Late summer

We are approaching the end of summer. The sun doesn’t rise until well after six in the morning, the lows are in the 50s, purple aster and chamisa are blooming, next week my favorite farm stand is closing until spring, and the humming birds won’t be around much longer either. The long, hot Texas summers of my past have conditioned me to long for this season. A month from now I might miss sleeping with the windows open, but I still say “bring on fall.”

Last week the landscapers buried the cisterns creating a wide flat spot in the yard that didn’t previously exist. As is nearly always true with these sorts of things, less was accomplished than we were told to expect. By the end of next week we hope to be capturing whatever rain falls, even if that might be optimistic on two fronts. Forecast chances of rain often evaporate as the day approaches, like a mirage.

We just completed our last class of the first year of the New Mexico Beekeepers certification program. I’m also pleased to report that my bees appear to be recovering from the bear attack. They have gained weight every day this week, after I put a new medium box of frames on the hive last Sunday. Beekeeping in the high desert has many challenges, but we are lucky to have a robust late blooming season and plenty of pollen. Speaking of bees, if you haven’t already, you might check out “The Rivals of Amziah King.” In addition to car chases, thievery, revenge, and gratuitous violence, it has bees as a prominent plot element.

Thanks for reading.