The bees are happy. The amount of late summer blooms from which they can harvest nectar and pollen surpasses anything I have seen before. I don’t know if it is because of the weather, or because Hurricane Helene tore up so much of the mature landscape that we now have more weeds than ever before. Many plants that homeowners consider weeds are, in fact, buffets for honeybees and other pollinators.

The jewelweed is still blooming; we have it in yellow and orange. The wingstem—which is a very gangly plant with multiple yellow blossoms—is dying down while the goldenrod continues to color the hillsides yellow. Wingstem provides the bees with nectar while the goldenrod provides pollen, although at times you can get some goldenrod honey. (Goldenrod honey is not very tasty.) Between the two, I have not yet needed to feed the bees.

When I checked my hives over Labor Day, they looked strong and they were still raising drone brood; unusual for late in the season. They were so strong I am worried that they will have too many bees going into winter. While it may sound counterintuitive that having too many bees is a bad thing, it can be a problem because a large population might eat the hive’s honey reserves, leaving the colony in dire straits in midwinter when it is too cold to forage. This means it will be important to feed the bees when the natural food sources finally diminish. I may also move the top boxes down to give them room above to store honey.

Unusually Warm Weather

I think one reason the bees are doing well is that the weather remains warm. The temperatures are above normal, and there are more days a week where we use our air conditioner than days we do not. The warm weather is playing havoc with my electric bill, as September is usually a month where our solar power system produces more electricity than we use. That hasn’t been the case through the first half of the month. I ended up paying almost $100 for my August electric bill, and I expect I’ll be paying at least half that in September. A marked contrast to last year.

I guess the tradeoff of using extra air conditioning is that we are not using firewood, which saves us money and effort. Not only has there been no need for a fire at night, but I haven’t even needed to wear a jacket on midnight dog walks. Perhaps it is the result of the Super El Niño. Or perhaps is it the much-ballyhooed “global warming” hitting home. It will be interesting to see if El Niño brings us the colder, wetter winter many are predicting.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up; it seems like the war in Ukraine may be expanding into other parts of Europe.

War Warnings and Putin Provocations

Putin appears to be testing the NATO alliance, and you can tell that countries like Poland are getting tired of the repeated “accidental” drone flights that cross into NATO airspace. Germany also seems to be champing at the bit, but they have the entirety of Ukraine and Poland between them and the front line. The question is, will they respond militarily, and will Putin then unleash ballistic missiles on Europe? Another war in Europe would drag the U.S. into it, and we already have troops on the ground who could be in danger.

Two weeks ago, I wrote with a bit of sarcasm about sensing “a disturbance in the Force.” I believe the disturbance may be growing. Things seem unsettled, the world less peaceful, and at home the crazy midterms are making things feel even more uncomfortable. Our society seems to be threatened by communists and socialists who want to increase the Supreme Court to 13 justices, get rid of the Senate, or tear up the Constitution so they can “seize the means of production” and raise taxes on anyone with an income that strikes them as unfair.

As crazy as that may seem, what is even crazier is that these candidates could gain seats in Congress, in part because so many youngsters who are upset they have to work for a living are willing to vote for ideas that have never worked and often end up with an economic or societal collapse accompanied by millions of deaths, largely driven by famine.

Yet another reason to have a full freezer, a well-stocked prepper pantry, and a way to produce your own food.

Leave the Blue Cities

I am going to a liberal city every weekday while I am on this special assignment, and it is a constant reminder of why I left.

If you live in a “blue” city, especially one in a blue state, you may be running out of time to get out. Look at the writing on the wall and leave before the crime gets worse while the police response times grow and conviction rates drop, homelessness surges because of a recession, and shooting a home invader with a lengthy rap sheet will send you to jail. Look around; watch the local news; read the crime report in your local paper on a Monday and then ask yourself: Am I safe here? Is this the environment where I want to raise my family?

You can leave now and potentially get a decent price for your home, or you can become a refugee in a couple years, driven out by a socialist city council that passes a no bail law, refuses to lock up murderers, and tolerates retail crimes that drive the stores out of the city. As utilities fail, trash piles up, homeless camp on your street, and no one in city hall gives a damn, you‘ll wish you had heeded my warning.

And don’t expect the suburbs to be much safer; the criminals have cars, or they can steal one. They know where the money is. Your walls and alarms will only keep you safe for so long.

If you are a conservative in a liberal city, move to a conservative town in a conservative state with low taxes, aggressive policing, and tough prosecutors. They may not have the ballet, the theater, or the fancy restaurants, but they will be safer, and you will find you have a better quality of life.