Bee heaven

Lucy had never visited Cragside, so it was decided to go there today. First a  very pleasant walk around the gardens. MrM and I hadn't been to the 'formal' gardens before - they are an absolute delight, with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside and some beautiful plants and flowers (and no annuals arranged in straight rows, thankfully!). Around the glasshouses, wild flowers to attract insects, and it was wonderful to see and hear so many bees  buzzing around.

After a picnic lunch, Lucy and I decided to brave the house. It's definitely worth a visit and we enjoyed wandering around the ground floor, where there were relatively few other people. We spent very little time on the first floor which seemed quite crowded, and a significant number of people weren't wearing masks, for whatever reason.

MrM drove a little way along the Carriage Drive to Nelly's Moss, where we did the 'lakes walk' (extra). Lots of fish in both lakes, and we watched several jumping out of the water. Some interesting fungi and vegetation beside the lakes.

Cups of tea/coffee and chocolate biscuits sitting by the van, before returning home for tea - one of MrM's delicious curries.

ION: We were woken by an upsetting phone call at the crack of dawn - very sadly, MrM Senior had died in hospital a short time earlier. MrM's sister is taking care of what needs to be done, so it was decided that we should carry on as normally as possible.
Covid-19 can be an extremely nasty and very unpredictable illness. Please, dear Blippers, if you catch it, think you may need help, and are advised to call an ambulance, just do it - don't delay because you might feel better tomorrow, or the next day, or the next...