A Treasured Quilt
I am reaching out to you on behalf of my late grandfather Robert Frey [who passed away October 1 at age 91].
We have a handmade quilt that was made for his 85th birthday by his daughter Karen. My grandmother Elene Frey requested that I email this to you, and would like to have it featured in your magazine.
Thank you for your time,
Bryan Munson
The Editor responds:
Thanks for sharing, Bryan! That quilt is truly a work of art, and we are happy to share it with our readers. Bob was a longtime reader and Dadant customer, and will be missed.
Eugene
Bumble Bee robber fly
I wanted to write to you and share some pictures that I took last summer. While cutting the lawn I noticed something odd flying near me. I was able to run to my shed to grab my phone and sprint back in time to get pictures of it still in the air. It reminded me of the Quidditch Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. Then it landed on my fence and let me take pictures. Eventually an ant came up and tried taking the wasp from him. I do have more pictures that show some of that interaction. First he kind of punched at the ant, then the ant overpowered and shifted him to the side of the fence. I posted a picture on a bug identification Facebook page and found out that it was a Bumble Bee Robber Fly.
I’d love to share the photos with The American Bee Journal if you’re interested in using them.
Jeff Doebert
West Bend, Wisconsin
The Editor responds:
Thanks, Jeff. Wow, that thing looks humongous! And a little scary …
This fascinating interaction pulled your attention from what you were doing, but it’s amazing what we can find in our own yards if we just slow down to look.
Eugene
Is there a grant for that?
Mr. Makovec,
Thank you so much for your heartfelt “Is there a grant for that?”
I feel less lonely all the sudden. It’s nice to hear somebody discussing the concept of turning down “free” money. “Free money,” it just doesn’t exist. At some point, we, our children or grandchildren will have to pay the Piper. I applaud how well you articulated this concept in regards to our beloved bees and beekeeping.
This is a beautiful hobby, business (?), journey, and best I can tell the bees seem to do a lot of the work. We enjoy many downstream gifts from our bees. Surely we as individuals can be responsible enough with our endeavors to pick up the tab?
Thank you again for your well thought out and excellent commentary.
Scott Bryk
Spokane, Washington
