The calm after the storm and the catalpa's gifts

Last night we had a terrible storm that snapped one of the tall pine trees in our backyard in half.  There was hail,  torrential rain, thunder, lightning and crazy wind. 

This is what I found today...

 coral bells

perfect yellow roses

                                                                               one 4-leaf clover

 wallflowers

 Dilemma: do two 4-leaf clovers cancel each other out or is it extra good luck?  

 catalpa in bloom

 these orchid like catalpa flowers showered down with the storm 

flower press (gift from a friend) for pressing my luck (clovers) :)

Blueness

train wreck

still smilin'

Almost ready to swarm

last bar of the newest comb

a few of the several virgin queen cells

close up of queen cell

I haven't seen any foragers coming in with pollen for a few days, there's lots of drone, several queen cells and a whole mess of bees hanging out on the outside of the hive.

The queen cells haven't been capped yet but I think it's almost time...

The newest conundrum: A pair of little wrens decided to move in to one of the two empty baited hives.

Not the tenants I was hoping for but pretty special nonetheless.   I removed the twigs once already before  this egg showed up.  They wouldn't take no for an answer.

Bee Chain teamwork

Vanderbilt Mansion- Hyde Park, NY

Mushrooms!

I found these!  I have become a mushroom hunter overnight!  I love this!  They are edible wild Morel Mushrooms .... gourmet mushrooms!  I have never tasted them but I hear they are amazingly good.  I plan to dry them and find some interesting recipes....