Monday, December 21, 2009

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Thoughts of Trees

Trees, I hear them daily on my walks, and think how trite to think these thoughts, the conversation and the wisdom of trees. Why trite, it seems such a simple thought. Like almost all thoughts, certainly it has been thought by others walking in the forest for as long as forests and man have been on the surface of this planet together...Trees and forests, time, and the wisdom that comes from watching and experience.

I think Tolkien said it best in his characters the Ents and their Entwives. There it was; the nature of time, of man, of woman, of order, of chaos, of old growth and mold, and rugged, and spring, and happy gardens, all in these characters he had conjured up. My mother told me of these books when I was little. I remember when they were first released in the United States. I would have ordered a copy months before. We would have been at the bookstore five times or more getting books for her, and always the Tolkien volume would not be there. Not yet, and then, I would have the book in hand and I would rush home and devour it. As fast as I could, in bed and reading until it was finished and I was awed, and frightened, and unhappy I would need to now wait for the next one. So, I think of trees, and this is only a fraction of what they mean to me.

My mother, she is dead now. I hear her voices in the trees when I go on my walks through my forest that was her forest. She probably had thoughts just the same or similar. I think of her as I listen to the trees, the crack of their sap freezing in the winter and rising in the spring, their structured complaints as they bend and tug at their roots. I think as I walk through the forest, at night, in cold, in wind, with snow whirling in great white sweeps. I hear the trees and think of man, and then I try to conjure up the difference between the man of the present, the man so angry, the man of Washington, so greedy and confused. Then I think of man imagined, man of fairy tales, and forests, man of wizards, demons and ghostly goblins, bright queens and princely poets. Then, I retreat from the horrible present man. I look forward. I look back. I wonder, will we make it as a species and I don't think so? I think the trees will be shouting and they will whisper long after man has screwed it up so badly that he is gone. Then I think good riddance.

But, with this observation comes a form of wisdom. Perhaps not, perhaps. The same stumbling, shoddy mess that makes up man will improve. I doubt it, but perhaps. And, we can only hope that this is the case because it is Christmastime. The snows are blowing round me now in clustered flakes, and they are talking too. I am drifting off. Is this what happens when you freeze to death? I do not know, but it is not unpleasant, so, so be it.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Climate Protests in Copenhagen

Every time we hear Copenhagen. We remember Danny Kay and Hans Christian Anderson, and the song Wonderful,wonderful,Copenhagen. But things are not so wonderful there at the moment and it does not look like the nations of the world are going to be giving our old Planet any gift this Christmas. Not that the planet cares if it is hot or cold or stormy or full of tranquility, but humans do. For some back ground here is an interactive link to the timeline of the situation from the New York Times oddly provided on Pearl Harbor Day.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Obummer, World Peace-and the Prize

Deeply is reminded of Woody Allen in one of his movies, acting the beauty queen and mouthing, world peace, with a strange, stupid, ridiculous grin on his face.

And yes, Deeply saw bits and pieces of our President's speech. They were as usual excellent. But, so what, the man can speak, we've got it. It is the doing that is the problem. I know, I know, after the Doofus, with his inept strides, his lack of curiosity, his wars, his lies and his onslaught on all but the very rich, well, anything would have been better. And after W's mangled syntax, a warbling bright President seemed heaven sent.

Wrong, big wrong, solid wrong, completely wrong; one wonders if the Europeans get us at all. Deeply doubts it. Come on people the peace prize was nothing more than hope and a bribe of expectation. Sadly, it seems, the last European to really get the good old USA was De Tocqueville. And while he wowed and wondered at our experiment he also thought we were a bunch of drunks. De Tocqueville would not have given any Peace Prizes before the pudding.

But these are just thoughts, perhaps the looking glass will eject us, and we will find that we have not fallen down that rabbit hole. That our verbose and warbling President didn't just send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, didn't continue hit squads and drones a drumming ( just imagine it must be like the Empire strikes back if you are some peasant in Pakistan) The death star courtesy of America.

Hello Noble Boys and Girls, either you are idiots, wishful thinkers, or like we said two paragraphs ago, you just don't get America. How and the hell could you give a Prize of Peace to a Warmonger.

