Too much nature

I am willing to live here peacefully with nature. I think bees are even pretty, from a distance. They certainly have an important job to do and they are welcome to do it, as long as they don't sting me. If you have ever heard an angry bee buzzing because it is tangled in your hair, you have heard a very ugly sound.

While I was in Toronto last month we had one nice, warm day at home. Child was still living here and she attempted to barbeque. To tell the truth, I had a few minutes in Toronto giggling at the thought of her making herself at home, raiding my freezer, and grilling for all her friends. I remember lifting the lid off my grill last fall and finding at least 4 dozen wasps living inside. I set the lid gently back down and decided to get a new grill this summer.

Sure enough, she tried to do it. She closed all of the vents on the grill and put a tarp over it, hoping the little buggers would die. I just checked, using a rake handle to remove the lid. Only two were moving, and several dozen were dead in the bottom. I admit, I felt bad. But it's my grill, right? They were trespassing or something.

Yesterday I was working on the west side of my house and found several black, very hairy, big spiders. They would just walk out after I pulled some weeds, and I just let them go. I didn't see any hourglasses, but I watched for them. We don't need to mention all the poor little worms that get displaced. I will put them back in the dirt if they end up on cement. Ants, well. Ants are pretty yucky, but I ignore them.

Today I was trimming some lower branches off my silver maple and the other big tree. It might be an ash, I am not very good at this identification stuff. "Helicopters' were landing in my hair and making me a tad nervous, but I got used to it. I do feel a little vulnerable when I am hanging by one arm from a branch over my head and using a branch saw with the other. (psst, don't tell my PT who is trying to rehab my shoulder after the fated stress test, OK?)

However, there was a crow out there. A very unhappy crow. I am guessing it was a momma crow, and maybe she has a nest in one of those two trees. They are huge, and close enough together to string a hammock, which I intend to do some day. She was a big bird, and was constantly circling me and cawing and cawing. I finally gave up and worked on a small tree that is growing in the dog run and needs to come out.

I am such a coward. But who can mess with a momma?

Right now there is a wasp stuck between the door and the screen door to the dog run. I hope the dogs aren't planning on going outside soon. I hate it when I go to open the screen door and there is a wasp on the handle, waving its antenna and stinger at me. I swear they waggle their little thumbs at their noses, too.

Too much nature and heavy work for one day. I need to do something girlie. I think I will go get my nails done now.