The Bees’ Knees

Currently, Ken and I are on a cruise. It hasn’t been quite the experience we’d hoped for, due to sh*tty weather. The first sign of trouble was the night before we were supposed to leave and I got an email telling us that we were no longer going to Key West and Nassau because of “inclement weather—now we were going to Key West and Cozumel. When we arrived in Florida, it was pouring and windy but we were only there overnight. Once we got on the ship, the seas were super-rocky and by that night, our snorkelling excursion in Key West had been cancelled. But it was okay—we decided to just do the hop on/hop off trolley and see the town. The next morning , I woke up and turned on the ship’s navigation channel. It showed our ship going into Key West, doing a circle, then heading back out. Now, I’m not very good with maps but it seemed to me that a loop and a “high tail it out of there” wasn’t a great sign. And sure enough, about half an hour later, there was an announcement that it was too dangerous to try and dock in Key West so we were heading straight for Cozumel. But the announcement was only in the halls, and when we went for breakfast, it was amazing how many people were coming in with backpacks and whatnot, as if they were going ashore. The family next to us kept saying, “When do you think we’ll get to Key West?” and “How much longer will it be?” until I put them out of their misery and told them, “Never.”

But Ken and I were not deterred. After a full sea day of playing trivia and winning champagne and jewellery at the art auction raffle, we went to sleep excited about our excursion the next day to the Mayan ruins and the beach. Then things got even better when we got on the bus and our guide told us that we were also stopping at an extra destination—a tequila factory. And that was awesome because we had booked a trip to a rum factory in Nassau and I was very sad about missing it because if you know me at all you know I adore factories where alcohol is made.

Once we’d finished at the Mayan ruins, where we saw the cutest iguanas and a random anteater, we got back on the bus. We started chitchatting with the guide, Payo, and I said, “I’m excited about the next stop” and he replied, “Oh yes, the something something” and I said “Pardon?” and he said “The Bee Sanctuary” and I said, “…Pardon?!” because the way he said it, it still sounded kind of like Tequila Factory because of his very thick accent so I got my hopes up, but he said it again and there was no doubt that IT WAS BEES. Then he went back to the front of the bus.

Me: We’re going to a bee sanctuary?

Ken: Apparently.

Me: Do I have to touch the bees?

Ken: Probably not.

Me: Okay then.

Ken: You’re being surprisingly calm about this.

Me: I should have had the free tequila shot at the Mayan ruins when that dude offered it. Are these rescue bees or something? Do you think they’ll be aggressive?

But I needn’t have worried. They were tiny stingless bees and we never saw any of them. And there were market stands at the bee sanctuary that sold tequila so it all worked out in the end.

In other news, I’m absolutely thrilled to tell you that my new novel, Charybdis, is going to be published by UK publisher JC Studio Press, run by the amazing Jane Cornwell. Here’s a synopsis:

Charybdis takes place in two different time periods. In the present, Greta Randall, a graduate student in Waterloo, Ontario about to embark on a PhD., is determined to continue her research into an obscure Canadian poet and recluse, Louisa Duberger, hoping that she will uncover the mystery of Duberger’s life and work. In the second time period, beginning in the year 1891, Louisa Duberger herself chronicles the tragic events of her life in a secret diary that she keeps from her eighteenth birthday until her death at the age of 25. The two timelines converge in a suspenseful way when Greta meets Matthew Shepherd, who claims to be Louisa’s great-great-nephew, and who has secrets of his own that he would kill to protect, including the last entry of Louisa’s diary.

Look for it in late spring 2024!

32 thoughts on “The Bees’ Knees”

  2. Yes–there are some strong storms out that way. My parents and my sister live in Florida, so they’re used to these storms, but the news is everywhere, so maybe these are stronger than normal. And congratulations on your forthcoming publication! Cheers!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  3. barbaramullenix's avatar barbaramullenix says:

    Did they offer you any sort of refund for the trip? (Travel Insuance?) You pretty much got to see nothing that you expected and paid for. I’m in South Florida and even though we’re used to storms, this is the wrong time of year and much too long lasting. We’ve had gusts up to 45 MPH. That’s nearly hurricane strength. Still some rain this AM and breezy, so I’m hoping this 5 day ‘event’ is now over. Although it did lower temperatures so we’re all grateful for that! Welcome home and huge congratulations on the new book!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Nope, no refund except on shore excursions. They seem to think adding more trivia contests and line dancing make up for it lol. And thanks—we get home tomorrow then time to celebrate by doing final revisions to the manuscript!

      Like

      Reply

  5. Stingless bees are the bee’s knees, aren’t they? For the record, stingless bees are definitely my kind of bees. They’ve got brains, beauty, and a buzz that’s all about positivity and productivity. Who needs stingers when you’ve got all that going for you? #StinglessBeeFanclub

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. The Bee Sanctuary sounds like a fun excursion and I think I would have enjoyed it almost as much as the Mayan ruins. They were fascinating people with an incredible mythology. And speaking of that your new novel sounds absolutely amazing. I’m so looking forward to reading it. After all your excursioning I was trying to think of an appropriate line from Wallace Stevens’s “The Idea of Order At Key West” but I was stopped by the first line: “She sang beyond the genius of the sea.” How was he talking about you?

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  7. Have fun on your cruise, Suzanne. It sounds like it hasn’t gone quite as planned, but you’re still getting some time with the local tequila. That’s what counts. Thanks for the laughs. And huge congrats on the book! Happy Holidays!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  9. I think I’d have like’d to have seen the tequila factory. The making of tequila is way different than any other alcohol. Sure, in the end you have to distill the mash, but to get to that point, considerably different than most spirits.

    Covid’s on the rise, again. Tulum, Mexico was pretty cool, right on the coast. Cozumel/Cancun… meh.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

Leave a comment