Sub Zzzzz

Last week I'd thought I had the perfect outdoor chore for sub-zero weather: Removing the ground - hornet nest in my dis-carded, old, potting dirt pile on the deck. I'd waited so long for the residents to freeze n become dormant. I figured I could scoop the small pile into a barrel with the flat snow shovel, n relocate the possible remaining "queen pupae" across in the woods somewhere, so the nest  wouldn't return to that spot again in the spring.

We''d had such an interrupted spring last year, with that Polar Vortex returning, that seed planting got interrupted twice, I've learned my lesson, n won't procrastinate moving the pile again to avoid that problem in the future. Well, I bundled up n went out on the deck with the empty, yard-work barrel,

 The joke was on me, as the easy time I'd imagined became a dirt frozen to the deck, chip-off slowly with force chore. At least I worked so hard I didn't feel the deep cold. I had envisioned finding the bee house but I couldn't see anything chipped off resembling nest cells or a chamber as you would with a paper wasp nest. I have no idea if I got the important part or not. Most of the pile n some leaves got moved to the woods just before dark.

The sun had set far to the south-west of my usual cove spot before I got there for this ice pic
 while I was on the icy dirt relocating mission.

I've been learning very slowly how to take many bad n a few usable pics on the new "auto" everything cam. Most of my ice pics came out too dark n grainy to use, even after contrast adjustment later. There's no list of what the pre-sets for light n shutter speeds are in the "modes" so as a traditionally trained in film person, I have only trial n error to guess with.

There's alot of ice out there on the salt water now, just don't know when I'll get out over there, n if I'll get any good pics before the batteries go dead. I need some new re-charge- ables, but still getting caught up on regular errands put off for holiday time, n not at that point yet.

Still eating holiday chocolates. The chocolate candy canes are lasting so long... n freezing temps make them taste better too...