I took this picture of a wasp's nest (look carefully at the centre of the shot) in a big old tree at the southern edge of the Allan Gardens late in the afternoon on the last day of February.
The little miracle that may be easy to miss in the photo is that it is late afternoon, and there's still enough light to take pictures.
While I am heartily weary of winter, I love February for this reason: I can feel the days getting longer.
But it is not particularly the promise of summer in the longer days that makes me glad. Summer around here is hot, the air quality terrible and, come August, the wasps have taken over. The nest in the picture is just one of many I've seen in the bare trees this winter. I regard them with fear and foreboding.
But, Wikipedia says the nests are abandoned. Wasp colonies die off; the last great act of the mortal queen is to create some fertile males and females who then mate. The males die and the fertilized females look for a safe spot to hibernate for the winter. In spring, the baby queens start new nests, using the male seed stored in their bodies to birth thousands of new wasps.
Another miracle, I guess.
Have a great week!
Karen
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