The Bee on His Knees

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My friend and neighbor, Mike, dropped by to see me this week. It was a glorious autumn afternoon. The sunlight is paler than summer and the leaves are turning color; falling gently over the land.

I am always happy when Mike stops by. If he does not bring a few beers with him, he might have ribs or enchiladas. Mike loves to cook and I can testify to his skill. This time, he strolled into my backyard with a few good beers and offered to share them with me. We instantly adjourned to the patio to soak up the outdoor beauty and refreshment.

We had just begun solving the weighty problems of the world when a Yellow Jacket wasp arrived at our table. The wasp took an immediate interest in Mike’s frosty glass. After a brief hesitation on the rim of the glass to sniff the bouquet, he dived in.

It became immediately clear the bug was no swimmer. We looked at each other and back at the wasp for a minute before we realized he was not trying to get out of the glass. In fact, a very close look revealed he was lying on his side drinking Mike’s beer as fast as he could chug it down. I think the level in his glass was dropping.

That is where we drew the line. I fetched a spoon from the kitchen and dredged the besotted wasp from Mike’s drink. I poured him out of the spoon and onto the table, where he proceeded to stagger about for several minutes. He ran into the decorative flowerpot, my beer and Mike’s beer more than once. Each time he found Mike’s glass, he tried his best to scramble up the side, but it was no use. He could flap his wings, but not in a coordinated way.

Eventually, a breeze caught him and blew him onto the patio. He staggered about there for a while until he began to sober up. He seemed to be having a problem with his head, possibly a hangover.

When he felt strong enough, he took flight, but swerved into the glass on the patio door and fell back on his little wasp kiester. When we stopped laughing, we sipped our drinks and discussed Spinoza. The bee struggled. Finally, the wasp took flight and flew a ragged course away from the patio. He made one more wobbly fly-over of our table about twenty minutes later, but this time he did not stop. We both hope he found his way home or possibly to a rehab center.

Whether or not he knows it, that wasp owes us one.

PS: Does anyone know the correct way to spell kiester? I am just curious.

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Nature Trail Revealed!

For several weeks, I have threatened to photograph the little nature trail that bisects my neighborhood. Since I first thought of it, the trail has seldom been above water. Half the circuit was dry this morning and I set out, camera around neck, to capture as much of the natural beauty as possible.

A pair of extravagant berry bushes mark the trailhead. I do not know their names. Fred and Ethyl, maybe? They are a welcoming sight year round. If you have an idea what they are, let me know.

Immediately beyond, the trail curves hard left to parallel the local creek. Recently, it has been a navigable waterway, but has subsided to being full of water. The water has been fifteen to twenty feet higher in recent weeks and observant readers might find traces of debris in the trees and shrubs in these photos. At the curve, the trail is about forty feet above the creek.

The trail continues along the flood plain, rising and falling as much as fifty feet. The upgrades test the intrepid cyclist’s heart and will. The downgrades provide breath-restoring relief and high-speed excitement. Local wildlife includes a snowy heron who has grown accustomed to my presence. The little bugger did not show this morning. Maybe he’s camera shy.

Autumn colors are only beginning to emerge.  The continuous rains of the last month have rejuvenated the plant life, leaving them reluctant to go to sleep for the winter.  Sumack is one of the most flamboyant autumn plants.  Even these are muted, but still impressive to my eye.  See below.  I'll check in on it again next week, weather permitting.


The air was cool, dry and on the move (15 mph) when I hit the trail.  It was bracing!   Hauling a camera is the perfect excuse to pedal at a leisurely pace, avoiding the unsightly gasping and sweating that usually accompanies these outings.  I may take the camera from now on!

About two miles along, I discovered a stand of trees I've never noticed before. Yes, that's hard to believe, but they seem to have appeared from nowhere.  Odder, they are growing right next to the site of the raging torrent and they are more than twenty feet tall.  Maybe they're some sort of alien mutant trees trying to blend in until they take over the planet. (I wish them all the luck in the world. They can have my part.)

At the halfway mark, I discovered the spillway is under water.  Still.  Since it is also the bridge to the rest of the trail, I was stopped.  Nature teaches patience, darn her anyway. Perhaps tomorrow...

I expect the colors will get better and the light will continue to gain that pale golden hue that accompanies autumn.  If the rains forebear, there are many beautiful images waiting for someone to notice them.  I would be pleased if it were me.

I will share what I find in future posts.  I hope you enjoy these views even half as much as I.  I can still smell the wild scented air and feel tthe cool breezes on my cheek even now.  What could be better than a morning in autumn?  I am one lucky guy.