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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=48 height=48 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:part1.04090407.06090403@gmail.com"></span><strong>George Takei</strong><span class=visuallyhidden><b>Verified account</b></span> þ<span class=username><s>@</s><b>GeorgeTakei</b></span> </a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=js-tweet-text>Well spocken. <img border=0 width=16 height=16 id="bd_nd_B937DB990D1548698380D65CF906E308_0" src="cid:part3.02060209.05070007@gmail.com"><a href="http://t.co/kZmJt6iaeA">pic.twitter.com/kZmJt6iaeA</a><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/412714670496419841/photo/1/large"><o:p></o:p></a></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:blue'><a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/412714670496419841/photo/1/large"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=375 height=375 id="_x0000_i1027" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CEFD04.B355E350" alt="Embedded image permalink"></span><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>2013 was a terrible year for bees. Perhaps 2014 will be better. On the first day of this year I saw hundreds of dead and dying bees, apparently having failed to find their hive and perishing from exposure. I saw more dead and dying bees on the sidewalk this year than all six previous years combined, not including that 1 January event. Estimated total about 100.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Now my observation is the blossoms are coming earlier this year than I recall ever seeing them open, and the bees are here as well. In my back yard I see the vines have blossoms already. The solstice is Saturday afternoon, so this is a case where spring has arrived before the autumn officially ends. I noticed there are more confused trees this year than just my citrus trees in back. I see evidence of early blooming and new growth everywhere. With current indications, there will be a riot of color in January.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>We tend to notice when bees decline, but would we notice if other bugs went missing? My ants are gone without a trace. If some bug virus decimated the ants, how would we know it had happened? Perhaps I could talk the local hardware store out of some information on sales of ant poison and boric acid.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>