We’re giving the bees a rest for a while. By “rest” I really mean time to frantically replace the honey we stole. Still, it’s a rest from our interfering with them.
That means no business posts for the time being. This post is pure pleasure: a happy little jaunt through the garden.
I was down today putting my baby melons in slings. I’m growing a single Kazakh melon vine from the seed exchange and I’m so excited that I might actually see what it tastes like before the frost hits! I slung them in knee high pantyhose tied to some strong screws so they don’t get too heavy and fall off the vine. I have been tending this melon since February, and I won’t let gravity get in my way!
Anyway, as I sat hunkered down next to my trellis, I noticed the huge amount of activity around me. This one melon vine alone has dozens of flowers, and during the fifteen minutes I was there, I watched a constant procession of pollinators go by.
Here’s a bumblebee making a stop on melon blossom. I saw so many bees come through, and each one stopped on every flower. I may have a lot more melons before long.
A bee? It’s way too small to be one of ours. I think it’s a hoverfly, a friendly little pollinator.
The bumblebees were loving someone’s Thai basil. If you look closely, you can see the full pollen baskets on the back legs of this one. Look for the light yellow half moons on either side of its black body.
Either a wasp or a yellow jacket was drinking up the moisture on the woodchips around the hose spigot. It seemed to be the only one around, so hopefully this isn’t the sign of a nest!
This cicada almost clocked me in the head in its excitement to get to this pole. 
A bird was going to town on some poor soul’s sunflower. My picture taking scared him off, but I’m sure he’ll be back. Does anyone know their birds? I think he looks like a woodpecker, but I wouldn’t put any money on it. 
And that’s it! Thank you for joining me on this tour of the fauna of Rhode Island. Thankfully no woodchucks made any appearances! For one last hurrah, here’s a truly tiny baby melon.