"There is a smiling summer here
which causes the birds to sing
and
sets the bees in motion."
Emily Dickinson, 1858
The hummingbird - from the family,
Trochilidae...
With the exception of insects, hummingbirds, while in flight, have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings.
Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute. They consume more than their own weight in nectar each day and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily.
Hummingbirds are continuously hours away from starving to death, and are able to store just enough energy to survive overnight.
"A flash of harmless lightening
A mist of rainbow dyes
The burnished sunbeams brightening
from flower to flower
he flies."
John Banister Tabb
"By the way, did you fellows know
that a hummingbird weighs as much
as a quarter? Do you think a
hummingbird also weighs the same
as two dimes and a nickel?
But then she asked a question of
her own..
How do they weigh a hummingbird?"
Calvin Trillin, "Enough's Enough"
"Oh, the honey-bees are gumming
on their little wings
and humming
that the summer,which is coming,
will be fun."
A. A. Milne, "The House at Pooh Corner"
"The pedigree of Honey/
does not concern the bee?
A clover, anytime, to him/
is aristocracy."
Emily Dickinson
"How doth the little busy bee
improve each shining hour,
and gather honey all the day
from every opening flower?"
Isaac Watts
"Bees do have a smell,
you know,
and if they don't,
they should,
for their feet are dusted with
spices from a million flowers."
Ray Bradbury, "Dandelion Wine"
We are leaving Saturday for a trip to Arizona to spend time with family.
We'll bee be back in a couple of weeks.
Untill then...
...Judy...
Just wanted to take this time to thank Jody and Stan at Rooted in Thyme for including me in last week's Simple and Sweet Fridays features. Buzz on by their blog. You'll be sure to enjoy..
I'm sharing today with:
