Bao swallowed a bee this morning, while we were having our walk.

The weather here in Tucson has been unseasonably warm and all sorts of things are prematurely bursting into bloom, including our dozens of lavender bushes.

When a low-flying, blossom-browsing bee buzzed Bao, he snapped at it. And caught it. And swallowed it.

I thought, If it stings the inside of his mouth or his tongue and he's allergic, his throat will swell up and he'll die. He'll suffocate. I was so scared. I picked him up and ran home and got in the car and we drove straight to the Emergency Veternary Clinic.

It was closed. You're supposed to call ahead.

Bao sat happily next to me on the front seat. He wagged his tail. He got up on his hind legs and licked my face. His tongue looked fine. He looked fine. Maybe I over-reacted. I do that, sometimes.

So we drove home again. I'm feeling a bit sheepish, now. Even so, it's better to be safe than sorry.