Honeybees

There are several large sunflowers in the yard.  Honeybees have been recorded collecting the nectar starting from the center of the flower and going around in a circle.  I was wondering why the center had these perfect circles in them.  I think these three are the same flower a day or two apart.  The bee's legs are full of the yellow stuff.  They got a little miffed when I zoomed in the lens and got close enough to disturb them.  After eating the nectar, the seeds are exposed.  When the seeds get harvested and dried, the birds will be happy come winter. Another wonder of God's creation.

Thunderstorm!

It rarely thunders here in Kita Kobe.  However, today  (8/16/14) it is pouring down rain and the thunder is right overhead (at about 10:45 a.m.).  During this month of August we have had the oddest weather in our 23+ years here.  While it is usually hot and muggy in August through early September, so far it has rained, sometimes heavily, for 12 out of 16 days.  Something is going on.  Perhaps it is all that "global warming" or "climate change" that's making the weather do odd things. Or not.  :-)  Perhaps it is called "weather."

Have a grand day!

Tyhoon #11

While we get the rain from a typhoon out at sea, it is rare that we get a typhoon passing over us.  The last one was 10 years ago or so.  Today  is Sunday, and we held church as usual.  There we just seven of us, Henry being the only male; Sara was the only child.  The rest were older women.   We decided to hold an early afternoon service and we were finished by 1:45.  Then everyone went home, except us, since we were already here  ;-)

It rained heavily throughout the morning and then the wind started blowing hard, driving the rain sometimes horizontal.  There was not as much damage as could have been.  However, there was lots of water and the yard flooded by the blackberry bush, as well as standing water in the parking lot. That is not unusual in heavy rain.  It means there's also water under the building.  :-(

The parking lot

Water running down from neighbor's upper field

Blackberry bush area

A new creek formed down a hill out back

The flooded creek which normally is just a trickle

An embankment slid into the open ditch below a nearby rice field, causing the water to run over the road.

After the storm passed about 2:30 pm, I went out to check the garden.  This recently-tilled ground was so soft, my boots sunk and I stepped out of one.  Ach! Fortunately the ground where the plants are growing was firm enough to stand on.  The foot prints are still there, though.