Happy Anniversary! With Pies, Cakes, Cats, and Inebriated Bumblebees.

So Happy Anniversary...  To us!   That is correct!  This last week marks the official 20th anniversary of Cheryl and Myself getting hitched.   It does not seem like it has been that long.   Had I stayed in the Government Agency that I had pledge 3 years allegiance to. (um,  think: ARMY)  I could have retired and be receiving half pay with benefits!   ( Yeah right!  I would probably be somewhere in a dessert fighting Taliban or ISIS.)  I'll stick with 20 years of Marriage to Cheryl instead.

So how do we celebrate such a momentous day?   Short answer:  Work .  Long, boring, thankless work.   I managed to qualify for the Tennessee project and worked both that project  and college board on our anniversary day.   We were basically too tired to do much else anyway.  The plan was to have a small treat exchange at the scoring center and then celebrate on the weekend.

Let's visit the Amish!

Amish people shop here...and SAVE!

It's the weekend!   Now what?   Given the tremendous heat level, with a side of unbearable humidity, we have decided to try to keep things cool and simple. Just the two of us...plus a cat.   With cake, and some pie we purchased at Springtown.   Small side note:  the Amish here in Iowa are much better at baking pies than in Michigan. Thanks for adding some sugar to your pies Iowa Amish people!
 The heat made it a challenge to get them home without melting; however,  Cheryl had a plan to put them in an insulated bag.   Good thinking Honey!

Pies in the cooler

Small Anniversary cake..pretty!

We also got a small cake,  which the cat was more than happy to sample for us.   Cheryl ate most of it and ended up tossing the rest since it was overly sweet and kind of old. ( note: It was from Hyvee,  Not the Amish) But it sure looked pretty!    And the cat seemed to enjoy some of the frosting, at least.

Back for seconds

Hiro Likes it!

After running ( and biking) 10 miles in this sauna,  we felt we earned the usual ice cream and fish diner we usually have on Saturdays.  Culver's may not be very healthy, but does make a pretty good cod dinner.   We end up sharing it and still waddle away stuffed.  Time to relax in the cool of the air conditioning and watch the birds from our front window.   The part without condensation on it, that is.

So humid, it rains on the windows!

Bulk seed at Springtown

I also bought some birdseed at Springtown.   They have huge bulk seed selections, so it seemed natural.   A couple of things I noted after filling the feeders; the humming bird feeder has been surprisingly quite lately.   The hummers seem to love this hot weather more than most other birds,  and the feeder was still almost half full.   My thoughts were that the sugar water in the feeder had "turned" and was not to the usual taste.    Sometimes it gets this fungus in it that makes it taste fruity and "off".   I tasted it and it  still tasted sweet, but I figured I would refresh and exchange it anyway.   However, before emptying it out and wasting the remaining sugar water,  I decided to pour it on the flowers in the front yard.  The bees would at least enjoy a little of the "good stuff" rather than the ants.   I meticulously poured several drops on each flower ( there are LOTS of cone flowers and daisies.)  I ran inside, cleaned out the feeder and filled it back up with new sugar water.

Slurred speech...Better not drive!

Can't fly or walk

While watching it for signs of bird activity, I noticed a couple of the bumble bees acting "strange"  it was almost as if they were having a difficult time trying to fly and walk.   Now I know bumble bees are not the swiftest nor the most graceful flyers in the insect kingdom;   but this sight still struck me as odd.  Then I wondered if it was possible that the nectar I had "Sweetened the flowers with" had become fermented somehow.

I guess it IS possible.   Fruit flies eat fermented fruit all the time and become too drunk to fly.  I'm not sure if that is the cause,   or the high levels of heat and humidity.   But for entertainment value, I thought it would be funny to mention how I celebrated my anniversary by getting the "local honey producers" intoxicated!   
If the bees were affected this way, no wonder the hummingbirds stopped coming to the feeder.   Good thing I replace the brew with new stuff.  Hopefully this will last a bit longer and not become tainted as the last batch.
And lastly,   a song I have had in my head for a couple of days now.  Not sure why but I think they often play this song at Cheryls races.  I guess there is a line in there about running.   Anyway.  Enjoy the song by the New Radicals.  Have a good one!