Monday, June 15, 2020

Busy Bee



When I was watering my front flower bed there were several bumble bees enjoying the Dianthus flowers.  I love this variety as there can be pink, purple, white, and even red flowers on the same plant.  There have been so many bees around this year, a wonderful thing.  Perhaps it is because people planted so many flowers, fruits, and veggies this year.  No matter the reason, bees are a good thing (not wasps or hornets, hate those!).

Yesterday was not a good health day but I think it was a fibro flare, not my stomach.  I spent half the day in bed (having gone back after getting up and making breakfast) then my friend texted me to pop by and visit for a few minutes and bring me some eggs.  I couldn't say no and it made me feel a lot better.  Along with hubby we socially distanced in the back yard enjoying our new patio furniture.  She even brought liquor but didn't know I still can't drink anything.  I had water and she enjoyed a summer drink (maybe next month???).  Fortunately, the weather cooperated for the visit.

Today, the weather is raining buckets and there is wind.  Just a typical January day in June.....  I do feel better today so I managed to vacuum the entire house and clean the 2 bathrooms.  I left dusting for tomorrow.  I am clean and hubby is tidy.  When I got sick some of the housework slid even though by looking at it you couldn't tell.  Hubby did loads for me inside and out including cooking, shopping, taking groceries to Mom, cleaning, all the yard work, and watering my flowers some days.  Now that I feel better it is time to get the house in shape.  Can you tell I hate dusting though?  I actually cleaned the toilets first lol.

At 3pm Mom and I will go pick up our (hopefully) final online order of groceries.  I hope to shop in person from here on out, she might even as well if cases stay at zero on Vancouver Island like they have been.  Being virus-free on an island is a very delicate balance, and unfortunately, I think that tourism will bring the virus back (we still need it but this is a truth) as well as peoples feeling that we are safe...until we aren't.  Oh well.  

In frugal news, we cashed in our Aeroplan points for $150 in GCs ($100 Costco for meat and $50 for home hardware) as Air Canada pulled out of our town just at the start of the pandemic and I don't see them coming back.  We don't love Air Canada but one client that we no longer have insisted we fly with them so they could earn corporate rewards.  As a result, we also earned Aeroplan points.  I am not sure when the GCs will arrive but I think this is a good use of those points.  We still have enough other airline points for 2 tickets to Alberta *at some point in future, no plans to return this year and almost enough for 2 tickets to Ottawa for my stepson's wedding in 2021 in July.  Those won't have to be booked until the Spring of 2021 so we have time to keep earning.  In the meantime, since we won't be traveling a lot I reset the balance on my Air Miles to collect 30 percent in airline miles and 70% in free groceries (at Thrifty/Sobeys).  This will help me earn my credit card fee back and get free groceries in the meantime.  

That's all I've got today - I hope the picture of the bee makes you as happy as it did me.  How can you not love a bumblebee?  


24 comments:

  1. I enjoy seeing the bumblebees too, though a honey bee comes in a close second.

    Hope your health continues to improve and the island stays Covid free. We had another 18 cases here today but 13 of those were the result of a funeral and wake in Northern Saskatchewan. Lack of social distancing is a real issue.

    Take care and stay well!

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    1. Yes, honey bees are magical too. We had 12 each day over the weekend and none on the island. Most are family get togethers of 30 plus people (2 of them a few weeks ago) and the rest health care workers which is so sad, it should be safer for them and I am not sure whey they keep getting infected with so many health protocols in place

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  2. One day as I was walking the last few feet to my door, I picked up a stick in my sandal. I kicked a lot and still it stuck me. Finally, I managed to hold onto the bannister up the steps, and kicked off my sandal and a bumble bee. Sandals and bumblebees don't mix. It really hurt. I am more careful now.

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    1. It really does hurt to get stung on the foot, doesn't it?

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  3. I agree that is a good way to use those points. We don't fly enough to even think about getting any type of airmiles card.

    God bless.

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    1. I love love love traveling but have no urge to do it now other than mandatory travelling like the wedding in 2021 (not even keen on that but have to get to Ottawa somehow). I am sure it will be several years before we travel out of country again

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  4. My daughter captured some lovely film of a buzzong bee. I'm trying to figure out how to share and repsect her privacy. I love bees. I am so sorry you are not feeling well. IHow nice your friend popped over.

