Carrying a Big Stick

The problem with working on more than one property at a time is that sometimes you realize you left a critical tool or bit of equipment behind. This week I forgot my paint clothes and a taller ladder. After driving out an hour to get to Mom's house, I wasn't going to go back for them.

Anyway, remember that watermelon-sized hornet's nest we discovered last week?

I had saturated it in hornet/wasp spray until the thing was dripping. That beast shoulda been dead.

Mom and I had lunch near this tree while at the house, and there wasn't a single hornet flying nearby, even though we had a coupla sticky sweet Cokes that should have lured them.

"I guess it's safe to knock out of the tree," I said.

But without the ladder, I couldn't climb up to get the nest down. And since we were showing the house to prospective tenants later in the afternoon, I didn't want this big, paper nest hanging near the front door.

I figured the intelligent thing to do would be to take a stick and whack it after all. Here's me bringing my game face to the challenge. Grrr.

Unfortunately, the stick was too short. So I threw it, javelin-style, at the nest.

Look at that expert form. Ha! I don't think I've seen a more awkward-looking picture of me.

I barely grazed the nest. I was just thinking to retrieve the stick for another try, when several dozen very angry hornets came streaming out. We made a mad scramble for the garage.

So much for the Hot Shot Wasp and Hornet Spray I used. Was the product a bust, or did I wait too long to retrieve the nest? The label said it would kill everything in it as well as anything returning to the nest.