Today was Mother's Day where all mothers are to be honored and celebrated. It should be their day off from the worries of the world but, I have got news for you...that just does not happen....especially with the uncertain times that are slapping us in the face. Mothers worry. Mothers fret for the safety of their children (even when they are grown). Mothers are mothers. We will always look out for the best interest of our kids. Obviously, there is no "day off". The work is just conveniently shoved to another day. After all, who is going to pick up the slack while everyone insists she sits. The answer...no one. No one! The laundry, cooking, cleaning, caring for children, tending the needs of all family members, caring for the ill, soothing bruised egos are all mom chores. No one will pick up the slack. Don't even think that some one else will scrub that toilet cause it ain't happenin', folks. It ain't happenin'.
Perhaps it was just because of this social distancing or chalk it up to a bad mood day, but this was not a favorite day of mine. Oh, it had its bright moments since I did get to "see" (but not hug) my beautiful daughter and handsome son-in-law. We had to keep our "6 feet distancing" since she is in the medical field and is adamant about not spreading the virus. (I fully agree with that.) Having them here (in the yard) for a few moments was glorious! Another delightful moment was when Son pitched in to help home can the green beans that Mark brought home for the farmer's market. His quirky jokes made the time go faster. Still, I missed my oldest son, sweet daughter-in-law and grandlittles. That huge hole in my day hurt.
Speaking of "holes", I was tempted to crawl into one I found early this morning and just stay there. I could ride out the day in perfect bliss hiding in the sky! There was one break in the clouds that gave the illusion that it was an escape hatch from the worries of the world! If only I had a ladder long enough to reach the clouds, things would have been ok. Sometimes you just need to escape....I thought about it. It might have been a fun adventure!
Meandering about the hillside, you just never know what you may find. What was not there yesterday can easily pop up today. That is what makes hiking interesting. The small oddities that seemingly appear out of thin air get you to asking how? And why? And where? Some of the finds are pretty but others are creepy. Then, there are those that are downright confusing.
The hike this afternoon led me down behind the greenhouse where there is a large black gum tree that has seen better days. The tree has been battered by many hurricanes and has the battle scars to prove it. Some of those scars left gaping holes. Many critters take advantage of the holes to provide housing for their little ones. Nests are built inside the holes and are usually lined with leaves and soft grasses. Today, however, it was in one of those holes, way up in the top of the tree, that my bewildering find was made.
About thirty feet up the tree, there is a hole that obviously houses a critter of some sort. I could see that the hole has been recently occupied because a tumble of contents was extending beyond the opening. It was one of those "contents" that left me scratching my head. Slightly protruding from the "door" of the nest was a plastic water bottle. How in the world did the critter get that bottle up in the tree? Why in the world would it want a plastic bottle in its nest? And...what type critter would even consider the idea of toting it all the way up there? It was baffling, to say the least, but there it was.
I have yet to figure out this latest "Mystery of the Bayou" but I am intrigued enough to keep watch on the hole. Perhaps one day, I will spy the critter and, at least, answer the "who" question. Some critter has a lot of determination, that is for sure!
During our evening walk, the old dog refused to go any further. He balked about going down the hill. He turned this way and that instead of following the path. Then, he sat and was not about to go any further. One thing is certain about this fellow, when he decides to do something (or not do), there is no changing his mind. So, I changed my course and took him back inside. I really had no choice. Once inside, he happily plopped on his bed and looked at me as if to say, "I won!" Yeah, you did.
After getting the dog settled, Mark and I continued our stroll about the hillside. Our hikes do not go "down the hill" simply because that is the dog's designated potty spot. We meander across the top of the hill and then down around behind the canebrake. That path, however, could have meant trouble if we had taken the dog. I am glad he rarely goes across the area especially after this evening.
