the finished project

still looking for a couple 2"x 2" finials for the end posts....

Today in Powell River

Well it's not warm but a few odd bursts of sunshine inspire us to get outside.

The flowers are struggling to appear-the daffodils by the garage are just about open
Suddenly we have houses across the street and feel the need of privacy-so a couple of pieces of lattice around the patio should help.
This is my prize rose-"Westerland"-and it's growing like a weed. I hope it will reach to the top to the deck this year so I can train it along below the eaves.

Even the deck boxes seem to be late-usually the hummingbirds are back by now, but I think water in the feeder would freeze.

Notice the clouds over the water-not too encouraging a sign.

Today in Powell River

A sunny day without wind was a good day to putter with the motor, fix the dock floats, etc. We weren't alone-lots of activity in the harbour.

This is Ken bringing it back in after turning around.

Wind and rain tomorrow-so the bow goes into the wind.

She looks pretty good for a boat over 30 years old....

A lesson in Pollinator Bees

Today we put up our bee house.

Polinator (Mason, or Blue) Bees are very important in this fruit-growing province because honey bees are in serious trouble with a mite infestation, and pollination is vital.

These guys look like a big black house fly, rarely sting, and their only job is to pollinate and collect pollen for their eggs.

At this time of year the males wake up, come out, dry their wings, find a female to fertilize and die.

The females get fertilized, then spend the summer looking for narrow tubes in which to lay about 35 eggs, on a nest of pollen. She puts mud between the eggs, she dies about Sept, and there the eggs sit ,eventually turning into cocoons and then hatch in the spring.

Neat.

She is so smart that she lays about 1/3 of the front of the tube with males so they will be ready to fertilize when the females come out!

The box on top is filled with cocoons and when they hatch in the next couple weeks they will know where to lay their eggs.

Lots of information at this website:

http://www.beediverse.com/