And it looks like we weren’t the only ones with the election-y pumpkin idea. There is even a Sarah Palin version. Now that is spooky.

Incidentally, I’ve already voted, I’m working the polls, and, if you know me well enough, you know that I’m firmly planted on the side of glowing recommendation.

–S.

Well, election year or not, I hope you’ll turn down the talking heads for a minute, take your eyes off the road, and check out the watercolor illustration work of one Bonnie T. Gardner. Here is a taste.

Lovely, no?

–S.

It’s touted as an online physics puzzle game, and, really, it is for those more spatially gifted than I. My brainy Brother, in particular, would love it, but he is not one given to procrastination. (At least not yet…) It doesn’t cost anything, so you can give it a try yourself, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you!

–S.

 Anyway, one of my favorite people has had some extra things to worry about lately, so I made her the Worry Man above. To employ his services, you simply scrawl your worry du jour on a tiny scrap of paper, fold it up, and pop it into the Worry Man’s creepy, gaping maw. There is no way to retrieve your worries, by the way. They remain permanently in the Worry Man’s guts, and I made sure he has space enough for a few years’ worth of worries at least. Once they are in him, the burden of your worry has been transfered to him — leaving you free to come up with some new worries, I suppose.

–S.

Last year wasn’t a good berry year, but this year, well, I’ve never seen anything like this. The king and I have been picking black raspberries from the hedge I installed to keep trespassers away from the honey bees. We’ve been mashing them into jam and canning said jam. It would appear that we have enough to keep ourselves in jam for the next 10 years

By extension, everyone we know will be receiving jam, no matter the occasion. It’s your birthday? Jam. Your anniversary? Congratulations! Here is some delicious jam. New baby? Jam is the perfect gift for an infant boy or girl, no? . . .

Sure. As long as they aren’t too spooked by the labels we made for the jam jars, that is. What began as a play on words came to life as a disturbing nod to the bubonic plague. Good times!

So I have a new holiday to celebrate: June 13 marks the Coronation of the King of SusanLand. Here’s the best our imaginary wedding photographer could come up with. . .

–S.

But, before I get too far into that,  I wanted to let you know that I should be here a lot now, and I could use your help with something. Namely, I really miss having the old Lost Soul Companion forum, and I think it would be a shame not to reinstate it. So, weigh in, if you don’t mind, with a comment — or send me an email behind the scenes to let me know what you think. . .

So, back to bees. Besides my honey bees, I have become quite interested in all of the wild pollinators out there — feral bees of many stripes, bumble bees, solitary wasps, and so on. As such, I’ve joined the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and I grabbed a copy of Kenn Kaufman’s Field Guide to Insects of North America. I’ve been snapping some good photos around the place and trying to identify the beneficial bugs when I am able. Here is someone I caught in the act:

I initially thought she was some kind of tiny bee,  but Father Knows Best. This is more likely what’s known as a Toxomerus hover fly. Here is an especially lovely one.

–S.

I knitted him from a pattern in the (sadly) long out-of-print Unusual Toys for You to Knit and Enjoy by Jess Hutchison. He is such a friendly thing. I think he’ll do well for himself.

–S.