May Flowers

Baby Almond..just one of the few that set this year. Above that, Low Growing Thyme with a passing oak leaf superimposed on its lush new growth. Irony. Below, 2nd Kiwi Sprouts...the 1st sprouts were killed by frost.
The Flowers of Tomorrow...present in the Raspberry Buds above. Red Pear Set below.
The hills are in full color with so many wild flowers and already the grass is fading in some spots. Without a generous May or June rain, we may be in for a very dry summer.

I am irrigating ...and that's about all. I am still pretty much in-valid with my knee injury. Find me on my mushingblog for the full ruminations.

Here, the flowers about the yard are starting to burst with great energy, but for the most part the fruit bloom is over. A few apples are bringing up the rear and the persimmon will bloom much later...Hope my knee is well by then.... We have been grounded for a month and it has been a real drag.

I did manage to work the bees yesterday and found them to be in good shape.Each hive has 5-6 frames of foundation fully drawn out, and they are full of eggs, larvae, capped brood, pollen nectar and even some capped honey. I found the queen in one hive, but not in the other. It had abundant eggs and brood - so I will assume for the time being, she is there. They both came marked with a red spot painted on there thorax and one was still easily visible, perhaps the other has rubbed hers off...?

My understanding of the hive, is that at this point about a month out from installation, it is just past its lowest population - as some workers have passed on- and new eggs take about 3 weeks to hatch, after which time they wander around on the hive doing menial chores until they are about 2-3 weeks old when they follow the other foraging bees out of the hive. They will begin by taking training flights first where they "boil" in front of the hive. Each time they fly out further and further out, always turning back to face the hive, return and fly out yet further from home until they have learned their way. I have seen some of this behavior.The bees are working with great enthusiasm the borage, and the fire poker plants. Both are easy to grow and will basically self maintain around here, so they would be a good Bee Food to include in your landscape plans for 2008. Below - A good argument against buying a living Christmas Tree. Real bright plan: Spend $40 for a lush beauty that we then subject to a slow tedious death, by offering heat and lights in December, and neglect (read: small pot/no water) in the spring....sigh. Next year maybe we'll just kill one at the get go.