We can confidently say that none of our insect friends are flying on this chilly 35ºF morning. The past few days have been very cold with some of our night time temps reaching below freezing. We hope that the chilly weather doesn't detrimentally impact pollination of the lovely spring blooming trees and other flowering plants that have survived recent frost(s).The community garden has been battling the cold weather with frost cloth. Although the greens are tolerant of cooler weather, they need a blanket to protect their delicate leaves from freezing. Water freezing within plants or plant cells can cause irreversible harm to the plants. Furthermore, after a frost or freeze, thawing that occurs too quickly can also be injurious.
Although there isn't much insect activity outside, our hive (a balmy 63ºF...) is buzzing away. We started the morning off right with some delicious banana walnut buckwheat pancakes hot off the griddle and a cup of joe - black. Next on our list: sowing peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and flowers, then a little studying for my microbial ecology exam, shopping for a last minute birthday gift for my wonderful mother, and preparing for the monthly visit (& sushi dinner) with my folks.Tonight we are attending a party at a neighbors house. Lately, we've spent a majority of our weekends either out of town or in the hive. Spreading our wings and being social butterflies for an evening will be refreshing. I anticipate the party will be much like Dr. Brossard's description of the changing behaviors and life style of caterpillars as they morph into rock star butterflies (Insectia, Episode 6: Wicked Butterflies, ref 14:00). Enjoy!
