Bees

They're dying out due to strange hornets feasting on them and mites burrowing into them, some people might say good. Not me, if it were wasps, annoying persistant, with a constant sting, then I might say good.  But with the decline in bees there will be a decline in our foodstuffs and I'm not just talking about honey, wheat
(burger buns and bread) hops and barley (beer) grapes and strawberries (chardonnay) and the strawbs that go in it - are you getting the picture?  Everything will go and we will starve - never happen? The importance of bees has been known for years, the furry drones with yellow pollen knees only have one sting in them and that's a last resort, because if they use it they die. So they don't use it if they can help it. (Wasps can sting over and over).   So why have I got this bee in my bonnet?   Because at Waddesdon yesterday a swarm of bees were murdered so that the house could open on time. There was no need for it, they could have got the beekeeper to take them out, he would have put a basket over the swarm, knocked them into it, they get all sleepy and he takes them to a nice new hive where they can swarm in peace. But the ignorant security guard said they were pests and he killed the lot of them, and the house opened in half an hour as usual because that was more important than closing one room for a bit till the beekeeper came.
I thought the National Trust had a duty of care to conservation, they boast on about it a lot, but when it comes down to it they don't give a toss.  I tried several times talking to this guy to persuade him not to do this but apparently it was none of my business and all pests had to be destroyed - I wonder if that applies to him?

Jago on Kindle

Borrowed 30,000 times from the Kindle library!  Excellent value at 35p a pop - Hrmmm minus tax, minus Amazon promotion, minus dollar to pound exchange - looks like I might end up owing them money!

Hot Hot Hot

Not writing today, not thinking, working on the garden and got up early to blitz the housework, just got back from the vets again, my little lad is making progress!! I also found out that he has a love affair going on with some of the nurses, they recognised him and it was all kisses and cuddles - well, don't mind me - I just pay the bills!! smiley face!

Trenchfoot

Well, not exactly, but athletes foot anyway from wearing wellies all summer.  Weather is supposed to change tomorrow so perhaps I get get my sandals out! looking forward to the weekend. I have loads and loads of interesting ouside stuff to do, unfortunately can't go Knotting as my little cat is not well enough to be left overnight, but it'll do him good to get out at the weekend and pouncing about the garden.

On the Best Sellers List!

My book is rated 175 thousandth out of 800 thousand books sold on Amazon!  Amazing!

Waddesdon again!

Off to Waddesdon, and it's raining again - stair rods here.  Lots on my mind today I keep skiving off when I should be working, it was sunny yesterday and I went out with a friend of mine and we went to an old barn overlooking fantastic lush green rolling hills and had lunch, afterwards we walked round the craft galleries.
I did write the time line for my history book yesterday and had a desperate look for the discs for my second and third novels, they must be in the loft.  Oh well a cup of coffee and off to work in the wonder that is Waddesdon Manor, spectacular doesn't even start to describe it.

We had a medieval weekend last weekend, went to the Tewkesbury medieval fayre. Fantastic day despite the mud, really glad I invested in my cool pirate wellies!  Bought some lovely stuff, a signed print of Knights in the Mist by Graham Turner, spoke to him for a while. A medieval tile whic is now hanging on the wall and some Dragon's blood and some patchouli and sandlewood soap - cost an arm and a leg. The battle was good but in a field far far away due to the flooding so I stayed shopping and photographed the knights on the way back.  Met some friends ate roast animal, had a beer, so all good!

Portraits

Sourcing pictures for my book has become a pain all the lovely portraits I want to use are owned by Paul Getty or Lord Sai nsbury and they want to charge me for their use, fair enough but
a) I have no money till the book is finished.
b)Aren't they rich enough already that they need an extra £35 from me and a share in the book sales?
c) There is an American Guy with a flickr site that is selling photos that he took while in the Ashmolean
    so isn't that illegal? Why don't they do something about him?
I'm so tired today and don't feel well, this hayfever is really getting me down this year I have a constantly sore throat and have to make a not at all nice gak! gak! noise so I can breathe!
Anyway back to the book.