Fumigation for fun and profit...

The Vet gave the entire bee family a clean bill of health yesterday, but just to be on the safe side handed Polly and Billi a disinfectant fumigator for the hive. Apparently there's a lot of Colony Collapse Disease going round, and this should take care of it. 

The instructions said to place the fumigator inside the hive, light the fuse, close all the doors and windows and avoid breathing the fumigant smoke. 

They enlisted Wilson's help with this, as technically he is the only one old enough to use matches.

Polly moaned about the smoke, saying the entire hive would need redecorating, not just Uncle Zoltan's rooms, but Billi comforted her, saying that a bit of smoke damage was better than catching Colony Collapse Disease.

Wilson is brave at the Vet's...

The bees have an appointment at the vet's in the village, and Wilson has accompanied them to lend moral support.

Polly has explained to him that there are any number of bee diseases about and she and Billi need their annual shots for Deformed Wing Virus and Kaguo Virus, plus Johnson Ma and Johnson Mi need their first vaccinations.

The vet was unhappy giving the children injections for bee diseases since, as he pointed out, 'They're not actually bees.'

Billi fixed him with a stern glare and said, 'They are bees by adoption.' 

Polly defused what could have been an awkward moment by suggesting that perhaps they could have their ladybird inoculations as well, to which the vet, knowing when he was defeated, agreed.

Wilson, having no love of needles, observed from a distance, closing his eyes when the syringes were brought out.

Wilson starts packing...

Wilson has tickets to see Thumbelina in London at the weekend — he knows the choreographer, Miss Julia — so we can't go to Bournemouth until next week. However, he has started his holiday packing in very good time.

Antony thinks it is an encouraging sign that he's been allocated his own suitcase too, though I think he's overestimating how much packing he'll need for a few days away. 

Polly gives Wilson some mum-like advice!

Now that Wilson is aware that the highlight of a holiday in a quarry is incessant noise, explosions, rain and a view of rocks, he has agreed to stay in Bournemouth instead. 

He's asked the Bee family whether they'd like to accompany us, pointing out how much Johnson and Johnson would enjoy playing on the beaches, but Polly said they were redecorating their hive next week so couldn't spare the time. 

She says that, 'After long deliberation, and in view of the lack of bookings for the Bee Wedding Venue, we've decided to redecorate one of the bedrooms and invite Differently-Abled Uncle Zoltan to come and live with us. Now dry your paws off, dear, before you get a chill!'

A nice, long soak...

Wilson is now soaking his sore feet after the Children's Parade. (I begged him not to wear those rubber boots on such a hot day…)

He is using this time profitably, though, by questioning the sTone Bros about their childhood holidays in the quarry. 

It appears that what they used to enjoy most was the constant noise of the excavating machines and intermittent blasting, and the beautiful views of the rocks through the incessant rain.

Bournemouth it is, then — which is lucky as I've already booked the hotel.

Children's Parade!

In spite of the heat, Wilson insisted on wearing his wellingtons with the Go-Faster Flames on them when he took part in the Uckfield Arts Festival Children's Parade. 

As a result of much pleading, he also took Antony with him. 

Antony was almost beside himself with excitement, and a couple of times he had to be put in a brown paper bag for a little while to calm him down.