Summer was late showing up here in the Northwest and now that it is here, it is flying by! This particular summer is a little busier than most because we are hosting the Annual General Meeting for the Jacob Sheep Breeder’s Association at the end of August. I am trying to balance summer fun with planning the event. We spent the last two days at the Benton County Fair with our sheep and definitely had some summer fun. I woke up this morning to a cloudy sky and beautiful lighting, so I grabbed my camera and headed out to do chores. I was hoping to find some get up and go. There was a lot of activity to take pictures of, but the bees really called to me. They were busily flying from flower to flower and filling up their legs with all the pollen they could hold.
I may not be a fan of the thistles, but this big bumblebee is.
This patch of flowers was alive with activity!
I would love to know what they are….anybody know? They have an exotic look to them and I love their colors.
There were bees everywhere!
Even though their legs looked full, they would continue flying from flower to flower adding more.
Focused and undeterred!
I am hoping to have some of that focus rub off on me!
Stories from the Farm 
Those big long guys look like the bot flies we have here. If so, they are bad news…so, beware. Don’t know what the flowers are, but very pretty.
Thanks Shari. We have bot flies, but they are solid yellow – no stripes. The long guys are good ol’ honey bees.
The flowers are Verbascum Mullien the wild variety. The domesticated ones come in white, pink, magenta, salmon and yellow. and they are perrenial.
Thank you Penny!
Lovely post, Shannon!
Thanks!
Here’s to a wonderful AGM!!
Amazing shots. Bees are so captivating.
Looks like a four o’clock..very pretty:)