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the flight of the bumblebee
(Posted late, this was actually written this morning.)
Yesterday while taking a break in the garden I was watching a bumblebee bumble along, doing his job for the flowers. Let me tell you friends, this wasn't any ordinary bumblebee, this was God's own bumblebee, and I ain't kiddin'. If you look at your thumb, tip to first knuckle, the bee was probably larger than what you're looking at.
It was fun to watch this epicly proportioned bee servicing the little tiny purple flowers that are now in bloom. He would fly to each flower and as soon as he grabbed ahold, he'd stop flying, the flower and entire little plant would lean over until the bee was upside down, nearly on the ground. As soon as the bee let go, the plant would pop back up. This routine was then repeated for each flower. It was funny to see.
It was a busy day in the garden yesterday.
There is evidence the woodchuck is back. He nibbled on a few of the radish tops and cleaned off the ends of most of the pea plants. He seems to favor pea plants. This is not good news for the garden. If he starts to see our garden as a deli we won't have much left in a week.
However, the herbs are coming along fine. Thyme, orgeano, spearmint all seemed to overwintered well and are lush and big. The berry patches look like they are headed for a heavy harvest. The garlic is going along well. I got the polebeans and one row of bush beans planted yesterday and hope to get more planted today, if I'm capable.
I took a completely graceless fall yesterday. I ended up on my back in the firepit with the full wheelbarrow on top of me. It probably looked worse than it really was. I was able to get up and finish the day without a problem. Considering I wasn't seriously injured, I wish it had been videod because the look of surprise on my face as I went over must have been hilarious.
Today is another story. I have one set of bruises just below my shoulderblades that make sitting back in a chair undesirable. All the musculature from there down to my lower back doesn't want to do much. I started out the morning genuflecting to reach things below waist level, but it's starting to loosen up now.
In more exciting news, we had our first harvest last night. I thinned one row of radishes, so we had radishes with supper and later made radish top soup. Still haven't tried the soup yet, but it smelled good.
Here is a picture of the little purple flowers that are all over the shady spots of the garden. I avoid disturbing these when possible because I'd like to keep them as a ground cover if they are willing, the whole plant is only about 4 inches high.
Here is a picture of the garden. The lower garlic bed is visible between the stones to the left. Then two terraces of garlic, two rows of radish and a row of bok choy and a row of snowpeas between the green poles. On the far left rear you can see the beginning of the blackberry patch; it stretches further left. On the right is two rows of radishes far right and a row of snowpeas between the green poles. The center area, to the right of the stone age dalek has some bok choy and radish planted close to the stones, then is a wild jungle beyond that. More of that will be planted shortly.
In this picture the firepit has the chairs in it. When I went in the firepit the chairs were not in it. I ended up with the tall stone on the right between my knees, my butt in the pit, and my back on the square grey/white stone at the front of the pit. I have very square and regular marks on my back where the granite carved its way to its resting place. I'm infinitely gratefull I fell on the square stone not on one of the jagged ones.
Yesterday while taking a break in the garden I was watching a bumblebee bumble along, doing his job for the flowers. Let me tell you friends, this wasn't any ordinary bumblebee, this was God's own bumblebee, and I ain't kiddin'. If you look at your thumb, tip to first knuckle, the bee was probably larger than what you're looking at.
It was fun to watch this epicly proportioned bee servicing the little tiny purple flowers that are now in bloom. He would fly to each flower and as soon as he grabbed ahold, he'd stop flying, the flower and entire little plant would lean over until the bee was upside down, nearly on the ground. As soon as the bee let go, the plant would pop back up. This routine was then repeated for each flower. It was funny to see.
It was a busy day in the garden yesterday.
There is evidence the woodchuck is back. He nibbled on a few of the radish tops and cleaned off the ends of most of the pea plants. He seems to favor pea plants. This is not good news for the garden. If he starts to see our garden as a deli we won't have much left in a week.
However, the herbs are coming along fine. Thyme, orgeano, spearmint all seemed to overwintered well and are lush and big. The berry patches look like they are headed for a heavy harvest. The garlic is going along well. I got the polebeans and one row of bush beans planted yesterday and hope to get more planted today, if I'm capable.
I took a completely graceless fall yesterday. I ended up on my back in the firepit with the full wheelbarrow on top of me. It probably looked worse than it really was. I was able to get up and finish the day without a problem. Considering I wasn't seriously injured, I wish it had been videod because the look of surprise on my face as I went over must have been hilarious.
Today is another story. I have one set of bruises just below my shoulderblades that make sitting back in a chair undesirable. All the musculature from there down to my lower back doesn't want to do much. I started out the morning genuflecting to reach things below waist level, but it's starting to loosen up now.
In more exciting news, we had our first harvest last night. I thinned one row of radishes, so we had radishes with supper and later made radish top soup. Still haven't tried the soup yet, but it smelled good.
Here is a picture of the little purple flowers that are all over the shady spots of the garden. I avoid disturbing these when possible because I'd like to keep them as a ground cover if they are willing, the whole plant is only about 4 inches high.
Here is a picture of the garden. The lower garlic bed is visible between the stones to the left. Then two terraces of garlic, two rows of radish and a row of bok choy and a row of snowpeas between the green poles. On the far left rear you can see the beginning of the blackberry patch; it stretches further left. On the right is two rows of radishes far right and a row of snowpeas between the green poles. The center area, to the right of the stone age dalek has some bok choy and radish planted close to the stones, then is a wild jungle beyond that. More of that will be planted shortly.
In this picture the firepit has the chairs in it. When I went in the firepit the chairs were not in it. I ended up with the tall stone on the right between my knees, my butt in the pit, and my back on the square grey/white stone at the front of the pit. I have very square and regular marks on my back where the granite carved its way to its resting place. I'm infinitely gratefull I fell on the square stone not on one of the jagged ones.