Original stone cottage at Thimble Farm

Original stone cottage at Thimble Farm
This had to be abandoned at time of great flood

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

DO BEES GET TIRED?

It might seem that bees never get tired.  They never seem to stop gathering from the flowers and going back to the hive to help honey get made.  But there is a lot of work in all that.  Then a bee has to stay up with the daily details of planning where they will go.  We have to spend some time visiting with each other as well.  Friendship is very important to bees.  I guess friendship is important to everyone.  Today I got out of the hive early and headed right to a special patch of flowers near a field of corn that Farmer Tom Thimble had planted.  All the creatures of Thimblewyck seem to like to visit that field.  I did some happy visiting there today.  I flew over a peaceful stream on my way and gave a special buzz to a grove of trees near the field.  Camber, the wood sprite, is a friend to us all and he makes sure the trees near and on the farm are well taken care of.  I have been worn out learning all about the events of last winter, when a terrible flood caused the move of the whole farm to take place.  Today I just rested by flying and gathering.  I did a bit of visiting as well.  Being around friends is always a good way to rest.  I watched Farmer Tom walk behind his horses that were pulling a plow.  They do the work and he does the guiding.  Soon there will be more growing things for me to visit.  If you ever visit Thimble Farm I will give you a buzz.  I will buzz more to you later.  Delbert.

D

Friday, August 24, 2012

THE CLUE THAT WARNED OF DANGER AT THIMBLE FARM

Delbert here, still doing outstanding investigative reporting.  I have really been fascinated by all the events at Thimble Farm over the last winter.  While we bees stayed in our hive great changes were taking place on the farm.  So great that the whole farm moved to another location.  I've talked about it a lot lately.  One thing I wanted to know was why the fairies knew danger was coming to the farm.  Marus, one of the main fairies, talked to me a lot about it.  There were several things they were watching, all around the countryside, not just at the farm.  But he said that one big clue was the presence of ugly and stinky, yellow grey smoke. It was later discovered that evil creatures had been doing dangerous things in the caverns under Windom Castle.  Thimble farm was very near the castle at the time.  When the fairies would smell or see that kind of smoke they would investigate.  They looked around the farm and discovered that the river that ran by the farm was blocked up with burnt trees and other debris, and about to burst forth with a big flood.  So I guess the main clue Marus and the other fairies always looked for was that awful smoke.  Bees don't like smoke that much. It makes us go to sleep.  I guess we are lucky we were up so high in that old oak that we escaped a lot of all that trouble and danger.  That is one adventure I don't mind escaping.  Well, I'm off to visit some roses.  I'll buzz at you later.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

WHY HANS DIDN'T GET ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTH

As you know I have been investigating the events at Thimble Farm the winter when Lina was more or less lost.  Eventually the fairies knew where she was but it was decided it would be safer for her to stay with Clarissa, the little mouse.  There was just too many signs of evil around the farm that winter.  Then I told you about the farm having to move, because of a massive flood.  I even mentioned the little swallow, Hans, and how he insisted they give the new farm cottage a blue roof.  His mother, Adar, and the other swallows had already left for the South, but he had delayed his flight to hunt for Lina.  One thing led to another and he was still at the farm when the move had to take place.  He was very insistent that the new farmhouse have a blue roof so his mother and the other swallows would notice it, and learn that it was the new Thimble Farm.  All that took place and then he started to fly south.  But it was late in the year, he flew too near some thorns and injured his wing. Because of the cold and the injury, he fell out of the sky near the burrow when Lina was living with Clarissa, the mouse.  He actually fell into a place where the tunnel to the burrows was weak.  Lina found him and thought he was dead. She didn't recognize him but couldn't stand to just leave him there without honoring him in some way.  So she covered him and gave him a loving kiss. Later she came back to honor him again and he had warmed up and she discovered he was alive.  He was weak and so she nursed him all winter.  When she left the burrows in the spring it was with the mole, Gordon and Hans. So Hans spent the winter with Lina and helped her get back home in the spring.  I'm going to keep up with my research and will share more with you later.  Buzz at you another time.  Delbert Bee.

Monday, August 20, 2012

HOW COULD FAIRIES MOVE A WHOLE FARM?

