I have been a negligent blogger! And so much time has past that I don't know what to write about. This was supposed to be a group effort (group = Gerry and I) but half the "group" has yet to make an entry. Actually the other half of the group has been on flood alert and has not had a day off since our return from Brazil at the end of March. Thankfully, the worst threat has past, leaving us unscathed but with a serious warning from Mother Nature.
Speaking of Mother Nature, I have a bone to pick with her. Where the heck is summer?! I showed amazing restraint this year and actually waited until the May long weekend to plant my vegetable garden. When the Westcoast Seed catalogue arrives in January, it takes all my willpower to stay out of the garden shed and away from the hoe and the rake. This year, with the exception of the peas, everything else is cold and wet and waiting for the sun. I think the cucumbers and tomatoes and definitely the basil were actually shivering the other day. Oh well. The raspberries are giving it their best shot, though, and I have had a handful already.
Seeing how there's not much to do in the garden yet, I was cleaning up some branches in the back pasture this evening when I made a fascinating yet frightening discovery. A very large wild bee nest. Gerry to the rescue! At first I thought they were wasps but Gerry used to keep bees with his dad and he corrected me. Like all honey bees, they are generally amicable...unless you inadvertently stick a big heavy branch into the middle of all their hard work! One pound (.45 kg) of honey equals the life work of approximately 300 bees and a flight distance of two to three times around the earth! Type A workaholics to be sure! We watched from a safe distance as they swarmed around, assessing the damage. It was incredible. There were hundreds, maybe thousands. Gerry lit a piece of newspaper on a LONG stick and when in was smoking, he put it by the nest to clear them away. Oh, they cleared away alright. One came straight at him like a heat-seeking missile and found its target on Gerry's right cheek. He saw it coming and did this maneuver like Keanu Reeves did in The Matrix when he was being shot at. Only Keanu was better at it - WAY better at it!! And did I mention Gerry has a bee allergy?? Oh, and yes, did I also mention that the Epipen in the glove box of the car expired six years ago?! No matter. He survived,a bit puffy but alive nonetheless. I figure the bees might just rebuild after all, despite our feeble and somewhat accidental attempt to persuade them otherwise. I guess you could call it survival of the fittest!
PS Notice that the guy in the bee suit is wearing safety goggles and what looks to be little else! Don't try this at home, folks!
