There's a bee's nest under the eucalyptus in the yard at Grace's and Malcolm was stung twice in two days while playing fetch with a tennis ball. Twice by two bees, in case you were wondering. They die afterward because the act of stinging also squishes their guts out. This was no consolation to George, who, in the fear and frenzy after the initial stinging incident ("Get the baking soda! Is his face swelling? What's his breathing like? Check his gums for pinkness!") first and foremost wanted to know what happened to that bee motherfucker, asking me, "Did you kill it?"
"Well, they die after stinging anyway so I just brushed it off and then I-"
"But did you kill it?"
Nope. Oops. Wherever that bee is now I hope it gets what it's got coming to it for stinging our little Malcolm.
Anyway twice the yelping/twice the discomfort/twice the trauma has turned into a makeover of routine as I try to keep the little guy exercised and having fun, while not letting on that intentional fun is in the making, as intentional fun leads to bee stings, obviously. Outdoor fetch is off the table- my least attempt has been shunned mightily. Thus we resort to fetch in the house, with the regulations being that I remain seated for the duration of the interaction and that I do not express enthusiasm for the endeavor. In fact it's best if I pretend we're not playing at all, that I turn my attention to other things, stopping at frequent intervals to toss away this pesky ball that somehow keeps making it's way back into my lap again- I declare! How mysterious!
We're endeavoring to make up the hard-running deficit with extra long walks in their stead. Yesterday after we picked up my other boyfriend, Stan (Malcolm loves him- I'm so happy), in San Jose we headed for Santa Cruz's Twin Lakes State Beach where we tore around along the shore and chased crows until we got a bit of the shivers in the foggy weather.
Happily, the sun came out just in time for us to settle in on the patio at Aldo's for lunch, where Malcolm made the most of the warmth by spreading out in the sunshine right on top of our table.
I was enjoying the sun & warmth, too. So much so that I neglected to recall that my fair skin hasn't seen daylight since August and scorched a tidy red square on my back where the neckline of my cut shirt ended. It's all about aloe and serious sunscreen from here on out.
After lunch we walked all the way up the harbor and into Arana Gulch, where we watched Bank Swallows feasting on bugs over the open fields. (We have also seen several types of Junco, Jays, Black Phoebes, hummingbirds and numerous species we've not yet been able to identify. The birding has been spectacular.) By the time we headed back to Grace's all three of us were totally beat and settled in for a delicious afternoon of this:
This afternoon= more sun and MORE SUNSCREEN. We're off!