Sorry For the Lack of Posts

Well, Fall came and went, along with ill health, a lack of industry, and then a whole lot of catching up. So while we have kept the site running, we, and or I, have been remiss in posting. Whoop de do this shall now be remedied with a video from yours truly in a different incarnation, plowing snow, yes plowing snow, and after you watch plowing snow we recommend you poke about a bit for articles and videos on A Bee in Winter, not to be confused with that great movie A Lion In Winter, starring Peter O'Toole and Kathryn Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, and many more. What a use of language. Happy Holidays. Now clang, clank bang, and bluster... Voici

Thursday, October 1, 2009

New English Film Agrees With Michael Schacker

A new English Film, ninety minutes long, on colony collapse disorder, claims what has been pointed out in Michael Schacker's Book, A Spring Without Bees. Mr. Schacker was on the forefront and should be commended. See the book on the left hand side of the page. Bayer Drug company is the problem.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

New Device to Harness Wave Power

Known as the Oyster and being tested off the Orkney Islands this could be an answer for power generation for seaside cities. Clickety Do.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

New Battery research

Click Click For article on battery research for wind, for cars, for the future, for you. And perhaps Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Green Education

We learned of The Green Education Network when they began to follow us on Twitter. The offer a wide variety of information and educational materials, for students, for teachers, for us all. Poke about a bit if you have interest. Save The Bees.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Pictures From The Bees Daily Bread

Andrea From the Bees Daily Bread has sent us some magnificent and beautiful pictures from Tampa.





You will find the rest on our site at flickr

The Planet In Peril, The Hapless Congress

Read Paul Krugman, Noble Prize economist, straying to his concerns for the Great Green. Read

Monday, June 15, 2009

Bee Population Continues to Plummet

Honeybee population plunges in six months
Expect pricier produce if mystery not solved

By Diane Petryk
For The Daily Item


Food will cost more if no one solves the mystery of the disappearing honeybees — and time is running out.

The situation has gone from bad to worse, Penn State honeybee researcher Maryann Frazier said Thursday.

We were alerted to this article by John Hibbard...Please all of you who care about the bees out their in the big wide reading world.. Send us any information we may have missed.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Maple Seeds and Flight

ScienceDaily (June 13, 2009) — The twirling seeds of maple trees spin like miniature helicopters as they fall to the ground. Because the seeds descend slowly as they swirl, they can be carried aloft by the wind and dispersed over great distances. Just how the seeds manage to fall so slowly, however, has mystified scientists.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Alaska Is Expanding Like A Dented Pillow Relieved of Stress

As the glaciers retreat, melt and vanish, the land in Alaska rises, and locals are wondering where the water went. Forget those stories of swamped ports. In Juneau, as in few other areas of our planet, the result of global warming is drying streams and land rising from the sea as much as three inches a year. Buy that swampland today, in the future it may be the tenth hole of your new golf course.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

White House Imports Russian Bees

That's correct. Thinking on this is the Varoa mite may be the cause of colony collapse disorder (note Save the Bees places the burden on pesticides and noecicotinoids, but mites have also been listed as one of the possible causes of this disease/phenomena) So, imagine dancing bears and frozen tundra and large glasses of vodka and leaping buzzing Russian Bees, with their tiny legs extended Cossack style, wearing those baggy Zhivago pants.

See Article

Monday, February 23, 2009

Green Plastics -Grown from plants

How green can one get. Forget those plastics filling up the landfills, destinied to last for thousands of years... Scientists are researching new Green Plastics, produced from plasts and grown from plasts. Great for the farmer, and they degrade over time when disposed.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

News On Colony Collapse Disorder

This article discusses colony collapse disorder and another book on this major problem. There is a new book on the subject 'A Fruitless Fall'. The title echos that excellent book, linked to our site, Michael Schacker's 'A Spring Without Bees'. I have not read this new book, but encourage all to read Mr. Schacker's. See Story

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

British Co-op Bans Neonicotinoids.

Neonicotinoids continue to be recognized as the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.

Article

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Solar Manufacturing Slumps

T'was to be the panacea for the economy, a place to spend, to creat jobs, to aid our nation while helping our nation for the future. However with the coming world wide depression, with the decline in oil prices, alternative energies are no longer such a bargain. From hybrid cars, to wind, to solar, to anything new and expensive... these new jobs are going to be a tough sell.

Unless the nation, subsidizes the new cars, the new wind plants, the new hybrid cars... this path to employment will not work... because no one will be buying.

Tough times for easy answers and the Republicans are out there lying in wait and stalking.

See article

Saturday, January 3, 2009

AOL Top Twenty Five Things Vanishing From America

Number four on AOL's New Years List of the top twenty-five things vanishing from America is the Honey Bee. A bit Amerio-centric since the honey bee, specifically the European Honeybee, the one which pollinates fruit and nuts and so many good things, is vanishing all over Europe too. The solution is to get after the Bayer drug company, stop pesticides, eliminate golf course fertilization, and generate a symbiosis between flowers and crops, bees and pollination. Remember to plant those wildflowers this spring. http://www.savethebeesshirts.com/ will be selling seeds. And Remember wear that Save the Bees Stuff or your blueberry pancakes will soon be vanishing as well, along with your Marzipan and all your berries.

"4. Honey Bees
Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee. 'Colony Collapse Disorder,' or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers -- and along with it, their livelihood."