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    1. Yes, having my friend showed up helped my mental health if nothing else.

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  5. I don't love bees near Hubs as he is allergic but from a distance they are lovely. ;-)

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    1. They hold such promise, flowers, fruit, veggies, they all need them.

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  6. Friends in Kelowna report no decrease in tourism bookings. Some places are advertising discounts for long term rentals for those who want to ride out Covid in a vacation locale. I wonder if people are actually doing it. I'm dreading tourism season.

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    1. Yes, I hope tourism season is limited. My friend who had an AirBNB out of her house shut it down, the implications are just too much for her, her boarder and her neighbors. Not to mention the cleaning regime involved. She cleaned well before but now doing a super clean every time is very time consuming and eats into any money she was getting. Better to be safe.

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  7. That's such a lovely photo. There's loads more bees, birds, butterflies (and unneutered tom cats) around, it could be our renewed interest in gardening or maybe we never took the time to appreciate them before. Either way, being outside is a joy.
    How lovely to spend time with a friend. xxx

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    1. Yes, we definitely are enjoying nature even more this year. Yesterday we saw a hummingbird eating tiny flies from a spider web in the rain. I didn't even know they did that, usually just eat sap but I googled it and they do eat tiny bugs. It was a very neat moment

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  8. I love the bumblebee. I don't see many anymore which is very sad. I also dislike dusting. I vacuum daily though because of the pets. Fur and kitty litter accumulate on the floors so I have to stay on top of it. The virus numbers in Alabama are spiking up which is scary. Most people are T supporters and don't believe in wearing masks. Probably why. It's very depressing.

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    1. I saw your scary numbers. It does seem the T states of Texas, Florida and Alabama numbers are out of control. So bloody scary for you.

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  9. OK, picture of bee makes me happy as long as I don't look at it. Bees are good. Bees are important. Bees could kill me. Hope you're feeling much better today.

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    1. Yes, being allergic does suck! The only good thing is that bees don't usually attack, only sting if stepped on. I had a boyfriend when I was 19 who was huge - he was 6 foot 2 and weighed about 250 lbs. We were driving long distance and he had the window rolled down and a bee hit his arm and stung him. I drove like a mad woman for 2 hours as he blew up like a balloon and couldn't breathe. I packed him into the hospital (all 120lbs of me) to get his shot. I am not sure he ever had that reaction before but man was it scary. I am sure he now carries an epipen after that.

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  10. I would have loved to watch the hummingbird eat off a web. Because of the added behave to our park garden area we now have lots of bees around. Isn't nature wonderful?

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    1. Yes it is - I've seen hummingbirds poke around in wood piles for the same reason at a friends house but have never seen that in action at our house - right outside my kitchen window! Perhaps I should encourage the spiders out there (not!)

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  11. I hope Vancouver Island can stay virus free but as you say it's unlikely once the tourists arrive isn't it. I just saw today that after 24 days virus free New Zealand now has new cases because of people arriving back after lockdown. There's not much we can do about it though is there!

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    1. No there isn't, I read an article about New Zealand, apparently they thought they had more protocols in place to test returning people but didn't. I guess the only good thing is that they caught and can hopefully eradicate it again.

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  12. Love the bees! We are in a tourist town (where we have a vacation home), but are still following all of the protocol (no eating out, masks whenever we are in public, which means a grocery store). We've been outside to the beach for runs/walks, but if you've ever been to the Oregon coast, you know that social distancing is not even a question. There are no more than 10 people on an enormous stretch of beach at a time.

    Here's hoping you have turned the corner & the rest of the recovery will go more quickly!

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    1. When I was a kid we did an Oregon Coast road trip, my favorite area of the USA (and I'm from Colorado lol). Our beaches are exactly the same on Vancouver Island. Almost entirely deserted or 2000 feet per person other than somewhere like Tofino (closed currently to all outsiders including other Islanders). I understand it is ok in the USA to move from State to State right now but Canada has asked we stay within our Provinces - likely to be lifted in a week or two.

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