I am so amazed at what I am learning about the move of Thimble Farm.  When I first found out about it I didn't realize all that was involved.  I, along with our whole hive, was just happy to find the farm, move our hive, and get on with loving our flowers.  Some of our hive just wanted to stay where we were, in that big oak.  In fact a second hive was set up there, in the oak.  But our main group wanted to be where Binar, the flower fairy, was most likely to spend the most time.  We knew that he liked Thimble Farm a lot. We did too.  So we moved.  But when I studied what had happened to get the farm moved I really saw that it had been a big deal.  If Marus, and his sisters Non Ton and Hilda, hadn't had the gift of being able to twist time all would have been lost.  Marus sensed the great wall of water was about to hit and he stopped time right then.  Then he, and his sisters, manipulated it in a variety of ways.  Speeding it up, stopping it, slowing it down, all kinds of ways.  A new location was found, a farm house was built, animals etc were moved.  It was all very complex.  Everyone and everything helped.  By the time Marus was ready to release the wall of water to do its worst, the farm, with a blue roof on the cottage, was a well established farm in another location.  I think some of the plants must have been transplanted but maybe Binar can influence growth cycles.  I will have to check it all out. This story isn't over yet.  Buzz you later.  Delbert.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

More Mysteries of the Move

Hi All.  I talked about the move of Thimble Farm and a lot of the creatures of Thimblewyck found me and wanted to discuss all kinds of things.  I really had to do a bunch of investigating.  Someone wanted to know how and why New Thimble Farm had a blue roof.  They said Adar the swallow's son, Hans, would probably know.  I found him and he said that since the move happened after the other swallows had flown south he was very worried about Adar being able to find the farm when she returned in the Spring. Tom asked him for suggestions and Hans said that if the roof was blue Adar would be sure to notice it.  But making it blue was a problem.  They would have to travel to get blue pigment for paint and it was costly.  But Binar, the flower fairy, had such power over plants that the fairies made the roof blue easily and quickly.  It was actually winter, but still Binar caused it all to happen.  It did help Adar find the farm.  That swallow was Gerda's special pet.  It all worked out.  I'm sure there are a few more mysteries I shall have to report.  Buzz you later.  I do have a nose for news.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Mystery of the Move

Bees aren't out and about that much in the winter.  We stay in the hive in a cluster, keeping warm and keeping the hive warm.  Lina was kidnapped near the end of the summer and we all spent the winter, pretty much staying warm, but worrying about her.  However, when we came out things had changed, a lot.  Our hive was in the top part of a big old oak tree and we hadn't realized that a great big flood had swept by the tree.  Some of the smaller trees had been uprooted. There were traces of the flood all over the place.  Lots of  dried mud coated everything.  The biggest change was that the farm was gone.  The farm buildings were all messed up.  I had to do a lot of investigation.  I finally found out that the fairies had helped Tom and the others move the whole farm to a safer place just in time. Some of the fairies can twist time and that made it possible for things to get taken care of.  They made time stand still until they had things all packed up and moved.  I flew around until I found out where Thimble farm had moved to.  Then our whole hive moved as well.  I'm so glad we survived the flood.  That oak tree is a wonderful tree.  I still visit it from time to time, just to say thanks for saving us from the flood.  More adventures to tell you about later.  Your friend, Delbert Bee.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

TOM THIMBLE IS A HERO TO BEES!

Another bee just asked me why I prefer to gather nectar at Thimble farm.  I told him that if I could I would have a special award ceremony for Farmer Tom Thimble.  I think Tom really cares about nature.  It shows in the way nature returns that caring.  I think nature cares about Tom Thimble.  His farm looks nice, everything grows well, and it feels good to be on the farm.  For instance he is good to bees.  Bees aren't big so they can't drink a lot of water.  But they do get thirsty.  We can always find a bit of fresh water here to drink.  Tom allows the ordinary plants, the ones some might call weeds, to flower in the corner of the fields.  Bees can go to nearly any flower.  But butterflies prefer special plants.  I see butterflies at the farm all the time.  Tom doesn't swat or holler at bees.  He knows we really try to never sting a human. Farmer  Tom has allowed a couple of dead trees to remain standing.  They help many creatures, birds for their nests, and bees for their hives especially. He knows the value of wind but he also knows wind can be destructive.  He has planted bushes and trees to protect the farm from the strongest winds.  Even on the windiest days I can still gather my nectar at Thimble Farm.  Now that the evil fairies are gone, at least I hope they are, Thimble Farm is a great place to be.