Echt - Not Fake

Now that I also possess German citizenship, I guess this is truly "Real German Honey" but made by Austro-Serb-Croat-Trinidad-British workers. Thank goodness Germany is still in the main welcoming immigrants.

Interesting that Italy is now asking that the UK take the refugees from the private refugee/immigrant rescue ship, the Aquarius. I suspect Gibraltar, the country where the ship is registered, should prepare for the "Rock" to be dropped faster than a hot Gazpacho soup. Then the Spaniards will have the ideal spot to put up the visitors they are currently taking in. Merkel popped by today in Alicante to give Spain support and possibly made the suggestion that the British expats on the Costas expected to surrender or indeed those who survive the Worthing Boulogne swim on 30th March 2019 could find a new home where they feel at ease.

Unless they all mutineer, the British Army corporals charged with feeding the Apes will be gone. Hold on: it's the other way around, isn't it? The "stupid" animals will flee the stupid Brexit and then the Army will disappear. OK, if they desert and stay in the EU,  we can always get the African immigrants to feed the Army.

Not sure that the stories in the German media about France having started 24/7 production of "Drive on the Right" road signs and the appropriate drive right around the roundabout signs, are true. Apparently they are needed for Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Isle of Wight and Isle of Man which they inherit, according to the agreement made with Blair for the UK customs post at Calais, should the UK ever leave the EU. The 2019 Isle of Man TT will be a new experience for the riders but at 100km/h max, they can enjoy the view.

The Argentinians are thanking their lucky stars they aren't in the EU and are forced to take back the Falklands. Talking of which I did do some stargazing in the night albeit it was tomorrow (4:00 am) on a wonderful totally clear and light-free New Moon night.  Saw quite a few of the passing Perseids shooting star show. Did you know we have these ancient rocks to thank for this? The line, "I've seen it raining fire in the sky." comes from seiing the Perseids during a family camping trip in the mountains of Colorado.

This evening after a good Turkey curry, knocked up with some good UK Schwartz curry powder my son brought over at Christmas, set about "decanting" yesterdays harvested honey into glass jars. My estimate yesterday of 20kg was not bad and I had sterilised 43 jars at 500g. I ended up needing 41.5 jars equivalent to 20.75 kgs.

In the Blip are the classic storage products that I expect 99% of "hobby" beekeepers use in Germany. It is all standardised by the German Beekeepers Association - DIB - and has been in use since 1925!.

You can get the glass jars (30g, 250g and the most common 500g)from any beekeeping supply store along with the plastic reusable lids, the waxed card/paper lid insert and even the cardboard storage boxes holding 12 x 500g jars. Any beekeeper even those not a member of the DIB can use these products BUT they can't use the stick on seal etiquette with the logo and words "Echter Deutscher Honig" - Real German Honey which are only available from the association. Suppliers have a range of similar etiquettes with the term "Deutscher Bienenhonig" - German Bee Honey. Of course, you can print your own design but not use the association's motto.

Having been in operation since 1925 and experienced times of great food and general merchandise shortages, the glass jars are part of German life. There is no deposit on the jars but almost everyone saves them and the lids and then hands them back to the shop or someone they know in the beekeeping world. It must be one of the older very effective recycling systems. The only new part one needs is the wax card lid insert.

Even the bakery we use in Ottobeuren sells honey from local beekeepers and knowing I have bees, will often hand Angie a bag full of returned jars saying they are glad to get "rid" of them. Sometimes some clearly decades old jars appear with the .old design in the glass or lid. From time to time I give our postman a jar or two and he will always months later, deposit them empty and cleaned in the postbox.

At about 23:50 I was finally finished and managed this snap of some of my efforts before the Blip midnight limit. Feeling really so very happy with the great performance from my girls. I hope I can do everything right this autumn to get them fit for the coming winter and try to have a bumper crop in 2019. Could be that there are export opportunities outside the EU in countries that are giving Monsanto & the likes free reign to try and limit the damage to the local food shortages. Wonder what the £/€ rate will be then? £1.00/€1.00 or perhaps £1.50/€1.00.

All that customs paperwork! Forget it, I will continue to give away my honey. I haven't ever sold a jar and not even Brexit will force me to. Luckily I have excellent loyal customers in the UK & Eire who will take my product for free.