Monday, May 07, 2007

Terrified Beyond the Capacity for Rational Thought

What's that from? (this one is easy)

Last night, as my mother and I were going to head up to bed, we noticed Miss Luna staring into the fireplace. Then there was this sudden buzzing sound, like someone using a weed whacker next door. At 2100. Right.

We turned on closer lights and were met with the hugest hornet I've ever seen. Safely behind the glass in the fireplace, the sucker was a good inch and a half to two inches long, and about half an inch wide and tall (excepting legs and wings) with a brownish red face. It was so much bigger than the little guy who got me last Autumn. It buzzed loudly against the glass of the fireplace. When it wasn't buzzing with its wings, it was crawling around the inside searching for a way out.

I think we haven't yet closed the flue from winter.

Miss Luna really really really wanted that hornet. And I really really really wanted her to stay far far away from it. When it wasn't making noise, it wasn't interesting to her.

I did try to take a picture of the giant thing, but it was too dark, and behind the glass isn't good for camera flash. I grilled my dad about possible ways it might get out of the fireplace and into the house (I don't want one of the kitties to decided to 'play' with it and get stung!). He assured me those big openings at the top are not connected to the main part where the fire goes at the base. What's their purpose if they're not connected? Beats me, and whether it was true or not, it made me feel better.

Did you know that hornets, and the Giant European Hornet that I think this guy was, are actually not aggressive? You don't want to get stung by one, but it wouldn't attack you unless you're near it's nest or bothering it. You know, bothering it like a cat pouncing on it.

Miss Luna did lose interest. Callie never had any. And I was able to shut my door and sleep without dreams of large stinging critters crawling all over me.

I feel kind of bad for it, because it's just going to die in there and then we'll open up the fireplace and close the flue. Maybe it found its way out in the night.

Just because it, and stinging creatures like it big and small, filled me with a mortal kind of horror, doesn't mean I wished it dead. That usually comes after they've spent hours in my skirt or stung me.

4 comments :

Willow Goldentree said...

I had the biggest smile on my face while reading that! Silly little Miss Luna.

If you're interested, because I always am, according to Ted Andrews: a BEE (because he doesn't discuss wasps) is the reminder to extract the honey of life and to make our lives fertile while the sun shines. The bee reminds us that no matter how great the dream there is the promise of fulfillment if we pursue it. The elixir of life is as sweet as honey, and the bee is a symbol that promises us that the opportunity to drink of it is ours if we but pursue our dreams.

"Sloth love Chunk!"

Unknown said...

I'm not sure that counts, because hornets don't harvest honey (carnivores). Maybe it's telling me to be on my guard about something?

So...no one knows that quote? ;)

Willow Goldentree said...

HA!! I found it! "Ghost Busters"

And, I had no idea wasps were carnivores. Oops, sorry about that. I think your interpretation is much more accurate.

Unknown said...

Good job! That line never ceases to make me laugh!

That's why they can sting you multiple times; they use their stingers for hunting. Unlike bees, whose barbed stingers are designed for defense (against other bees, which they can sting multiple times).