What’s your definition of romantic?
I’d Rather Fall in Chocolate
Tag: Photography
Chasing Bees
How do you express your gratitude?
It’s really simple. This is what I do: I wake up, open my eyes and say, “I’m grateful for everything I have been given.”
At some point during the day – especially if it’s summer – I will venture outside and say it again. Then I will find happiness in the simple things, which aren’t that simple when you think about it.
Two days ago, I found myself kneeling in the dirt with my face in a coreopsis, watching and listening as a honeybee buzzed around my head to get the sweet nectar from the flowers. The bee had no pollen on her legs, so I knew she wasn’t collecting pollen, she was having a sweet drink. No, I am not scared of bees. Yes, I have been stung many times, but each of those times have been accidental, and not the fault of the bee. Last summer, I stepped on a bee and yes, the pain of the sting was excruciating, but all I could think of was that I carelessly and foolishly killed a honey bee. We need every honeybee we can get, and if I had looked down, I would’ve seen that I shouldn’t have put my foot there. I now make it a point to look down before I put my foot down, and try to walk away from the clover, not through it. I also now always wear shoes when walking through the grass, which I’d rather not do, as feeling the grass on my feet in the summer is one of the best sensations of the season. But, I don’t want to kill bees with my feet.
The point about the bees, other than we desperately need honeybees, so please don’t kill them – if they die, we die – is this: I am grateful for the bees. They are essential to our survival, and they are fascinating. They are not buzzing around outside trying to get us. As I’ve written before, most of the flying creatures I chase are actively trying to run away from me and my phone’s camera.
Yesterday, a worker bee tolerated my presence and allowed me to capture her on video.
After this encounter, I said hi to my wasp friends. More on that later. And no, nobody stung me.
A Refined Lady
Yesterday morning, a refined lady arrived to the establishment, politely seeking directions to the complimentary breakfast area.
I Chase Bees
What are your daily habits?
I thought we already went over this WordPress. Let’s review, once again.
Mourning Dove Love
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
I didn’t want to answer this prompt by saying, “I recycle, reuse and repurpose,” not because I don’t do those things (I do), but because I felt like it would be a common answer. After a bit of deliberation, I found my prompt answer in an unusual spot. It seems the mourning doves felt very comfortable and a bit frisky in the front flower bed this morning.
That got me thinking. I have noticed there are teenaged squirrels in the backyard and teenaged starlings at the birdbath.
Thus, my contribution to sustainability is providing a natural reproductive habitat for birds, rodents, insects, and possibly Toady McToaderson – if he can find his mate one of these nights. Poor Toady.
The Insect Exterminators
Attention spiders and their prey: you have larger problems, and they’re called sparrows. 🐦
Long-Legged Fly
AKA Condylostylus mundus
I don’t know which is worse: the common name or the Latin name.
When I noticed this stunning bug on a wildflower that is growing up through my rosebush, its legs weren’t the first thing I thought about, nor clamored to see. My first thought wasn’t “I need to be able to judge its leg length compared to other flies’ leg lengths!” I had never seen one of these before, and I am not sure that I ever will again. It is not native to my area.
I tried not to scare it away as I reached for my phone. You know how I like to chase things that are cute – or in this case stunningly beautiful – and you know how they run away from me (bunnies, bumblebees, butterflies, I’m looking at you…). I inched closer to this marvelous being, and was able to capture a few shots. Unfortunately, my phone was completely captivated and was unable to focus on the creature very well, and I ended up with only one decent photo.
After the Beauty Queen of the Backyard flew off, I went inside and did some research. Google told me this electrifyingly blue-green insect was called a Long-Legged Fly. First of all, this bug did not have Daddy-Long Leg legs – that would have been pretty obvious, and honestly? Ridiculous. My second complaint was: why are we focusing on legs when we have an entire blue-green iridescent body that is deserving of a better name than one given to a hillbilly at a dive bar in a Holler?
And then there is the Latin, official name: Condylostylus mundus. Really? The only thing I see here is stylus, and maybe that is vaguely appropriate, but we need to alter the word to stylish.
In summary, I have renamed this fly, which, by the way, eats aphids and other pests, and is completely not like the regular fly that we associate with trash and maggots. (Sidebar: I absolutely abhor maggots, and will run for the hills, alternatively screeching and gagging if I see even one of them.) Flies are disgusting. I know they’re necessary, but I also know every time they land they throw up, and I can be down with the delectable bee vomit, but I am not down with fly vomit under any circumstances.
But I digress. Back to the stylish fly. I’ve decided to rename it, and I think that the governing bodies of naming insects should listen to me.
Stylishirridescentbluegreenfly regularlengthlegs
Strawberry Full Moon
My phone camera doesn’t do it justice, nor does the extreme heat and humidity. 🍓🌕
Basil The Pig
His name isn’t really Basil, but I’ve decided to call him Basil because I am not growing basil this year, and I don’t want to put the stone in front of the lavender plant because that’s not accurate.
This is my mom’s pig. He’s rather old and he’s spent all of his life outside through all of the seasons, so he’s a bit weathered. I’ve recently started bringing him into the shed for the winter, so he doesn’t completely fall apart. (Relatable, am I right?)
Last week during a nice spell of weather, I sat on the front porch step and studied Basil. He almost has a human-like expression, and if a garden ornament has kind eyes, he does.
So what do I do when I see something that interests me? That’s right, I grab my phone and capture a photo or two. If it’s butterflies, maybe ten.
Without further ado, say hello to Basil. He is friendly and a great listener.
Katherine I – Orb Weaver
I shared this on Instagram today, and I’ve talked about Katherine a few times to fellow bloggers. I’m sharing the reel I made because maybe a few of you will be interested in seeing Katherine, an Orb Weaver that took up residence on my front porch a few years ago. She was majestic and fascinating. She laid two egg sacks in the clematis, which I promised her I would move to a safer spot once she was gone. She lived until mid December, which was quite a long time for a spider. I hope you enjoy the video. 🕸️🤍
“It's Amy,” I said. 