All kinds of action in the garden today. A trio of young chipmunks
scrimmage over fallen bird seed below the feeder, chasing away the towhees
and Juncos. The youngsters are like a hyperactive three stooges, bouncing
around, bonking into each other, chasing, stopping, chasing.

Meanwhile on the other side of the garden there is a big drama, a rather
smallish Cross spider has snared a bumblebee in her web. Usually something
this dangerous is cut out of the web, but this little gal has some gumption
and she valiantly tries to wrap up the giant bee. The bee knows whats up
and she contorts and wriggles and flashes her stinger tipped abdomen.
Finally the spider is able to move in and give the bee a dose of venom. The
bee starts to slow down, then out of nowhere, up zooms a Rufus hummingbird,
who stops on a dime and deftly snatches the spider right out of the web!

A few minutes later the hummingbird returns and hovers to examine the bee,
apparently confident it's sedated, the tiny jewel bird delicately works the
bee free from the web and flies off.

In the childrens' book I am constantly writing in my head, the hummingbird
gently takes its friend and co-nectar drinker to a safe mossy place and
works her free from her bondage. The bee wakes up and the two friends share
a bit of foxglove cordial, ala Redwall.

But in reality the bee is lunch.

Rob Sandelin
In the gardens of Sharingwood
Snohomish County
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