Walk Stopper
I cut my walk short today. I
was set to venture along the overgrown path which skirts the ditch. I’ve seen lots of animals along this
path. Wild turkeys once scrambled along
the ditch ahead of me in fear. A deer
once leaped along the meadow further along the path… stopping at the edge of
the woods and staring back at me.
I once saw a coyote here.
Keeping it’s distance and slipping into the woods… while somehow
crossing my path to the woods on the other side without me ever seeing it again
on open ground.
But today I cut my walk short and high tailed it back from where I
came. Today I was introduced to the
Great Black Wasp.
I never knew this creature existed before today. So when I saw it I didn’t know if I was
dealing with a casual, easy going insect or an attack dog with wings. Cause it was the size of a dog. Mercy.
I’ve twice been stung by regular wasps. The first time, as a small kid in BC… feeling
a pinch upon my wrist… I looked down to see the yellow and black rings of a
creature I feared would pick me up and fly me away.
Being young and small, that wasp covered the width of my wrist. It seemed monstrous to me.
I feared wasps from that day until my second stinging. The second one came in my early
thirties. A group of us walking along a
woods boardwalk and the vibration caused by my uncle in front of me brought out
the angry wasps to attack the next person they could find. And so my leg got a sting which burned a
little at first but quickly subsided from there.
The monster insect of my childhood became little more than an angry
mosquito. I still don’t like them, but
regular wasps don’t bring out the fear in me.
But today’s wasp seemed like something from the Alien movies. This creature was shiny black and probably an
inch and a half long. Had it flown over
and landed upon my wrist, I’d have been right back to the days of childhood
with that monster ready to fly me away.
So before giving this hell spawn the chance, I decided I’ve gone
deep enough into the deep brush. For all
I knew, there could be a hive of fifty of these insects and I spotted the
scout. I didn’t want to test fate.
Once home, I googled the animal.
I typed “big black hornet” and suddenly saw the pictures come up. There was the Great Black Wasp… and reality
sinks in.
Reading, this insect is solitary.
It leaves you alone and isn’t at all aggressive unless you provoke
it. So I likely would have survived
passing it by and continuing on my walk.
But I still think about the fact these wasps burrow into the ground and
what if I stepped on it as it was coming out.
And I still think if I hadn’t spotted it and brushed through the wild flowers
it was crawling upon, would that have been enough to set it off?
I guess I’m still touchy about wasps. Thirty-something me hasn’t fully won the
fight with pre-teen me. And I’d just
assume not bother an insect that would cover the entire width of my wrist.
In never felt so good to be safe at home.
WEDNESDAY...
--- Up all night. Bed at 10:45 but didn't fall asleep until after
midnight. Woke again at 2:30 or so and was up for good then. So day off work,
I'm not going in on so little sleep.
--- Do drift off on sofa at 7:30... Get up and go to bed at 8:00. Up
for good at 9:30.
--- Talk to the folks on the phone before getting some groceries and
doing a small walk in the afternoon.
THURSDAY...
--- Take it off. I figure it's better for returning to reasonable
sleep, after the fiasco yesterday, to not set up going from days to nights and
just deal with night shift.
FRIDAY...
--- It's noisy times at home. Neighbour having a patio built in
back. Road paving out front. I get a bit of a nap in the afternoon but it's not
ideal.
--- Work is ok. Bit tired by the end but nothing too bad.
SATURDAY...
--- Up late. About 12:30. I usually am up around 11:00 after night
shift. Watch some ball on TV before night two.
--- work is quieter than yesterday. Not a bad night.
SUNDAY...
--- A walk and some Sunday TV. Bit of a nap in there too.
MONDAY...
--- Stay pretty close to home before ball tonight. Kind of tired so
I rest around the house.
--- Lose a close one at ball. We aren't hitting right now as a team
and I'm not hitting well personally either. Reached both at bats I had but by
fielders choices each time. My timing is all off right now.
--- A bite to eat and some drinks after the game. About eight of us
go. A nice evening.
TUESDAY...
--- Groceries got in the morning and a trip to Canadian Tire for a
broom for the garage and get some new batting gloves for ball at the same time.
--- Afternoon movie. Two movies watched alone in a row for me. And
both afternoon flicks. It's not bad. The cinema is close to the house and it's
an easy thing to do. Watch the Conjuring this day. Good horror movie. Above
average one to be sure.
--- While I was in movie world, the outside world seemed to get a
deluge. Storm clouds around and lots of wet pavement. But it's no longer
raining for my drive home.
--- Evening Blue Jays. They're really quite painful to watch. Seems
to find a way to lose every game. And Tabler and Buck are becoming too painful
calling games. I always liked these guys but they are too often trying to spin
everything as great. Every loss is because the other team is so good. Listening
to these guys you'd expect the Jays only play defending World Series champions
with only Cy Young award winning pitchers throwing each game. While each good
game by a Jay player is the start of turning the corner. And the worst thing is
these guys call a game as if you're tuning in for the first time every three
innings. They basically say the same stuff every three innings. Lastly,
Sportsnet set up a broadcast where, really, the only way to stay sane is to
change channels between half innings. Every break have the same adds over and
over again. And half those adds are simply promoting the Blue Jays. The same
theme music over and over. The same posing mediocre ball players pretending to
hit home runs on a stage. And the same wooden acting kids cheering with
the stupid mascot and flapping the Blue Jay logos on their shirts with the
enthusiasm of a hostage at gunpoint. It gets tempting to pay the cash for the
Extra Innings package so I can watch good baseball with good commentators. Oh
how I wish I could listen to Vin Scully each evening.
