You tend to speak more quickly, and possibly less clearly, to someone who hears your voice all the time. They’re used to your half-mumbled phrases. So, when I go through to the kitchen for a snack, I might say to my nearest and dearest: ‘Ju want en’hn?’ (‘Do you want anything? Maybe a cup of tea?’)
Most of the time, this works just fine. But not always...
The other day, Esther asked, ‘How long does a winter bee last?’
‘About six months,’ I replied.
There was a pause. Then: ‘What?! Is that all?’
‘Six months is quite a long time – much longer than six weeks.’
Pause. Then: ‘Right. I'll start again. HOW LONG DOES A WIND TURBINE LAST?’
Turns out she’d been reading about the costs of solar and wind infrastructure. As always, I was still in beekeeper mode.