Stirring up a Hornet’s Nest
I had gone to a friend’s mountain home to check on the property in Doyle, California for
him. It had been unoccupied for many months. Wild rose bushes were overgrown and
cobwebs were everywhere. I took a walk down to the brook, a hundred yards or so from
the house. There, the owner kept an old Airstream trailer. I found the key to the trailer in its
secret hiding place under a specific rock, and I unlocked the padlock to the door on the old
trailer.
The door seemed stuck, but I tugged at it and pulled it open only to discover a swarm of
crawly black things—a hundred or so?—behind the grillwork of the screen door. At first I
thought the creatures were black widow spiders because they were so large (for spiders),
but when a few of them flew away I realized I had stirred up a nest of hornets—large ones.
I quickly closed the door and locked the padlock. Hornets locked inside. No problem. No
harm done. I escaped any attack.
What a coincidence, I thought to myself. This reminds me of the hornet’s nest I stirred up
when I opened the door to an attempt at communication with a person I hardly know. A
quick and immediate attack was hurled. I ducked in time. No, thank you, I’ll just keep that
door closed and locked too.
Luckily, I didn’t get stung in either situation.
Watch the video.
Genie Webster
artist & writer
Reno, NV
www.geniewebster.net
I had gone to a friend’s mountain home to check on the property in Doyle, California for
him. It had been unoccupied for many months. Wild rose bushes were overgrown and
cobwebs were everywhere. I took a walk down to the brook, a hundred yards or so from
the house. There, the owner kept an old Airstream trailer. I found the key to the trailer in its
secret hiding place under a specific rock, and I unlocked the padlock to the door on the old
trailer.
The door seemed stuck, but I tugged at it and pulled it open only to discover a swarm of
crawly black things—a hundred or so?—behind the grillwork of the screen door. At first I
thought the creatures were black widow spiders because they were so large (for spiders),
but when a few of them flew away I realized I had stirred up a nest of hornets—large ones.
I quickly closed the door and locked the padlock. Hornets locked inside. No problem. No
harm done. I escaped any attack.
What a coincidence, I thought to myself. This reminds me of the hornet’s nest I stirred up
when I opened the door to an attempt at communication with a person I hardly know. A
quick and immediate attack was hurled. I ducked in time. No, thank you, I’ll just keep that
door closed and locked too.
Luckily, I didn’t get stung in either situation.
Watch the video.
Genie Webster
artist & writer
Reno, NV
www.geniewebster.net
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