Bees – They Fly, They Sting, They Buzz, They Make Honey – Let’s Celebrate the Bees.
Autumn has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. The Harvest of summer fruits and vegetables is over. And all that delicious nutritious abundance was brought to us by Nature’s most necessary creation – the Bee.
Bees may have nasty stingers but why not. They need to protect themselves. They are tiny in size but awesome in design and function. They pollinate the flowers and plants, which in turn feed us and our livestock and all other Earthly creatures great and small.
Our existence depends on the bees pollinating the flowering plants. Take away the bees and the whole interconnected system of life will collapse. As Martin Short’s character Ed Grimley might say - without the bees we are as doomed as doomed can be.
So today let’s celebrate the bee. Let’s learn more about the bees and appreciate their significant contribution to our world.
NOTE: the study of honey bees is called apiology. Melittology is the study of all bees.
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Bee Cocktails
A classic but often overlooked cocktail:
Stinger
Served in a rocks glass w/ice
1 1/2 oz. brandy
1/2 oz. white creme de menthe
A real Prohibition cocktail:
Bee's Knees
1 oz. Gin
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
1 tsp. Honey
Shake with crushed ice and strain
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Bee Books
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
A wonderful book that describes the basics of beekeeping, harvesting honey, making goods like making candles, furniture polish and beauty products. I'm adding this to my own holiday wish list.
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies
A fascinating book co-authored by Dr. Marla Spivak, an expert on bees (see link below). Great book for gardeners and anyone interested in a healthy environment.
The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore (Dover Books on Anthropology and Folklore)
I love books like this. I think finding out the meaning behind symbols and the allegory hidden in folktales and fairytales is fascinating.
The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen (Mary Russell Novels)
A great piece of fiction and a wonderful extension of the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. I really enjoyed this one.
The Compleat Meadmaker : Home Production of Honey Wine From Your First Batch to Award-winning Fruit and Herb Variations
Because life is not complete if you don't have homemade mead!
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Bee Movies
Bee Movie (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
A very funny movie written by and starring Jerry Seinfeld.
The Secret Life of Bees [Blu-ray]
A wonderful movie starring the very talented Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Dakota Fanning. Special, nice.
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Bee Music
Flight of the Bumble Bee / Scheherazade
Yes, this was an obvious choice. But a great recording by Kurt Masur.
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Here’s a really interesting NPR/TED Radio Hour interview with “bee scientist” Dr. Marla Spivak. She talks about the importance of bees and the steady decline of bee populations in the United States since the end of World War II.
Read more about bees in this Smithsonian.org article “The Secret Life of Bees” by Carl Zimmer. Follow Carl Zimmer on Twitter at @CarlZimmer
This post was inspired by my fellow Twitterer @GarlanGlave who, for some reason, has a giant bee atop his head. Follow him on Twitter and be sure to visit his blog.
Special thanks to Dylan A. Kent for all her help with the cocktail recipes. Follow her on Twitter @DylanAKent
If you found these Library of Ghosts recommendations useful, please use the links above to purchase the items from Amazon. This helps support my blog. Thank You.
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Have a great day!
Keywords: book, movie, film, music, cocktail, cocktails, bee, bees, honey, Stinger, Bee's Knees, Dr. Marla Spivak, apiology, melittology, beekeeping, Laurie R. King, entomology
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