As Paul talked, it came to life again in some new ways, especially thinking about the evolutionary process that got bees to this point. No doubt this was missing from my earlier plant lessons. These little creatures are just what is needed for many plants to pollinate. The bee has a hairy little body and when she dives into a flower looking for nectar and pollen, the pollen sticks to her body, taking these tiny granules from the anther and incidentally rubbing it onto the stamen of that flower or another she is travelling to, allowing the magic of fruit to begin.
I was in our new hives today to see how things are going. They seem incredibly busy, having eaten all the first pollen patties (supplement) that I gave them just a few days ago and all the sugar water I had poured into their reservoir. If things go as they should, we would have new bees, born of these hives, in a little over 21 days, that is if the queen had a chance to mate with a drone in the last few days. That is another wonder all on its own.
There are a few things in bloom already, like the maple trees and an early plum. The little plum tree was a-buzz with our bees this afternoon. We feel personally responsible for each one and happy to see them out on a sunny day. They seem so purposeful and important.