Monday 31st March 2025

The Bee-fly is a nice looking flying insect, with its long mouthparts, and hovering to nectar like a tiny helicopter. But it hides a dark secret: females lay their eggs into the burrows of solitary bees, and when the eggs hatch they enter the bee pupea and eat them alive.

Nice.

We have two Bee-fly species in Kent:the dark edged, which is more common, nd the Dotted, which is what we have had visiting our garden for the last three years, and appeared yeaterday for the 4th season.

But first, to Monday.

We went to the gym first thing.

I say forst thing, it was just after eight, I hadn't been up long, but Jools had stuff planned, so needed to be on her way to Folkestone by quarter past nine.

I dd a session on the bike, half an hour, at an increased pace, to the sound of Gary Numan.

Which was nice.

Also nice was the fact the place was almost empty, with a fresh influx after nine, just as we were leaving.

Jools dropped my off home and went out on her chores, while I went back inside, made a brew, then sat on the patio watching the birds on the feeders.

The morning passed quickly.

Jools brought home salad for lunch, then for the afternoon there was double bangers and cash.

We both watched, only just managing to stay awake.

We had pasta and ragu for dinner, with the leftover garlic bread and a bottle of fizz.

We still know how to live.

Then some radio for the evening, and webcams, before going to bed at just after nine.

Phew, rock and roll.