Feast For All

One of my plum trees overproduced and it is too tall for me to pick the fruit. (My efforts to reduce the height of the tree resulted in an injured shoulder a while back).  Now the plums are past ripe and are visited by masses of bees, and fewer numbers of flies, butterflies, and waxeyes. I can access only the ones that have dropped to the ground. The bees were so thick in the air it’s a wonder I wasn’t stung as I waded in among them.


Some of the honeybees were surprisingly aggressive toward others. Were they from different hives? I don’t consider honeybees as wildlife. They belong to the local apiarist.

One thing that pleases me about this situation is that there are no Vespula wasps. There were so many about in the spring that I feared they would be a big problem by now.

Last night was so cold! I considered lighting the fire, but decided to tough it out. Then mid-evening the power went off. I sat shivering in the dim emergency light for some time and then decided to go to bed. It was like climbing into a fridge. Even with extra clothing and blankets I couldn’t get warm.


Edit: the clouds lifted this evening to reveal snow on the mountains. Brrr!