it’s been a very dry spring and that has cut down on lot of our wildflower blooms, but it hasn’t bothered the purple thistles at all. Thistles are blossoming all along the roads, in pastures, and anywhere that gets good direct sunlight. One of my favorite aspects of thistle flowers is that they attract loads of insects, especially bees. Bees are fascinating to me, and eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) are particularly interesting. They are like the giant teddy bears of the bee world, so whenever I see them I have to get some photos. This one had been collecting pollen and nectar from the thistles and I caught her just as she launched from one to another. The mid morning sun really highlighted her fuzzy rump and back and almost made her glow. What a day to be a bee.