Several months ago I promised to take a picture of a local bumblebee. Sadly, the very next day our association’s gardeners pruned back the hedges around our lake where the bumblebees hung out. That was it for bumblebees.

But patience is a virtue, no? Irvine’s bumblebees may have flown off somewhere else, but Ireland still has plenty of them. When we got back from our trip to the Skellig Islands, Marian noticed this bush swarming with bumblebees, so I snapped off a few dozen shots. It may have taken a while, but thanks to the town of Portmagee you are finally getting your long-promised bumblebee.¹

¹This is assuming that some smart-aleck doesn’t come along to tell us that this isn’t really a bumblebee, just some kind of pseudo-orchid bee that looks like a bumblebee but is actually a member of the Fettucini family native to northern latitudes. I’ll wait.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT OPTIMISM FOR A CHANGE

Democracy and journalism are in crisis mode—and have been for a while. So how about doing something different?

Mother Jones did. We just merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting, bringing the radio show Reveal, the documentary film team CIR Studios, and Mother Jones together as one bigger, bolder investigative journalism nonprofit.

And this is the first time we’re asking you to support the new organization we’re building. In “Less Dreading, More Doing,” we lay it all out for you: why we merged, how we’re stronger together, why we’re optimistic about the work ahead, and why we need to raise the First $500,000 in online donations by June 22.

It won’t be easy. There are many exciting new things to share with you, but spoiler: Wiggle room in our budget is not among them. We can’t afford missing these goals. We need this to be a big one. Falling flat would be utterly devastating right now.

A First $500,000 donation of $500, $50, or $5 would mean the world to us—a signal that you believe in the power of independent investigative reporting like we do. And whether you can pitch in or not, we have a free Strengthen Journalism sticker for you so you can help us spread the word and make the most of this huge moment.

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