Got rained out

I guess Rainbow Dash and her crew decided I was working too hard, or needed to take a day to identify the specimens I already had, or something, and pushed a bunch of clouds into the area. I got out to the first site and got the traps deployed, but on the way to the second site, it started raining. And kept raining. So I came back here - I will pick up the first set of traps around noon if it's not thundering and lightning, but if it is, they can sit overnight and I'll get them tomorrow.

A couple other observations: The only honeybees I've seen have been at my colleague's property. It's possible someone near there has a hive (I will have to ask him when he gets back into town) but there are also still a few wild colonies around here. (No idea if they are Africanized or not. The bees I observed I was able to get pretty close to and they ignored me, but it's my understanding that the so-called "Africanized" honeybees really only swarm and get aggressive in defense of the nest).

I only saw wasps and what were probably leafcutter bees at the second site. I have a few preserved bee samples but they are all native bees that I'll have to try to identify.

I'm beginning to think that a fall sampling will be a lot more profitable; that's when I remember really seeing crazy big amounts of bees. (Of course, I saw a lot visiting my holly when it was in flower - I guess hollies make lots of nectar and the bees like it, there were honeybees and a few bumblebees and some halictids and what were probably leafcutters). I'm hoping that once the privet next to my house is full-blown that it will attract lots (and that the storms today won't damage the flowers before they fully open). I could just take a chair out there and watch and maybe bone up on my identification of there are lots of things that visit it. (I know last year there were).

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I finished the "sourball" socks last night. These MIGHT go in a "donate to charity at some point" box; the colors are close to other sock colors I already have.

I also worked more on the Rib Fantastic socks; I finished the heel flap on the second sock.

And I realize I need to start thinking hard about projects-for-over-break - I leave on Monday for about a week's break. I keep not thinking about it because the fieldwork eats all my attention these days. I might take the CPH along and try to finish it - I have about a half of the first sleeve done, so I'd have the second sleeve, the assembly, and the bands and hood. The other nice thing about taking it along would be that I'd be able to go to the dressmaker shop for buttons, and take a bit of the yarn with me to look for a good match or good contrast.

I think I'll also take (and start) Hitchhiker. I keep looking at it and thinking I want to start it, but after I finish some other things....