A fall hike

The days are supposed to be getting shorter, yet they seem endlessly full of work, commuting, stress. We got out to Mt Baldy, to enjoy the fresh air, the endlessly blue sky, the blankets of golden fallen leaves, gurgling streams.

I moved as each sunny spot I'd chosen shifted. I sat for a while and watched a wasp sun itself, clean off its legs and antennae. It would flex its wings, back and forth, as if it were a jet fighter being put through a final checkout by mechanics. It was much less organic and fluid in its motion; more mechanical than one would expect. The wasp would flit back and forth, checking its footing on the branch it had settled on, then return to its cleaning, flexing its wings up and down.

This continued for quite a while.

Ladybugs scurried back and forth, hopping over worn out strands of glistening cobwebs. The wasp continued, without distraction, seeming to enjoy its sunbath.

J got back, found me and called over, "Watch'ya doin'?"...


"... Oh, just watching this wasp ..."

Another small respite.


More photos and sketches here.