TODAY I GOT MY BEE WET!

Humble Bumblebee on a Good Day

Today I got my bee wet.  He/she is one of the bumblebees that like the nectar from my Calibrachoa plant, which I always think of as my Chupacabra plant, because I can never remember Calibrachoa. 

Double Petal Calibrachoa Flowers

I believe that this is the same bumblebee that is out there every day when I go out to water.  Maybe we are on the same gardening schedule.  This bee is not as big as the other bumble's, and has a dot on the back of his black fuzzy vest.  He/she is so cute, never threatening, and I had always been careful not to hose him down as he goes about his work. Did you know in the 1800's bumblebees were called humblebees?   

Today, I didn't see him as I watered, and he crawled out from under one of the flower clusters soaking wet.   He flitted his wings and nothing happened.  No lift off.  Then he climbed to a blossom at the highest part of the plant and turned his body so the sun would shine on his back and wings and sat very still. He tilted his head downward, like he was praying. I felt so bad for getting him wet. I think of him as a gardening friend.  He was helpless as he sat there in the sun until his wings and fuzzy little black and yellow vest dried. 

I sat down on the porch step nearby and watched over him until he dried and finally buzzed off.  I get rather attached to my garden buddies.