Sage Blossoms, Bees and Belldandy

Back when my Husband and I were active in the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (approx. 15 years ago) I planted an herb garden. Today the sole remnant of my interest in herbology (other than my continued preference for using herbs & spices instead of salt as seasoning when cooking) is a rather magnificent sage plant, which every summer from mid May til early June erupts into a mass of silvery-white blossoms. Needless to say, the local bees LOVE our yard -- somewhere in the neighborhood, I think there must be a hive loaded with sage-flavored honeycomb, yum!

Saturday afternoon after a stressful morning of dealing with funeral directors, well-meaning parishioners, and my shell-shocked father-in-law (yes, Husband's mother passed away very early Saturday am), Husband and I took a breather and settled down in our patio swing, with Belldandy on her leash looped around a support and some bottled water, and vegetated. After a while, we noticed that Bel was gazing very intently at the sage bush... she made a little jump back, then lunged forward and bit at the sage blossom nearest. She did this several times, and we realized that she was chasing the big yellow and black bumblebees that were busily harvesting sage pollen.

We had to laugh; it was very funny (yah, we're easily amused!)to watch Bel snap at the bees, even though it wouldn't have been so funny if she'd caught one (ouch! sting-ees!). I think it was the intensity of her expression (yes, Chow faces have expression--you just have to be able to read them, and we have almost 20 years of practice); she was just bound and determined to catch those flying whatsits!

Silly Belldandy!

(PS. Daughter insists on calling her 'Yufie-Bell' -- we can live with that!)

Sage Blossoms, Bees and Belldandy

Back when my Husband and I were active in the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism (approx. 15 years ago) I planted an herb garden. Today the sole remnant of my interest in herbology (other than my continued preference for using herbs & spices instead of salt as seasoning when cooking) is a rather magnificent sage plant, which every summer from mid May til early June erupts into a mass of silvery-white blossoms. Needless to say, the local bees LOVE our yard -- somewhere in the neighborhood, I think there must be a hive loaded with sage-flavored honeycomb, yum!

Saturday afternoon after a stressful morning of dealing with funeral directors, well-meaning parishioners, and my shell-shocked father-in-law (yes, Husband's mother passed away very early Saturday am), Husband and I took a breather and settled down in our patio swing, with Belldandy on her leash looped around a support and some bottled water, and vegetated. After a while, we noticed that Bel was gazing very intently at the sage bush... she made a little jump back, then lunged forward and bit at the sage blossom nearest. She did this several times, and we realized that she was chasing the big yellow and black bumblebees that were busily harvesting sage pollen.

We had to laugh; it was very funny (yah, we're easily amused!)to watch Bel snap at the bees, even though it wouldn't have been so funny if she'd caught one (ouch! sting-ees!). I think it was the intensity of her expression (yes, Chow faces have expression--you just have to be able to read them, and we have almost 20 years of practice); she was just bound and determined to catch those flying whatsits!

Silly Belldandy!

(PS. Daughter insists on calling her 'Yufie-Bell' -- we can live with that!)