The Honey Bus

While exploring her grandparents’ kitchen one morning, Meredith discovers an old blender. Unsure of how to cook for herself, she makes a smoothie with mint Jell-O, milk, and corn flakes. Grandpa gamely tastes the shake before challenging Meredith to drink it herself. Before she is able to, a bee flies into the room, drawn to the scent of the sugary drink. Meredith panics, swatting the bee away violently. When Grandpa firmly grabs her arm to stop her, Meredith is shocked because Grandpa is always gentle and has never chastised her. She realizes that he is as protective of the bees as he is of his family. Grandpa teaches her how to gently capture and release bees and how to tell whether they are stressed or happy based on the frequency of their buzz. As she watches the bee up close, Meredith realizes that her Grandpa has exposed her to another world.

Energized by the discovery of the bees’ secrets, Meredith decides to return to the honey bus with Matthew to see if her younger brother can find a small hole to shimmy into. Their efforts are interrupted by Grandpa, who agrees to let her visit the beehives instead.