Summary

Barb Dalton's essay "Bees, Beetles, Bugs and Blooms" recounts her rejuvenating walk in a local park, capturing the beauty of nature through her photography and interactions with local wildlife.

Abstract

In "Bees, Beetles, Bugs and Blooms," Barb Dalton shares her experience of overcoming a period of exhaustion and stress by reconnecting with nature during a vacation. She visits her local park after a long absence and is captivated by the vibrant flora and fauna, including bees, Japanese beetles, and a variety of blooming plants. Through her lens, she captures the intricate details of nature, such as the pollination process of bees and the transformation of buds into flowers. Despite the presence of pests like Japanese beetles and stink bugs, she appreciates the beauty and complexity of the ecosystem. The essay concludes with Dalton expressing gratitude for the therapeutic effects of her walk and the joy of sharing her discoveries through her photographs.

Opinions

Dalton acknowledges the restorative power of nature, emphasizing how her vacation and time spent in the park helped reset her weary body and mind.
She expresses delight in observing the natural world, particularly the behavior of bees and the life cycle of plants.
Dalton has a keen eye for photography, capturing the beauty of nature in a way that makes the subjects of her photos appear animated and intentional.
She finds humor and fascination in the actions of insects, such as the potential mating behavior of Japanese beetles.
The author appreciates the quietness of the park during the construction holiday, allowing for a more intimate experience with nature.
Dalton is thankful for the technology and tools, like the Seek app, that aid in identifying the species she encounters.
She values the process of reviewing and selecting the best photos from her collection to share with others, highlighting the joy of photography as both an immediate experience and a reflective activity.
The essay conveys a sense of wonder and appreciation for the surprises that nature offers, reinforcing the idea that time spent in natural settings is beneficial for mental and emotional well-being.

Bees, Beetles, Bugs and Blooms

Taking a walk can beat the blues

I’ve been such a slug lately. Work was overwhelming the last few weeks, and I was either too exhausted to take a walk, or it was suffocatingly hot to contemplate one. It became a vicious circle that quickly led to a downward spiral.

I’m now on two weeks’ vacation, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I desperately needed to reset my weary body and frustrated mind. After just three days of totally blobbing, the bounce is already back in my step.

I hadn’t been to my local park in ages, so I made a bee-line for it. Despite not seeing my favourite heron, I was treated to some beautiful sights.

Trumpetweed or Hollow Joe-Pye weed — Euttrochium fistulosum — was in abundance. I watched the bee in my lead photo flitting from one bud to another, providing proof of the saying’ busy as a bee.’

I love this one of him mid-flight; he looks so intent on his target, his mouth hanging open and eyes buggly with glee!

There were copious buds and blooms. If I’m not mistaken, the cluster of green in the left picture turns into this colourful golden image in the right shot.

**Bunches and blooms;** © Barb Dalton 2022/08/02

I marvelled at the intricacy of these buds that will turn into Queen Anne’s Lace — or Daucus Carota. You can see some flowering in the background.

I spied these Japanese Beetles munching on a leaf. There were three of them — I suspect there was some hanky panky going on with the two on the right! They’re considered a pest, but despite decimating the leaf, their destruction was quite impressive, close-up.

**Beetlejuice;** © Barb Dalton 2022/08/02

Everyone must have left the city for the annual construction holiday; I swear I only saw a handful of people wandering through the park. Even the ducks were happy to be able to grab some shade under a usually-occupied lounger.

They were unperturbed by my camera, too. I thought those front two dude looks would take a nibble out of me.

En route home, I took all the alleyways that run behind houses to feed off-street parking spaces or garages. It’s a change of scenery from the usual pavement pounding and was well worth the detour.

Not sure how this Stink bug — Hayomorpha halys — caught my eye, but I clearly have a beady one. A yellowjacket wasp was dining on these beautiful budding blossoms. I was thankful he didn’t pay any attention to me.

**Stinkers and Stingers;** © Barb Dalton 2022/08/02

The flowers were so pretty! A dollop of blue sky always helps photographs pop. Here is the blossom up close and the rose bush entwined within it. The yellow ones were practically jumping out before me to say ‘hi.’

Simply gorgeous!

Ah! That walk was just the tonic I needed.

I was thrilled to capture so many fab photos in the hour I was out. I took over 100 shots, but part of the fun is coming back home and sorting through them — and then sharing them.

Thank you, Mother Nature. You always surprise me — and never fail me!

All photos were taken with my iPhone 11 on August 2, 2022. I used an online App called Seek to identify the bugs and blooms — I’m not that clever. 🙄😬