Saturday, April 23, 2016

Busy Bees!

Spring flowers always mean it is time for the bumble/honey bees to show up. In February, they hang out in my crocus bed. 
 March is when they start meandering around in the plumy branches of blooms in the yard.
 This year April was super busy. The pear trees bloomed, the Asiatic plum tree bloomed, pretty much EVERYTHING bloomed!!!!
 The lilacs started a bit early this year and also in April. The bees visiting the lilacs appear to be enforcer bees. They are HUGE. I placed the dime in the flowers so you could kind of get an idea on size of the bees Jon took pictures of.
 They were a great deal of fun to watch. Jeremy helped Jon find some who were kind of sitting still with their pollen packs full. Bees don't like reflections. The closer the camera lens is, the more agitated they get. Jon did a good job in snapping shots while the bees were busy with the flowers.






It appears these bees in the lilacs are Western Bumblebees. Amazing gentle giants.

Sunday, April 03, 2016

Grandpa's Furrows


 Steve grew up watching his dad (and sometimes helping) farm. The boys watched Grandpa and Jon has helped Larry with farming. This weekend, Steve and Jon tentatively walked in Rod's footsteps as they seeded a piece of ground in beardless barley. (yes, the bearded ones planted something beardless--there is a whole section on beardless barley by OSU, so I understand why it exists. It still makes the mom laugh) Jon took a few stills and one of Susie, who was after a rodent. 

 Susie looking for snacks in the weeds.

The best part was taken by Jeremy, with his cell phone. I wanted to add the super cute adorable tractor Jeremy picked up Easter weekend, but it is on his youtube page. This story, today, is about Grandpa's old red Farmall getting back to work on a beautiful day with a blue sky and good soil. 
Rod is up there smiling down on his son and grandson, probably grumbling a bit because it wasn't done quite right, and laughing over hearing his tractor again.