But what for do you need paintbrush cleaners, Madam — do you not have the Sea?

Today I notice that some of the fawn specks I thought were sand were really young barnacles trying to live on the paint. I wish I had known, and had a macro lens.

you people are strange digging deep the ground for glittering stones to put on you
(Rana temporaria temporaria)

there are stones called tiger eye . . . but really I think they’re frog eye
(Rana temporaria temporaria I believe)

and bees have smaller fleas that bite ’em?

it is hard to escape the impression that these mites are parasitical; but proportionally, if I had a dozen rats nestled into my fur I might do something about it unless they were paying their way somehow; but I am not a bee (in case you wonder)

on a spray of willow catkins, two bees pushing and shoving to get the most nectar; the one on the left seemed unwell, and stayed trying to feed till late evening, unable to just fly to a different twig, and so often in conflict with others; that on the right was normally strong in spite of its load of mites; there is some debate around how parasitic, or how symbiotic these might be; but all the strong bees that day had mites clinging on

One day passing through, with low water and time to crawl around the rocks. Getting a different angle on things . . .