-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
(attribution: Marshman at English Wikipedia / Eric Guinther [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D) Not magic mushrooms, but a continuation on an old theme for me: moon poo or slime mold or false puffball or enteridium lycoperdon. Why, God why, you ask? It’s not me this time. Someone posted a photo of this on the British and … Continue reading
I think this has become my most favorite word, and I owe it to Quercuscommunity who got it from John Clare (quoted on the Quercuscommunity page): And coy bumbarrels, twenty in a drove, Flit down the hedgerows in the frozen plain And hang on little twigs and start again. John Clare – Emmonsail’s Heath in Winter I may … Continue reading
You might notice that I started this post over two weeks ago from the title, for we are no longer under the Strawberry Moon but the Buck Moon. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac July is the month of the Full Buck Moon. At this time, a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode. This Full Moon … Continue reading
Seneca, the Roman Stoic philosopher, must have known something of the lot of the beekeeper: Plura sunt quae nos terrent quam quae premunt, et saepius opinione quam re laboramus. What a relief! We go through this every apres-swarming season: worry then relief. They never let us down, always demonstrating their resilience. Ain’t nature grand? Of course, … Continue reading
Corripuere viam interea, qua semita monstrat. Iamque ascendebant collem, qui plurimus urbi imminet, adversasque adspectat desuper arces. Miratur molem Aeneas, magalia quondam, miratur portas strepitumque et strata viarum… Qualis apes aestate nova per florea rura exercet sub sole labor, cum gentis adultos educunt fetus, aut cum liquentia mella stipant et dulci distendunt nectare cellas, … Continue reading
Allow me to introduce you to Bombus hypnorum, the tree bee: Apparently, introductions are required in the UK, for even though this is a bumblebee common to Europe, it has only just recently made its way to the UK (first observed in 2001). It has moved as far west as Iceland in 2008. It has been receiving some attention … Continue reading
Anne, bonis coepte auspiciis, da vere salubri apricas ventorum animas, da roscida Cancro solstitia et gelidum Boream Septembribus horis. mordeat autumnis frigus subtile pruinis et tenuata moris cesset mediocribus aestas. sementem Notus umificet, sit bruma nivalis, dum pater antiqui renovatur Martius anni. Ausonius, Decimus Magnus, with an English translation; Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), text … Continue reading
You may recall in a previous post my mentioning my friend, Jo, and her bumblebees? After watching them bumbling about (and sometimes flying away in frustration) she took the advice of helping the girls get a sense of direction. Did it work? You view the data yourselves: Pollen Count You may also remember that Jo’s … Continue reading
No, not ‘e-u’ but as in ‘yew’ or ‘u’ or….Maybe you should just skip to the middle. In the mean time, just know that They’re Alive! We, or rather my husband, mustered up the courage last weekend to invade bee space again. I had to do my taxes. Believe me, bee stings would have been … Continue reading
Yes, capitalized on purpose, because it is supposed to call to mind Hitchcock’s The Birds. Maybe you will understand when you look at this: I know they don’t look like much in this picture, but there were anywhere from 30-50 starlings repeatedly landing in the garden. That was bad enough, but if you look closely … Continue reading
My Latin Notebook 