First frost bumble bee * Draft

Years and years ago. . . Far back enough I can’t Date it. I was renting my mother’s home and she came up for a late fall weekend.

I had found a bumble bee the morning before she arrived, still and lifeless on one of the deck railings.

First fall frost.

I thought it was dead, but felt compelled to take it’s perfect furry body into the house and put it in a glass cup on the hutch.

I think I was intent on preserving it like a dried flower.

Went about my morning, and a half an hour or so later I heard the bee buzzing in the glass.

It was still on its side and weak . . . but buzzing and trying to right itself.

I got a small tea plate and gently poured the bee out on to it and in another glass poured warm water and a bit of sugar in it and then put a few drops on the plate and nudged the bee towards the sugar water.

Slowly but surly the bee buzzed steady and dragged itself to the sugar water drops.

I could see it’s proboscis prodding into the water and was amazed at how quickly it absorbed the droplet.

To be continued . . .