The flow is on

Here at Thistle Hill in New Haven, Vermont, we spent the weekend watching the bees' incredible activity as they worked the beginning of the bloom of the last big nectar and pollen plant of the season -- goldenrod. Huge gobs of bright orange pollen in their baskets as they came in for landings.... We lay on the ground next to the hive entrance and smelled the heavy aroma of goldenrod honey that wafted on the airflow caused by many bees fanning their wings on the landing board.

They're still driving drones out of the hives. I sat out near the hives and was visited by many drones as they made their last explorations of this earth.

On an early evening walk I spotted them on the interesting plant boneset -- gathering a light tan pollen -- as they did their major work on the goldenrod. Interestingly, I saw no bees on the joe-pye weed, a beautiful dull magenta-colored plant that lives in wetter areas.