I'll Bee There

I've been stung by a bee twice in my life. The first, a neck sting, happened in first grade, just as I was boarding the yellow submarine at the end of the school day. One more step and I would've been in the clear. A few years later I was hanging by my hands from a wood trellis beam in my backyard (just accept it for what it is...I was a strange kid), and a bee took umbrage and took me out. I fell, I hurt. Today I take solace that at least I didn't suffer the fate of my classmate Danny, who was actually stung by a dead bee just lying in a grassy field.

Ever wonder why you don't hear too many bee sting stories anymore? Simple answer...there aren't as many bees. Most likely because of pesticides screwing up nature's delicate balance, bee populations all over the United States and other parts of the world are collapsing. No bees = reduced crop pollination = farewell to some types of fruits and vegetables.

I just read about an awesome group in Orange County called the Backyard Beekeepers. The members are doing a kick-ass job saving honeybee colonies from extermination, and they're quick to diffuse the myth of Africanized bees taking over.

And speaking of bees, Thursday night's The Bird and the Bee show at the historic Yost Theatre marked the return of Koo's programming to downtown Santa Ana. I enjoyed the show...nice music, good acoustics, not-too-deafening sound. Yes, I suppose I'm getting old.