Nose to Nose

The big girls are all out now - the queen Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees.  They are docile creatures but quite large and daunting if you don't like bees.  Of course, I love bees so when I saw clouds of them drifting around the cherry trees I had to grab a camera.  Jax stayed on the deck while I stalked bees among the branches of the weeping cherries.  Definitely got my zen on.  When I snapped this particular shot, I didn't know what the smaller insect was - I actually thought it might be one of the small parasitic wasps but when viewed on the large screen, the segmented antennae tell me this is probably a beetle of some sort.  Clearly neither was concerned about the other.  Just a moment in nature.

I had a nice FT chat with my parents this morning.  The weather in the Portland area has been pretty much dreadful since I left so they are staying close to home working puzzles and reading and such.  Right after that, I was on a Zoom call with the Director of the care facility MIL lives in.  They have a couple of new covid cases in the Independent Living section of the facility but this doesn't affect MIL as she is in advanced care with no crossover.  Thank goodness for small favors.  

Hubs went into the office for meetings today (a 40 mile drive each way) so Jax and I entertained ourselves.  We walked, napped, played ball, played with the flirt pole, and he irritated the cats.  Tonight we have Obedience Class so he is resting up for that now.  Between you and me, I am going to try to wear him out before we go so he won't be quite so hard to manage.  Hubs will be home late but brining dinner with him.  

After temps hitting 83 this afternoon, there is now a line of severe thunderstorms rolling in.  It's gone from gloriously sunny to ominously dark and broody.  

Oh, and I saw Mrs Bluebird taking a few pieced of grass into the patio nest box, so I think the deal is sealed.  Fingers crossed!

Dark with ginger today.

xo
Debbi