"It's life Jim - but not as we know it."
...or, in an older translation: ""מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה', כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ" "How manifold are your works, O Lord, all of which you have done wisely."
"It's life Jim - but not as we know it." (Dr. Leonard McCoy - "Bones" - to Cap't Kirk on Star Trek, on discovering alien life) - or, in an older translation: ""מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה', כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ" "How manifold are your works, O Lord, all of which you have done wisely."
Beekeeper Dave took a peek into one of our #beehives and was entranced by the colony-building activity on the feeder board and had to grab some shots as they built out their burr comb (self-created honeycomb usually found on the outside edges of the rectangular frames within the beehive).
Normally, you'd clean this off before the structure gets this complex and let the bees scavenge the wax, propolis, and other nutrients from it elsewhere, usually, set outside the hive - or, in this case - on the feeder tray.
But it's so mysteriously beautiful and their ability to collaborate and build such perfect "alien" - looking structures is entrancing - even for experienced #beeks, and - for me, at least - attests to higher meaning, and innate wisdom in and above the world, and strengthens my own spirituality, and observance - in the literal and religious sense of the word.
In the words of American anthropologist and philosopher, Loren Eisley (who - FWIW - was a big influence on my inner world in high school), "The truth is, however, that there is nothing very 'normal' about nature. Once upon a time, there were no flowers at all." - The Immense Journey (1907-1977).
Which, as pollinators extraordinaire, is as well know, where the honey and wild bees come in.
I mean, don't take this sight for granted; imagine we're seeing this directed eusocial (Google it) colony activity through the James Webb telescope on a planet hundreds of light years away. Would we understand what we're seeing? Would we marvel in stupified wonder, or shrug - "Ick! Stingy bugs!" and move on?
So I left the burr comb in place and gently closed the lid of the beehive, and left the workers to continue getting their buzz on, in the dark (did I mention they built this perfection in total darkness and communicated instructions via pheromones and vibration?)
I'll check in on them as their own internal life develops, hopefully in parallel with mine as we enter Shabbat and ready our own internal world for Rosh Hashanah.
Shabbat Shalom.
Shot on a Samsung #s22ultra in #expertraw Mode, and edited in #LightroomMobile. Follow me on my website and Facebook page for more unique Israel-based #smartphonephotography #mobilephotography and #videography galleries and more: www.davidbrianbender.com Dave Bender: Compelling Photography
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