Friday, April 22, 2011

Earth Day: Into the Garden with Bees and Worms

I was reminiscing about past Earth Day celebrations. Once I participated in a beach clean up. In high school I dyed my hair GREEN with food coloring! Today I shall bring my travel mug to Starbucks for their Earth Day Offer and then show my little patch of earth some love. There is a local cafe in 5 Points that offers a 10% discount to anyone who brings their own mug AND serves a complimentary foam illustration in your latte!

 And while I'm on the topic of coffee, I've come upon the most brilliant invention for those who brew their coffee with a French Press! It's a French Press Cozy handmade of the most insulating fiber probably known to man: wool. After my own home-brewed morning cup of coffee sludge, I delighted in a poached egg over toasted sourdough sprinkled with paprika, pepper, feta, and pickled plum tomatoes over a bed of fresh spinach. Some indulgences are simply worth waiting for.

 

I watched a documentary about bees recently. Somehow, I am not surprised to find that the worker bees are all female! It's fascinating how bees must relocate, if perhaps their home is invaded by a a bear, or if they outgrow it. Scouts fly out first. Then the swarm follows, with the queen, usually collecting themselves for a brief rest on a tree branch or even a traffic light. Those in fear might call a pest company to eradicate them with a dousing of chemical poison. However, those in the know would realize that they're on their way elsewhere...to their new abode. I came upon a wonderful jar of raw honey from a local farm. Some proclaim the benefits of raw honey in relieving allergy symptoms. Local honey is derived from bees that pollinate flowers in your region.  Of course, opinions vary among the medical community.

A few days ago I was nominated to be the, "Garden Guardian" of our neighborhood school's organic garden. Having only an herb garden myself, this presents me with an exciting opportunity! Perhaps soon I'll be composting with a box of worms and dousing plants with a brew of compost tea...ew.

1 comment:

  1. You write so well, the images bleed from your words to be imprinted upon my memory. It would appear as though bees have a distinct Amazonian culture, where the males are merely afterthoughts, to be used simply for impregnating the queen, an act which brings upon their immediate demise. At least they are allowed to exist in indolent luxury until that fateful day!

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