Melissa Wiley's Blog, page 197

Oh, For a Bee’s Experience

(Poetry Friday visitors, Miss Dickinson awaits you at the bottom of the post.)

I mentioned I’ve become hooked on beekeeping blogs ever since reading Fruitless Fall. Here are a few of my favorites:

Hive Mind Bee Blog. A backyard beekeeper in Washington. I especially enjoyed his account of a swarm in his neighborhood:

When they’re flying in the air, there’s nothing you can do but watch, but when the queen lands, the rest of the swarm will land around her in a huge, sedate clump that you can put into

Fifteen Years Yesterday

Best. Yes. Ever.

About That Bee Book

As you know, I’ve had bees on my mind for weeks. I keep talking about Fruitless Fall, the book about bee colony collapse written by my former grad-school classmate, Rowan Jacobsen.

How much have you read about bee colony collapse?

I knew the honeybee’s numbers were declining. I remember hearing the wacky cell phone theory several years back, and that was laughed out of the news, and since then I’ve just heard ominous mutterings now and then about the bees disappearing and nobody knows why.

But I di

Peek-a-Boo

Remember this coy miss?

She decided to come out to play.

An Interview with Stephanie Spinner

I have something very special for you today. Stephanie Spinner, author of such splendid books as Quiver and Quicksilver, not to mention the hilarious Aliens for Breakfast trilogy, graciously agreed to an interview here at Bonny Glen. Years ago, when I was fresh out of grad school, Stephanie gave me my first job in publishing as her editorial assistant at Random House and Knopf (two imprints, same office). You couldn’t ask for a better introduction to children’s book publishing: Stephanie worked

Be Still My Heart

What Scott got me for Mother’s Day:

Does this guy know me well or what?

Things We’ve Done This Week

• Watched a NOVA special on bees, and watched bees outside on our sunflowers and scabiosa. I am so happy to see them buzzing around, filling those nifty leg pouches with golden pollen. Rilla stands beside me, peering so closely. Rose prefers to stay a safe distance away.

• Played lots of Harvest Moon. Such a relaxing game, I find. Planting crops, befriending forest animals, fishing. As virtual lives go, this one is quite appealing.

• Played, with lots of whooping and hollering, several exciting ga

Bear, Feet

Says the artist: “Dat’s you, Mommy. You’re Mother Bear.”

As if you couldn’t tell by looking.

Cool Stuff

Scott sent me this link to 50 Strange Buildings of the World. Some of them will really mess with your head. I’ve been in one of them! But how did I not know about the Kansas City Public Library? Awesome.

The backyard art bag has been an even bigger hit than I expected. It has become the Paint Anywhere, Anytime bag. Rilla seems to mightily enjoy the independence it affords her: at any given moment she might be seen busily setting up her little workspace on the kitchen table or living room floor: p

Neighbors