Yesterday I noticed a little bee sitting on my barbecue cover. It was moving slowly and seemed to be struggling, so I carefully scooped her up and placed her on a nearby flower, in the hope to give it some nourishment. It seemed to like the petal and rested on it. The next day, I returned to the flower but the little bee wasn't there, I found she had fallen off and was still moving. Knowing it was nearing the end of its precious little life (still brings tears, I'm such a softie) I placed it in a cooler spot on the ground where it could die peacefully. I so wanted it to live.
That's so sweet, Grace! I've done that too, when a wild creature is near its end, just found it the most comfortable place I can think of for those final moments. It seems to me that the wild creatures have a gentler transition at their end, and that whether our small acts of attention rescue them or simply make them comfortable, they are well-received 💕
Bee in the moment! Perfect. Wonderful your son is pursuing Marine Biology :) I too wrote a couple years ago about the "busy as a bee?" phenomenon... about how much they can rest and sleep which is necessary for all creatures. "In “Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive,” author Mark L. Winston writes that honey bees “spend up to two-thirds of their lives doing nothing” – they are “resters” more than they are “workers” (p 174). While this statistic won’t apply to all bee species, it certainly gave me pause and had me rethinking my perception of these insects."
So fascinating, Lindsay! As is often the case, if we really pay attention to the wild creatures, they often teach us that actions that we consider "secondary" like resting, socializing, exploring their environment, are every bit as important as "working". Thanks for sharing this!
We have several large clumps of hyssop in our garden that the bees and butterflies and hawk moths love. Especially large bumblebees. Late in the afternoon and in the evening, the purple stalks are bejeweled with bumbles, each hugging a flower tight and resting. It is one of the most peaceful-filled and beautiful things I have ever witnessed. 💝
That sounds gorgeous, Jacqueline, thanks for sharing! We had Anise Hyssop in our garden for several years, and it was an absolute delight on all counts - but something wiped it out this past winter! I’m looking forward to getting it started again, especially after this reminder :)
Lovely post and thank you for explaining how bees work! We have some bees that are great pollinators. The queens are putting their eggs in our back rock patio. They are not after us so we are letting them nest, letting them keep pollinating our garden
How wonderful, Stacey! I bet you'll notice lots of fascinating new details about them, having them so nearby. I'm often amazed at the nuances of the daily lives of wild creatures, since we usually only intersect with them in brief glimpses. It's like the difference between seeing a friend for coffee once in a while or being roommates - there's a lot more going on that you never would've really thought of!🤣
Beautifully said Sydney. We have a beehive at our place and I marvel at their work. If I get too close to the hive without telling them ahead of time there is one "scout" whose job at that moment is to check out my intentions🙂. So many important lessons in Nature, and you have so beautifully articulated what the bees have shown you, and us. Thank you.
Thank you, Ian! Isn't it wonderful to consider how a bee can be such a skilled judge of intentions across diverse species including humans? If they can judge our intentions, don't they actually have to be smarter than us?🤣
I certainly think they have mastered the value of connection and service more profoundly than us. I also think we still have much to learn about cross species communication and listening from them and other animals. So much for us yet to learn. Bless you beautiful work Sydney.
You’re so right, Ian. We could spend a lifetime delving into the habits and social structures and interactions of wild creatures, and never run out of things to learn that would be beneficial to apply to human life :)
Love this. The bees in our backyard are sharing the hummingbird feeders, at least one bee. He somehow pokes his head in the tiny hole and all we see are his wings and his wiggling tail🤭🐝
Speaking of bees, here it is, the beginning of July and I have not seen one bee in my neighbourhood here in urban Toronto. Can it be because I see many of my neighbours using pesticides for their lawns? Very concerning.
Yesterday I noticed a little bee sitting on my barbecue cover. It was moving slowly and seemed to be struggling, so I carefully scooped her up and placed her on a nearby flower, in the hope to give it some nourishment. It seemed to like the petal and rested on it. The next day, I returned to the flower but the little bee wasn't there, I found she had fallen off and was still moving. Knowing it was nearing the end of its precious little life (still brings tears, I'm such a softie) I placed it in a cooler spot on the ground where it could die peacefully. I so wanted it to live.
