Kelptolecty

Storm Boelo rampaged through here last Saturday, stripping the leaves from the trees, flailing the hedges and making me thankful I'd strapped all my spare broods and supers down securely.Had I not done so, it would have looked like a bad Jenga defeat, and I'd have still been clearing up when another low pressure system rumbled through on Tuesday.It's been a windy few days.On Sunday, once the wind had dropped to a zephyr-like ~30 mph, I embarked on a quick tour of my apiaries to check everything was still upright.This is usually a 25-mile circuit, but local road closures (for a half-marathon) made it 50% longer and only achievable in an anti-clockwise direction.I couldn't get to one apiary because of the wheezing runners, but all was well in the others.Although it was still very windy, the sky had cleared, the sun was out, and the woods and hedgerows were filled with red and gold autumn colours … at least, those that hadn't been stripped bare by the wind.Unfortunately, while I was out,…