The Buzz

 We welcomed the arrival of June with another lovely day.  70's, a light breeze, warm sun and a few puffy white clouds to make the sky interesting.

The heavy rain shower the other night laid my fuschia bell forest low and turned many of the blossoms brown.  I hated to pull them up as so many are still open, deep pink and pretty.  Still I had to admit that the picture was not really attractive any more.  Of course they are illegal here at Joseph's Dream anyway as they are WAY over the 10 inch limit and form an entire bank of flowers rather than the individual plants surrounded by black ugly mulch.  So as Edgar sat sniffing the breeze for cat scent, I began to pull up the stalks with the most brown and withered blooms.

Suddenly both Edgar and I were surrounded by a mass of small, very indignant bees.  They did not sting us-just flew around us buzzing angrily. I had not noted any bees on the flowers other than one or two fat black and yellow Bumble bees.  These were small bees which resembled honey bees.  I am not certain they were actually honey bees, though, since they were about half the size of a domestic honey bee.  Where had they come from?  Edgar and I departed the scene to allow the bees to settle down.  Since Edgar had decided these were something he ought to try to catch in his mouth, I wanted him away before I had to get out the Benedryl .  As I watched, the bees disappeared.  Now I knew their secret.  They crawled up inside the blossoms to reach the nectar.  They were so small  they disappeared entirely as they entered within the sheltering bell.  I am leaving the bent and ragged appearing stalks alone for now.  Let those little bees find the good in the remaining open flowers.

I am so happy to see bees, especially in those numbers  (and there are a lot!).  I have been reading that the orchards and farms are missing the pollinators, especially bees.  Diseases and "alien" bees have hit the apiaries hard.  If these small bees are in fact honey producers, I wonder what flavor the honey will be when they bring home nectar from flowers like mine.  I love honey.  I always try to buy local honey.  I have been told that eating local honey can help with allergies to local plants.  Somehow, too, it just tastes better.

Welcome bees.  I am allergic to stings, but I don't try to chase them off.  I just sit quietly and watch them as they go about their important business.  

And that's today's buzz.