INVITATION

It rained last night. The sky was light grey in the morning, but now dark clouds closed up shedding drops of rain here and there. A bee holds herself tightly to a lavender stem, to keep dry. A bumble bee at work during rain breaks. Bumble bees love pincushion flowers. She also tried to land on the tick-seed pale yellow flower, but the flower was still wet from the rain. Sedum and hens and chicks, overflow the pot. Although sedum are easy to grow, they do attract aphids, which is a persisting headache because for a small balcony garden, there aren't many predators around. The other day I probably killed 2 lady beetle larvae by mistake. I found them crawling on the pincushion plant. I truly regret that. Lemon scent thyme bloom. Their strong fragrance attracts hover flies and small bees, but the flowers are not shaped for bumble bees. I love rubbing my figures through them and the lavenders. The plant most attractive to bees is ornamental oregano. I ...

这世上真有让你气急败坏的事，好比一个风和日丽的午后，突然乌云盖天，电光闪闪，之后细雨簌簌，不消一阵，天又放晴了。 我本有着计划，却已无心经营。 今天感到倦了。 好朋友要到远方去了，跟家人团聚，不知道何时还能相见。不过这也是个好的籍口，让我在将来去拜访她。 今日的我感到倦了。 最近又开始读日本侦探故事，当然还是最喜欢松本清张的《点与线》。一边读一边查阅地图，发现今日的香椎湾已面目全非，高楼林立，不再是当年的偏僻小站了。再读西村京太郎的去札幌的列车，去看青森、涵馆美丽的海滨。有一阵鼠标滑入青森的窄街小巷，在那些厚朴的民居间徘徊。 但今晚的心绪怎一个乱字了得。

10多年前回去的时候，叔婶早搬到城外了，胡同里的平房被拆迁一空，原地建起了高层公寓。小时候总喜欢在胡同里走，迷宫一样，总在不经意的拐角发现小卖部，买个糖果汽水什么的，有时冒失地闯入人家的院子，层层叠叠的石榴花后奔出来一个长辫长腿的丫头，用的地道的京腔问：你找谁呀？ 午后的树阴下总有熟睡的猫。 天空中总有鸽群和着鸽哨。 没有比去北京过暑假更兴奋的事了。凉爽的早晨，叔叔总带着我去买早点，密耳朵，甜油饼，油糕，炸糕，豆浆，油条，应有尽有。我最喜欢的是炸糕了。有时我们走得远点，过大街去吃新鲜的酸奶和奶油筒。这些都是我在老家那里吃不到的。 崇元观在我的记忆里只是一个地名和大理石雕的拱门而已，周围都是杂货菜食店，是我换面条必经的地方。 胡同口原本有一家招待所，如今可能不在了。 时光飞逝，只有街道两边的梧桐树依旧。 前年回去的时候，特地坐了火车进京，不仅行程时间缩短一半，铁路两边的田野都不见了，被公路和住宅区代替。原来夜行车上能看到漆黑的原野、天空和星星点点的农舍的灯光，如今铁轨两边灯火辉煌，亮如白昼，到了深夜，公路上还是车来车往，热闹非凡。 变化是人生的属性和标点。一厘一米、一寸一尺，步步紧跟到生命的尽头。 ************************************* 解放前，北京市区划分“内七外五”十二个行政区（内指九门之内的内城，外指内城南　七门内的外城），西直门隶属内四区（也称西四区）。据说，北京内城九门之间间隔都约两公里左右，当时西直门地段（地区）即是由西直门贴城墙内侧往南1公　里，往东1公里的范围，现估算往南到平安大街，往东至新街口大街的区域内，一出城过了护城河就走出西直门地段了。 　　从西直门原城楼（现立交桥主路东侧偏南位置）向东走约一公里至新街口丁字路口处，正对着原来西直门楼内侧的这条笔直的大街，即为西直门内大街。西直门内大街在明清、民国及解放初期都为东西两部分，以街北的崇元观胡同（现东新开胡同）和　街南的北沟沿（现赵登禹路）为分界线，街西部称西直门大街，街东部称新街口西大街（明清时曾称新开路、新街口西街）。1965年左右，市政府才将两条大街　合并为‘西直门内大街’。 　　现在仅十米左右宽西直门内大街是一条狭窄拥堵的小街，可在解放前却是北京城比较宽阔的主要道路之一。1924年北京第一路有轨电车就是从这...

My balcony garden is a little ecosystem. In hot summer, honey bees, hover flies and even bumble bees drop by frequently. Bees especially love the oregano. They just can't get enough of it. But last year in May I drove a carpenter bee away when she was trying to build a hatching chamber in the door stopper. I truly regret that. I waited and waited this year, no more carpenter bees show up. I love bees. I love their humming and buzzing. I love seeing them busy collecting nectar and pollen. They are an indicator of a good balanced garden. A few days ago I watched a documentary, about the vanishing of honeybees. I was surprised of how little I know about them. Commercial bees have a tough and short life. They are constant on the road being hauled across the country to pollinate crops and fruit trees. I also found the answer to my question - why bees never are interested in the bright colored hybrid flowers. That is these flowers are not natural, they are man-made artificial flowe...