That Bumblebee

We were on a stroller walk when we found that bumblebee.

We were on our way home from visiting friends when we found that bumblebee.

Our friends had been picking and eating salal berries, and sharing them with Min. Min was still munching salal berries in the stroller when we found that bumblebee.

Tamias was pushing the stroller along the road when we found that bumblebee.

In the middle of the road, what did Tamias see?

Tamias saw that bumblebee!

Then what did Tamias do?

It parked the stroller at the side of the road, and very slowly, very gently picked up that bumblebee.

It showed the bumblebee to Min.

Min asked, “Is it stinging you?”

Tamias said, “No. Bees sting when they feel scared or squished or poked. I’m being very gentle with this bumblebee. It’s not stinging me.”

Tamias put its hand right beside a salal leaf and said, "Bumblebee, crawl onto this leaf, and into the bushes, where you won't get squished by cars."

Did that bumblebee crawl onto that leaf?

No! That bumblebee turned and crawled back across Tamias's hand. It stopped and licked Tamias's finger with it's strange bumblebee tongue.

Why was the bumblebee licking Tamias's finger?

There was salal juice on Tamias's finger!

Tamias asked, "Min, can this bumblebee have one salal berry from your pile, please?

Min passed one salal berry to Tamias.

Tamias squished the berry, and offered it to the bumblebee.

Did that bumblebee munch that salal berry?

No! It just licked the fresh juice from Tamias's finger.

So, Min munched the berry.

We watched that bumblebee licking and licking with its strange bumblebee tongue.

Then Tamias held the bumblebee beside a salal leaf again, and said, "Thank you for the visit, bumblebee. Thank you for showing us your strange bumblebee tongue. Now we're all done visiting. Bye-bye, bumblebee."

Did that bumblebee crawl onto that salal leaf?

No! It crawled back across Tamias's hand.

Then what did Tamias do?

It dropped that bumblebee.

Then the bumblebee crawled into the bushes, and Min munched salal berries in the stroller, and Tamias pushed the stroller all the way home to the house.

Bye-bye, bumblebee. Thanks for the visit.