As we were walking, Mark and I both noticed a rather large hole in the ground. It was probably a good two inches in diameter and the sides were smooth. Hmm? My first thought was that the voles had returned but on closer inspection, I found that having voles would have been far better. This was a yellow jacket nest entrance!! Goodness! That hole seemed a lot larger now! As we stood there watching, nigh on fifty of the wasps entered the hole. Had the old dog stumbled across the hole, he would have been covered in a matter of minutes. The poor old dog would have received many painful stings. The fact that he never goes this path and his bull-headedness saved him!
Once again, however, I must say that these wasps were rather docile. Mark and I both were within a foot of the hole when we were pondering the source. Not one of the yellow jackets made an attempt to attack. They were intent on doing whatever they do down in the hole and were oblivious to our presence.
Mark took things in his own hands and got rid of the yellow jackets. He used a tried and true method of "Bottle of Gasoline in the Hole". Find a bottle that has some sort of neck, fill it with gas, wait until dark and then turn the bottle upside down with the neck sticking down in the hole. The gas pours into the nest below ground and kills the wasps that are inside. Waiting until dark assures that most of the yellow jackets are inside the nest. Every year since we have been here, we kill several nests like this. It is the safest way of eradicating the critters.
At dawn, I was on a scaffolding with paintbrush in hand. The day starts early when you want to beat the heat. Painting the southeast side of the house makes for a hot time starting about 11 am. That, and the fact that I am trying to beat the rain, has me hurrying my job. Still, I was not too rushed that I could not enjoy a bit of nature. My perch on the scaffolding has provided me with the perfect viewpoint of all around me..except for that directly below me. That, my friends, is exactly where I found the most interesting bit of wildlife.
Earlier, I noticed a rather large, perfectly carved hole in the ground by the front door. This hole was about an inch in diameter and drilled at a 45 degree angle. I did not ponder the hole and what made it as I had work to do. Then, I found another hole as precise as the first. This one was nearer the backdoor. OK, two holes made me wonder. While I painted, I pondered. That is the beauty of painting! You can act busy while merely daydreaming. The holes had to be made by a wasp but I was just not sure which one. It had to be a quite large wasp at that! Once I finished the wall I was painting, Son came to help move the unwieldy scaffolding. He was unlocking the wheels when he spied our interest for the day. Work quit for a good ten minutes as we observed a rather large, golden bee struggling to lift an even larger katydid. We found our hole digger!
The wasp was a Great Golden Digger Wasp! The female of the species digs many tunnels in which to lay her eggs. Each tunnel will be stocked with a paralyzed insect of the grasshopper family. A single egg is deposited on the grasshopper and then the tunnel is sealed. When the egg hatches, the larva feasts upon the insect as it develops into an adult wasp. The katydid that the Great Golden Digger Wasp was trying to carry was meant as food for her little one.
The female wasp is so programmed to the process of laying eggs that she does little else. She digs many holes, captures grasshoppers (and katydids!), inspects her tunnel, pulls the insect inside, lays the egg, covers the tunnel and goes hunting again. Studies have shown that if the wasp is interrupted during her mission, she will go back to the previous step and start again. For example, after she catches an insect, she drops it just outside the tunnel entrance and goes inside to inspect the condition of the tunnel. If it suits her, she returns to pull the grasshopper inside by its antennae. If the insect is moved while she is inside the tunnel, she returns it to its original position and goes back to inspect the tunnel again. This will be repeated as often as the bug is moved. Also, being a creature of habit, if the grasshopper has lost its antennae, she discards it and hunts another. She does not grasp ahold to a leg or wing to pull it into the tunnel. Only the antennae will do!
The Great Golden Digger Wasp looks intimidating due to its size. It is HUGE! However, this wasp is gentle and non aggressive. She is a good pollinator for the garden and does not harm any beneficial insects as she is only hunting grasshoppers. As with any wasp, she can sting but only does so if harassed to the point that she has no choice. It is perfectly safe to be in close proximity of these wasps unlike most others. The Great Golden Digger Wasp is welcome in my garden any time!
