Thursday, January 15, 2015

Sub Zzzzz


Image by SnaggleTooth Jan 2015

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.


Photo by SnaggleTooth Jan 2015

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.

Photo by SnaggleTooth Jan 2015

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...

10 Comments:

At 2:14 PM, Blogger LL Cool Joe said...

Oh boy that looks damn cold! I'm still eating Christmas chocolates too!

 
At 5:33 PM, Blogger Tabor said...

These photos look very creative. Learning a new camera. All our chocolates are gone and have been replaced with Valentines chocolates.

 
At 11:00 PM, Blogger Snaggle Tooth said...

LLcoolJ, Yep, the house feels alot warmer when you go out then back inside! Still have a little of each left, been snacking in little doses. hope to be done by Valentines chocolate time!

Tabor, I actually take several scewed orientation usually not used here much- just I have so few acceptable here from 3 weeks of messed up shots! Too early for Vals, except maybe a bag of those cinnamon hearts... Truffles are still too pricey until clearance time.

 
At 1:23 AM, Blogger Cloudia said...

Lovely spending time with you again, my friend



ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3

 
At 6:29 PM, Blogger G. B. Miller said...

The beauty of winter in southern New England.

Father Nature's Corner

 
At 6:14 AM, Blogger Snaggle Tooth said...

Cloudia,thanks- Always a mini-vaca visiting you- Aloha!

G.B., n I haven't even fallen on my butt yet- but had some close calls- Very slick out there on beach ice...

 
At 6:21 AM, Blogger Lynn said...

I feel a little chilly just looking at that. I hope you got the hornets away from you - I thought for a moment you were going to say they were still alive under the ice!

 
At 6:10 AM, Blogger Snaggle Tooth said...

Lynn, we had a 40-ish thaw a day ago, but now it's about 14 F again! I won't be sure about the hornets until spring. I put that dirt under a 4-way split tree so I'll remember to stay away from there. I'd wanted some Macro pics if it, but nothing looked like a regular nest- wierd

 
At 10:23 PM, Blogger Jannie Funster said...

Ooo, I had forgotten about our left-over candy canes until just now, thanks for the reminder! :)

Hope you got the bees! Springtime will tell, eh?

What kind and model camera did you get??

xooxo

 
At 2:01 AM, Blogger Snaggle Tooth said...

Jannie, I need mint for my congestion which is so bad this week- I have a whole box of Minis from the %50 shelf- Yay! They do last a long time. I better Bee able to clean-up the deck before they come looking this year- Nikon coolpix. Still getting some lousy shots- Need to upload pier pics from this week-

 

Post a Comment

<< Home