Stormy weather here = BEE ELIMINATION DEFENSE

Well, the bees are gone. In fact, they may not have been bees at all. A little research has indicated that they may have been yellow jackets. These were pretty large, much larger than the little bees I see in the summertime. I Googled "carpenter bee" since these guys were near a wood fence, wondering if they could be the culprit. Wikipedia tells me:

"In several species, the females live alongside their own daughters or sisters, creating a sort of social group."

Now I'm feeling bad. Well, not THAT bad. Plus, in looking at the pictures (really gross, ugh), I don't think these were carpenter bees. I'm sticking with my yellow jacket theory.

It's gotten quite chilly here, and although we're inland, we are one of the areas that will be impacted by Hurricane Sandy. It's been raining for days, and that is certainly not going to change. We're expecting to get a lot of wind and rain here starting later this evening. I'm hoping that we don't lose power, but there are no guarantees. My sister lives in northern New Jersey, and that area is right in the line of fire. Halloween may be a wash out this year, we'll have to see. I'm thinking that if this fall is any indication, our winter may not be nearly so mild as it was last year. Which is fine with me. :)

I'm looking forward to the feast of All Saints and All Souls this week, and am planning to take Anne to Mass with me on Wednesday for the vigil (weather permitting). Henry will be attending Mass at school ("Mmmmmoommmyy, we have to go to church AGAIN!"). Anne attended Mass with us this Sunday as well, and her favorite parts appear to be:

(1) the light fixtures,

(2) the overhead fans,

(3) the contemporary ensemble at the 10 am family Mass, and

(4) the bells at the consecration.

I can live with that.

Prayers for everybody on the east coast right now!