Bald-Faced Cheekiness

Mom always taught me that if I couldn't find anything nice to say about something, then don't say anything at all. I have nothing nice to say about these critters and their near-relatives this time of year. 

They are positively...waspish.  Short-tempers, combative, threatening flight patterns directed at our heads and sneaky chemical warfare dealt out with absolutely no tolerance or mercy.  "Get a grip," I holler.  And by golly they do! 

MM and I are victims of their nasty personalities of late summer.  They hover over anything that might have the least bit of sugar and buzz past at frightening speeds and proximity to our noses. 

I stemmed grapes inside to be on the safe side.  Nonetheless, when I went out to harvest the last of the Catawbas, sure enough, I got stung.  I was ambushed.  The sneaky devil was right inside the cluster.  Popped out and visited me with guerilla warfare.  Finger swelled up and itched like mad!

 MM was mowing.  Minding his own business.  And encountered a particularly virulent personality, resulting in his getting stung...several times. 

One just flew through the office a few minutes ago. We are getting very wary.  I know over winter we will find the huge nests of what some affectionately call "baldy."  They are enormous and almost seem to be hiding in plain sight. 

I hate using sprays and I am not unaware of the "good" these guys do in terms of attacking and eating pests.  But I am not a pest.  Not in my own garden and vineyard.  There needs to be some understanding, here.  For the moment, I carry a pocket swatter at all times! 

I am still waiting for the end of summer, but I just finished reading an article that tells us the drought will likely continue well into next year.  How dismal is that!