June already

I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon soaking up the delights of the Jubilee Pageant, thanks to the streaming video on the BBC website. The sight of singers belting out Land of Hope and Glory while clearly soaked to the skin was, I confess, a highlight. The commentators predictably commented on Britishness of it, although they can probably be forgiven as such assignments rarely require more than restating the obvious for the umpteenth time. After my fix of rain and Britannia ruling the waves I thought I'd go out and cycle in the sunshine, of which we had plenty today.

Unfortunately for me it seems the mayflies hadn't go the memo about the change of month. I took this photo on the return leg of my ride around Plivsko jezero, the large lake just outside Jajce. This is the main road looking back in the direction of Bihać. Everything that looks like dirty spots in the sky or light specks around the sun flare are in fact mayflies. There were hundreds of them. Probably thousands. I was thankful from my helmet and sunglasses; it was a case of head down and keep your mouth shut.

Wikipedia tells me mayflies are insects which belong to the order Ephemeroptera, from the Greek ephemeros, meaning "short-lived", and pteron, meaning "wing". So I should take heart that mayflies are ephemeral little things. Here today, hopefully gone by the time I ride again tomorrow. However ephemeral is not a word that could be attached to Queen Elizabeth II. With a staying power greater than many minor nations I don't think it is sycophantic to say she is in a class of her own. And from where I'm sitting writing this it seems unwise to underestimate the benefits this stability has brought Britain. As the Anthem goes: send her victorious, happy and glorious, long to reign over us, God save the Queen.

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