Where is that buzzing coming from?  Is it a horsefly?  I hate horseflies. The welts are big and itchy and last for days. Besides, there are no horses on the island. Although the mudroom does smell of horse; an unexplained mystery.

Maybe it’s a deerfly. There are deer on the island.  Four of them. I saw three of the four yesterday, when walking the east side road. I’d not walked this on my own before, so I checked back at every turn to recognize markers, particular trees; No Thru Road sign. We were down a No Thru Road; up the drive and left; stop.

I hate deerflies.

But it’s a bee. I sit in the prow of the house and look up and she’s buzzing; not frantic, not lazy; just moving around in a somewhat disorderly manner.

Nate opens the door to tempt her down. The bee ascends ever higher. NO I CAN’T BE OUT THERE. UP HERE ONLY NO DOWN.

Finally she descends, ending up a few feet from me, testing the window edge where rain had leaked in.

Now a bee outside, bumping the window. OUT HERE, DUDE!

I think I’ll get a glass and reunite her with her sister.

As soon as I form the intent, she soars into the skylight; an only occasionally sociable bee.

I settle in to read my book, accompanied by the occasional musical buzz.

An hour later I look over at the window sill where she has alit and waits expectantly.  I get the glass, slide a paper on under it, and send her outside to soar. Perhaps she’ll find her sister bee, who is out saving other fellow travelers. Perhaps she won’t. I’ll never know.