Bee-ing distracted.

Now if you have read my early posts, very early that is (feel welcome to go look if you have not!) you will know my normal route to work routine.  This summer I have a new distraction before I even get out of the gate.  And I add to my fur feathers and figments of imagination.... insects.

Bees to be exact.  A garden ornament in the form of a tortoise that I filled with hair clippings hoping it might make an over wintering spot for lady birds or some other insect.

However, this spring it appears to have caught the eye of a bumble bee queen as a prospective home. The first time or two a bee appeared to come from that general direction I thought I was mistaken.  The I spotted one emerging, then more and more.

I added a stone slope to make it easier for a bee waiting to get in whilst another got out.  That was getting some use, I would see two or occasional three bees at a time.  As the weather warmed the temperature rising and some of the sheltering plants dying back that count rose to nine as they worked to cool their home down.

The nest (apparently the correct term with bumble bees) must be getting too small as now they are working hard pulling hair out from the various openings on the tortoise shell, swirling the hair and adding bits of this and that scouting out the area around the nest.  I have popped a terracotta flower pot next to some of the construction and wonder if they will choose to expand into that.

So each morning as I step out of the door, as I should be heading for the bus I just can't resist taking a look at the bees to see how they are doing. A moment, a moment more or two or three.  One morning it will be just that bit too long and I will miss the bus.

The internet notes on the bumble bee tells me that come the Autumn the tortoise will be vacated and the chance of it being used in that way again is very slim.  So I shall just have to make the most of it now.

Of course there is the chance that having been the home of a queen the accommodation may appeal to other clientèle in the future..should I put up a sign, Queen Bee stayed here..after all I believe in the power of signs.

    

A new bag!

had a sense of the "family feeling" the regular bus commuters have this morning.

I was passing the time on bus two with my eyes closed, all of a doze but not asleep.  The bus pulls up to a stop, a clatter of small feet and a gleeful voice announced "I got a NEW bag!"

Little pink commuter had a new back pack, almost as big as her and wanted to share her delight with all her bus friends.

Those who joined the bus later and had missed the initial announcement were gleefully appraised of the new addition as she exited so all could share her joy.

Peppa Pig giving way to Minnie Mouse in the bag department, still I hope Bunny is in there perhaps with Chick still enjoying their daily journey.

Three now she will soon not be making the journey to nursery, she may have an alternate journey once school rolls around.  My journey will be a bit gloomier if she stops being part of it. 

Ohps!

Not sure if I have made this clear before but the number of the bus I arrive on and the number of the bus I leave on from my place of work are the same, just they have different final destinations.

They leave from opposite corners of the bright white bus station.

People sometimes get confused, wait at the wrong stop for the direction they want to travel, spot their error when they see the destination written on the front of the bus and troop off to the other end of the bus station.

So when I am waiting for the bus home and someone asks me is this the stop for the bus number I ask them for the end destination to make sure the answer I give is correct in spirit and not just the basic fact.

Except the other day I was a bit tired I guess and not thinking quite so clearly and when asked the question by an elderly lady , does the ? stop here I did not ask the clarifying question and absent-mindedly just said yes.  

Bus arrives I get on and the lady sits next to me and off we go...two stops before the "littering incident" stop she says "excuse me, is this bus going to?"  Oh no it is not! We are going in the opposite direction!

I advise she stays on two more stops were the return stop is directly across the road from the one she will be getting off, and it has seats.  I tell her when and point to the correct stop and ruefully accept her thanks feeling guilty for not checking and a stern reminder to myself not to make that ohps again. 

checking ticket

it has been a long time since a ticket inspector was on the bus with me.  As he got on and started asking to see tickets (which were duly being shown, paper and concession bus passes) and it occurred to me now how is he going to check mine?

The types of ticket I mentioned in a much earlier post and I still have the card version that has to be passed over a reader.  So as my turn approached I fished my card out of its pocket in my bag and awaited the answer with interest.

And the answer is..a hand held scanner in a vivid shade of blue. Ticket validated and the learn something new every day moment was over.