That's so sweet, Grace! I've done that too, when a wild creature is near its end, just found it the most comfortable place I can think of for those final moments. It seems to me that the wild creatures have a gentler transition at their end, and that whether our small acts of attention rescue them or simply make them comfortable, they are well-received 💕
Great analogy, Sydney! What an enjoyable read. 🙏😊
Thanks so much, Don! As many years as I've been learning from bees, they still manage to always have new things to teach me :)
Bee in the moment! Perfect. Wonderful your son is pursuing Marine Biology :) I too wrote a couple years ago about the "busy as a bee?" phenomenon... about how much they can rest and sleep which is necessary for all creatures. "In “Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive,” author Mark L. Winston writes that honey bees “spend up to two-thirds of their lives doing nothing” – they are “resters” more than they are “workers” (p 174). While this statistic won’t apply to all bee species, it certainly gave me pause and had me rethinking my perception of these insects."
So many life lessons to learn from other species.
https://lindsayhartley.substack.com/p/bumblebee-busy-bee-sweet-dreams-welsh
So fascinating, Lindsay! As is often the case, if we really pay attention to the wild creatures, they often teach us that actions that we consider "secondary" like resting, socializing, exploring their environment, are every bit as important as "working". Thanks for sharing this!
We have several large clumps of hyssop in our garden that the bees and butterflies and hawk moths love. Especially large bumblebees. Late in the afternoon and in the evening, the purple stalks are bejeweled with bumbles, each hugging a flower tight and resting. It is one of the most peaceful-filled and beautiful things I have ever witnessed. 💝
That sounds gorgeous, Jacqueline, thanks for sharing! We had Anise Hyssop in our garden for several years, and it was an absolute delight on all counts - but something wiped it out this past winter! I’m looking forward to getting it started again, especially after this reminder :)
Oh I hope you do, and that it flourishes and brings you joy! 😊
Lovely post and thank you for explaining how bees work! We have some bees that are great pollinators. The queens are putting their eggs in our back rock patio. They are not after us so we are letting them nest, letting them keep pollinating our garden
How wonderful, Stacey! I bet you'll notice lots of fascinating new details about them, having them so nearby. I'm often amazed at the nuances of the daily lives of wild creatures, since we usually only intersect with them in brief glimpses. It's like the difference between seeing a friend for coffee once in a while or being roommates - there's a lot more going on that you never would've really thought of!🤣
Happy sigh. A wonderful take on life and tasks and expectations. Beautiful.
Thanks, Beth! hugs :)
"To bee or not to bee, that is the question." I choose to bee, busy or not! :-)
That's the only right choice, Sandy!
Beautifully said Sydney. We have a beehive at our place and I marvel at their work. If I get too close to the hive without telling them ahead of time there is one "scout" whose job at that moment is to check out my intentions🙂. So many important lessons in Nature, and you have so beautifully articulated what the bees have shown you, and us. Thank you.
Thank you, Ian! Isn't it wonderful to consider how a bee can be such a skilled judge of intentions across diverse species including humans? If they can judge our intentions, don't they actually have to be smarter than us?🤣
I certainly think they have mastered the value of connection and service more profoundly than us. I also think we still have much to learn about cross species communication and listening from them and other animals. So much for us yet to learn. Bless you beautiful work Sydney.
You’re so right, Ian. We could spend a lifetime delving into the habits and social structures and interactions of wild creatures, and never run out of things to learn that would be beneficial to apply to human life :)
I love the bumbles, and they love our lavender.
Beautiful message. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Kimberly!
Bee meditations. Good one
Thanks so much, Paolo!
Love this. The bees in our backyard are sharing the hummingbird feeders, at least one bee. He somehow pokes his head in the tiny hole and all we see are his wings and his wiggling tail🤭🐝
Speaking of bees, here it is, the beginning of July and I have not seen one bee in my neighbourhood here in urban Toronto. Can it be because I see many of my neighbours using pesticides for their lawns? Very concerning.