did there?) to curiosity and used the tried-and-true method of licking whatever this was …and Yowzah! Before you could say Yabba Dabba Do! those Neanderthals were finding ways to leverage that goo into gold. First, they invented the lollipop…honey on a stick. Burns and bruises? Honey salve. And raw honey on an open wound prevented infection and promoted healing. So, 17,000 (give or take) years ago it seems clear that honey was the birth of the pharmaceutical industry. No insurance, no co-pay required. The writing was on the cave wall.
Through the ages, honey fell out of and back into favor as a remedy, but never totally left the scene…as evidence of centuries of beekeeping for fun and profit will attest. Every peasant worth his salt (another valuable commodity) had at least one hive in the garden patch. Medieval lords and ladies always counted on tankards of mead to get the party started. Honey eventually became synonymous with matters of the heart…both as an endearment (a la Hallmark) AND as a way to reduce blood pressure.
Seriously, there is no way to encapsulate this gift that keeps on giving…courtesy of the bee. So I won’t try. You all know how to google. It’s all there. What I will leave with you instead is this recipe for the delightful cocktail: The Bees Knees. Enjoy!
And speaking of recipes, have you signed up yet for the LFM Bake-Off? You might find one or two that use honey…and you can find that ingredient at our friendly Fruitwood Farms tent. Stop by the Managers’ tent for all the deets. Last Saturday saw some action for the 18 available slots…so sign up now!
This week in the Music Tent: The Groomsmen, with their take on jazz and soul.
This just in: Now that I’ve spent this week’s penny and hour on the subject, I just discovered that September is officially National Honey Month…so get ready now to amaze your friends and family with ALL the 411. You’re welcome.
And don’t forget, the Lansdowne Link has ALL the buzz about stuff happening here and there.
Surf’s up…gotta go. See you all next week!
Terry B