The Secret Life of Bees

It was lovely and misty out, and I stopped by a little pond I know, hoping to get a few pictures of the red-winged blackbird babies, perhaps wearing their first suit of feathers this time instead of pink and naked.

The pond is very overgrown now, and I wasn't able to discover the nest this time, though the squawking of several adult red-winged blackbirds over my head led me to believe I was standing very near it. A dragonfly buzzed past, stopped to sit for a minute on a nearby reed.

And I took some pictures of the pond itself that, in the mist, somewhat resembled this prior shot. I love these damp summer mornings. They are full of magic.

I leaned down to take a few macro shots of a Queen Anne's lace bloom, when I noticed something dark beneath it. And I looked underneath to discover a sleeping bumblebee, covered in dew.

The flower is like a big umbrella to sleep under. When the bee awakens, it can crawl up on top for a little snack. And thus flower is both bed and breakfast to a bee. Oh the wondrous secret lives of bees!

For now, it is early, and the bumbler is still asleep, so let's tiptoe quietly away and leave it to its rest. The song to accompany this peaceful scene is Neil Young's Till the Morning Comes.