Bizzzzy Bumblebees

There is no denying that Bumblebees are the most effective pollinators in the world.  This worker is completely covered in pollen.  She is also drinking nectar from a thistle.  The male was just landing when I took this photo.  See his wings?  They are beating at about 130-240 beats per second!

Bees are too important to be ignored!!  Did you know that two-thirds of the world's crops rely on these amazing little creatures!  Without bees and other pollinators, there would be no fruit or vegetables.

Bumblebees live in colonies and are very social. The queen bee lays hundreds of eggs.  The male does not collect pollen or maintain the hive at all.  This is the job of the worker bees.  The male's main function is to fertilize the queen bee. 

Bumblebees scent mark flowers.  They do this to leave a message to the other bees that the nectar is gone.  This reduces time spent probing flowers without nectar.

How high can a bee count??
Answer: To a BUZZillion :-))

Iceberg

Pinnacle shaped Iceberg

This beauty was one of the many icebergs we saw this year!!  We were very fortunate to see this one up close and personal.  Dressed for the elements, we hiked a little distance from the main road to the ocean, and, WOW, was it worth it!! There were pieces of ice breaking off of this natural wonder and crashing against the rocks beside us.  We were safely able to pick up one of those chunks of ice, and yes, it was certainly an awesome feeling to hold a piece of history!!

An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf.  It could be more than 15,000 years old, floating freely in open water!! Some of them can be the height of a 15-storey building and weigh up to 100,000 tonnes and more.  Nine tenths of the iceberg's mass is below water.  Yep, that's right, we are only seeing one-tenth of them.

Like beer?  Try this if you have the chance!
Guaranteed, you will have another!

Or...

You might want to try a bottle of Iceberg Vodka? It is the only vodka in the world made from icebergs!!

Good "Morning Dew" You

Daisies symbolize new beginnings

Did you know:

• The daisy's leaves are edible and can be used in salads and are high in vitamin C.
•  Daisies make up almost 10% of all flowering plants on Earth.