Photo by Angie Quantrell
Tag Archives: bees
Haiku Moment: fuzzy chap
hello fuzzy chap,
head-heavy, deliberate
feasting on beauty
fuzzy chap by Angie Quantrell
Be still my heart. Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC are gorgeous! Though there were nearly as many human visitors as bumbles and honey bees, the gardens were enchanting. I was captivated by the colors and busy bobblings of these miracle workers following the career of pollination. The true imagination and wonder of God’s creativity put on an amazing display. Such a vast array of design, purpose, enticement, fragrance, color, and beauty. Make the trip!
Tip: $5 Canadian will give you an all-day pass for the city bus. Take #75 to Butchart Gardens and avoid long lines waiting for parking spots. An added bonus is seeing beyond the touristy (though peachy) downtown area.
Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge: Help Wanted
Needed: hard workers
Duties: fly, wander, buzz, sip
Pollinate: thank you
Help Wanted by Angie Quantrell
Welcome to my Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge! Have you ever applied for a job? Followed a help wanted sign? What would it be like if bees had to fill out applications before they got to work on our flowering plants?
Tiny little pens and papers. Background check. Chat with references.
You’re hired!
Book Report: The Broken Bees’ Nest by Lydia Lukidis
The Broken Bees’ Nest
Beekeeping, Makers Make It Work
By Lydia Lukidis
Illustrated by Andre Ceolin
Kane Press, Inc., 2019
I won a copy of Lydia’s book, The Broken Bees’ Nest, through Kathy Temean and her blog, Writing and Illustrating. Thanks to Lydia for the delightful copy and to Kathy for introducing me to The Broken Bees’ Nest.
What I like about this book:
I love bees, so this picture book is perfect for me. My current dream is to capture a swarm and put a hive out in our pasture. Guess what The Broken Bees’ Nest is about? Capturing a swarm from a broken hive!
This book is about a beekeeper and how she helps two children rescue bees from a broken hive. It’s also about family and being outdoors and engaging in fun play while enjoying nature. I loved learning more about bees-from the story, the sidebars, and the back matter pages.
This book is easy to read, includes vibrant illustrations, and provides lots of bee information in a fun, engaging way. As my granddaughter said the first time we read it, “Again!”
We’ll keep reading The Broken Bees’ Nest! I think this will help her overcome her fear of bees.
Amazon Blurb:
Arun and Keya find the perfect tree for a tree house. Too bad it comes with a battered bees’ nest! These bees need a new home―right away! Tying into the popular Makers Movement, Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. This charming story explores the Makers theme of Beekeeping and includes explanatory sidebars and an insect-related activity for young makers to try themselves!
Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge: cotton candy
cotton candy clouds
effervescence, bees’ delight
pink blossom carpet
cotton candy by Angie Quantrell
I love spring blossoms and the buzz of happy bees. Welcome, pink!
Earth Day
Happy Earth Day, neighbors!
I love this old earth. It’s the only one I’ve got, so I suppose I should help take care of it. Earth Day reminds me to do something, not just talk about it or ignore the problems I see.
For example:
~Yesterday and today, I planted thyme and basil, both edible yumminess for humans and flowering treats for bees.
~I’m trying to convince my pasture mowers to leave the dandelions as is for bee food.
~We avoid spray unless absolutely necessary and spend more time hand weeding.
~I keep planting baby trees from the Arbor Society to create habitat for birds and small animals.
~I always have water out for the cats, but wildlife benefits from the source of hydration.
~I’ve been noticing lots of trash along roads and paths, so it’s time to carry along a trash bag and pick up as I go on walks.
~We pay extra in our valley to allow us to recycle trash items like cans, cardboard, and certain plastics.
I know there are many ways to help Planet Earth. These are only a few ideas to be good stewards of the beautiful environment God created for us to enjoy and care for. Spend some time outside today and pay special attention to how awesome our Earth is.
How about you? I’d love to hear what you do, especially if you have fresh ideas!
#TBT Annabelle and The Garden
My little girl, Annabelle! How she loved the garden and being outside and snuggles on my lap. I miss her mama personality. As you can see, Anna Banana owned the garden. The house. The yard. The couch. The bed. The chair. As any true cat does.
This Throwback Thursday flings us back to when we first started a little kitchen garden in our old house. This triangle plot used to be cement. TOTAL concrete. Ugh! After my honey worked his fingers to the bone removing icky cement, I went right to work, planting tiny rows of radish, lettuce, beans, peas. We added flowers, parsley, thyme, and even strawberries. And every year, I continued to remove bits of broken concrete that worked its way to the surface.
It bloomed, grew, produced, this little potager, and gave me hours of pleasure. It also transformed over time to include a fence (to keep tiny grands from trampling tender shoots), blueberries, a host of insects and pests, and a wide variety of vegetable experiments and floral specimens. The very best year of production was when our neighbor found and homed a swarm of honeybees. Oh, did we miss those bees when he moved!
Do you have a potager? A secret garden? A weed patch?
I’d love to hear.
Happy Hump Day Haiku Challenge: The Bumblebee
The Bumblebee
hovering fatness
worker intent on flowers
bumbling life giver
by Angie Quantrell
Do you love to haiku? Post your nature haiku in the comments. We’ll do the bumblebee dance to celebrate!
