Yesterday, my friend, Michael, called to see what I was doing. He let me know that he had just come back from down in South Carolina where he was taking photos of sunflowers. I asked him where it was. He told me. I did a quick lookup and found that it was about 40 minutes away, Brattonsville, SC. I told him that I was planning to go the next morning, even though I had just finished moving today.
This morning, we met there at 6:00 AM and started taking photos of the sunflowers. There are acres and acres of them. As I walked up to one of the many fields, I started to get out my compass to see which way the sun would come up, but then I looked, and saw that all of the flowers were facing one way … Hmmm, pretty good bet! 
And you know what? They were right! LOL.
I noticed that there were bees on many of the flowers, say at least 50% of them, but they were a bit lethargic at the moment; however, when the sun started to warm the fronts of the flowers, the pace of the bees quickened and they began their work in earnest, buzzing from flower to flower, collecting pollen. All around there was the hum of bees. I thought of my son, Tony, who does not like insects in the least. He’d be having a fit with all of those bees around and would have to leave the area. He’s pretty afraid of them, although if you ask him, he just “doesn’t like” them. Uh, huh!
Anyway, it was pretty cool standing in the midst of all of that activity. I wasn’t bothered, but rather taken with their collecting.
Michael looking or the perfect spot
We stayed from about 6:00 until about 7:45 AM. By that time, the sun had climbed over the trees in the distance and it was starting to get hot. Today calls for plenty more sunshine and a high of 103. Looks like I’ll be in for the rest of the day, unpacking boxes. 
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Great shot and love the color. I like that you move on ideas rather than just talk about them. You are a man of action and you receive the rewards from those actions. I would have enjoyed that time also as we watch nature at work.
Monte Stevens recently posted..I wonder …
Thanks, my friend. Hopefully, I’ve learned some things during life. One of them is to not delay. When you hear a good idea, like I did yesterday, jump on it. Don’t let life get in the way because, when life gets too busy, we tend to forget some of the things that we ‘meant’ to do! Besides, I have to have lots of places to show you, should you show up in CLT again. You know, you’re working part-time now and have lots of time on your hands!
Excellent close-up of the sunflower and bee, Paul. Heck, it’s just barely July and I’m already ready for the summer to be over.
Thanks, Earl. I’m with you. This unusual 100+ ‘heat wave’ is reminding me of Texas.
This looks like a great location, and seeing those rows and rows of sunflowers is amazing. It was certainly good to get out before the peak of the heat, but I’m with you that it doesn’t take much to make it too hot these days! The tough part about sunrise this time of the year is that it is so early.
Tom Dills recently posted..Long Overdue
Tom. One Saturday morning, when you have time, we need to go back so that you can experience it with your ‘new’ camera.
Love the closeup Paul. I have been looking for a sunflower field like this around here. Haven’t found it yet – SC is a bit far for a morning drive.
Stay cool!
Mark recently posted..Small Fish tales
Thanks, Mark. I know that this is a bit out of your commute zone. LOL – Maybe they have something similar in your neck of the woods.
Sunflower fields, they’re so cool! We have to get down to France before there’s a chance to see such fields…no 40 minutes there, no… They grow here as well, but we don’t grow them that way. But I love them! Your close-up photo is delicious, you can almost taste it as the bee does.
Ove recently posted..The work
Thanks, Ove! That seems like a worthwhile trip, driving to France to photograph sunflowers.
A day by car to feel like van Gogh, of course it’s worthwhile.
Ove recently posted..The work
The bee shot is fantastic, Paul. I don’t think this type of bee is aggressive to humans (unless provoked) so your son need not worry. In the Dakota’s and MN, sunflowers are a good cash crop and you can see huge fields of them during the growing season. They’re just gorgeous.
ken bello recently posted..100° (F) in the shade