Seems like flying ant day has arrived in Essex, went out the garden for my post caring duties glass of vino and was thinking must be flying ant day soon as so humid, and then half hour later they emerged 😰. Looking forward to the spectacle of the gulls circling to gobble them up, retreated indoors.

When it comes to mating, for male bumblebees, size does matter - of the tibia that is. (Stop it!). Males with longer fore and hind legs are more successful at mating. So those lethargic #bumblebees that you find early in the morning on flowers during the summer… 10/14 #bees #nature

My late husband absolutely loved the Beach Boys and we played God Only Knows at his funeral. I think he had excellent taste, RIP Brian you brought so much joy to the world with your talent.

Bee people does anyone know why bees are hovering on the yet unopened peony flowers? Can they get to the nectar this way? Is it the scent? I thought they preferred open, daisy like flowers. Thank you.

Frog in our pond made from our old water tank last summer, now guarding their babies, so excited

Pond update: we finally have frogspawn 😊

Such a relief, I am finding more and more of the people I really liked following on the former bluebird sanctuary have now migrated to here, so soon I will be able to completely leave it too and fly into the wide blue yonder.

Although I don't wish to sound like a Miss World contestant, but my hope for 2025 is that there is peace in the world, and all children are allowed to grow up in safety, I cannot understand why anyone disagrees. Happy New Year to those who agree.

Fireworks have been going off around here since about 5.00 pm, the latest sound like minor atomic bombs, I thought the idea was to let them off at midnight? Poor pets.

WASPI thoughts: Why did Starmer, Reeves, Rayner, Cooper and of course Kendall so enthusiastically back the women before the election? The amounts proposed by the Ombudsman seem modest compared to the money which must have been saved, also would not a lot of it go back via income tax and VAT?

Warning: This afternoon I received a scam text purporting to come from the DWP about claiming the Winter Fuel Allowance with a link to put in a claim for it. It has some very obvious errors in the message, but it might catch someone unawares.

Not sure if it is a good or a bad indicator for nature and the climate, but there was a lovely red admiral fluttering around Maldon town centre this morning.

Just wondering if there are any other carers of the very elderly out there?Finding it very difficult to find an answer to her constant pain (osteoarthritis and severe osteoporosis) and tendency for painkillers to make her sleepy during the day, or is that the heart failure? Any advice welcome.

Mission completed, it was very interesting, but Huntingdon was much busier than I anticipated it would be on a Sunday. Haven't driven such a long way for ages, but came back via the country roads so saw a few villages that I haven't seen before, good day.

Summoning up the courage to do something for myself today, think I can just about manage visiting the exhibition at the Cromwell museum at Huntingdon today, between care visits. Will report back later if successful.

When I was studying for my O levels I used to spend hours on end at South Chingford library, the expansive tables in the reference section were a welcome respite from my noisy, overcrowded home. Of course the library is no more, so I understand such an option was not suitable for Starmer's son.

At least Essex and Suffolk Water have one satisfied customer, shame about the rest of us who are not Snapdragons 🤔

Optimistic buddleia on my drive (foot for scale, not those with foot fetishes that I got on replies from on Twitter when I made a joke about my bunions!) I like to think it is just waiting for a butterfly 🙂

Apologies for not having a profile pic, I have tried and tried, but can't get it to fit in so I can save it, and no it isn't because I have a very big head, it is just a picture of a poppy that self seeded, but only lasts for one day.

Just realised this year is the 50th anniversary of receiving my A level results. They came in the post and my mum couldn't wait for me to get home from work and opened them, then sent my brother down the road to meet me. I still have nightmares about them; constantly retaking them in my dreams.

Also thank you to those people who have followed me, I have no idea how to contact you yet or how you know I exist, but I am sure I will get there eventually 😀

If anyone sees, this after reading my profile, I think I need to point out that Sophia is my great, great, grandmother's name, I have a typical Essex girl's name and I am not that interested in sport apart from a bit of football and tennis and wasn't allowed to do O level Maths, couldn't do Calculus