Tuesday 6th June 2021 - Family Week and Where Are The Bees?

What an enjoyable time we had last week with our family. During their time with us, channels were dug on the beach each day, a trip taken on the Poppy Line train, we walked inland and along the disused rail track and cliff tops, played on the sports field, drove to Horsey to see the seals, ate fish and chips at Bacton, stopped for ice-creams and lollies, went crab fishing off Cromer Pier and BBQ’d in the garden. After cooking for just the two of us for so many years, catering for eight each evening, with different dietary requirements and preferences, was somewhat of a challenge for me but with various dishes cooked in advance, coupled with a spreadsheet of the menus, I managed okay. Well let’s put it this way – there weren’t any complaints! The weather was kind to us, a bit of a chill over the Bank Holiday weekend but when our youngest son and his partner joined us on Tuesday, it warmed up and we were all able to eat in the garden each evening and therefore, not break the ‘rule of six indoors’. The only time it rained was on Friday afternoon which provided an opportunity for our grandsons to go through the toy box which, because we had been outside most of the time, had remained untouched throughout the week.

So here we are; back to normal and with half-term over, the village is relatively quiet again. We have been catching up with the garden where one thing is very noticeable – the lack of bees. I always try to plant flowers which will attract bees and other pollinating insects but this year, the two self-set echiums plus the aliums and erysimums in the flower border, which are usually teeming with bees, have been visited by very few. It is very worrying. Did they perish during what was a very windy winter or is there some other factor to blame?

Today’s photos are of holly blossom, one of the many tractors to be seen on Cromer beach and an impressive sand sculpture we spotted on one of our morning walks along the promenade.