• Thursday-What'sUP October 29 - 09:11 pm

When Barb Bouwkamp was out for a walk in Laurium, looking at the colors and just enjoying the scenery around and above her, she spotted something high up in a tree and snapped a picture of it with her cell phone. She couldn't quite tell what it was though, so she went back home to get her camera with a telephoto lens to get a better look. Zooming in up close, she said she almost wished she hadn't gotten a better look, because to her it looked spooky and creepy, even making her shudder. Barb had thoughts that it might be a cruel joke of a mask stuck up there high in the branches, since Halloween is just around the corner.

But alas, it was just a hornet or wasp nest hanging precariously from those high branches. What a great place to build a nest, high and away from any predators being able to destroy their home. Hidden away for the most part, until autumn arrived and took away their cover of leaves. Hopefully it won't fall and hit some unsuspecting passerby on a windy day.

That nest wasn’t the only thing Barb spotted hanging in the trees that day, but her second discovery was a common one and even something she welcomed seeing…a plethora of apples, with a blush of red showing that they're ready for picking. She didn't say, but I'm betting that visions of pies, applesauce and cobblers danced in her head. If it had been me, I'd have raced back home for something to carry some of those apples in, for sure. One more reason that fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year.

There's a saying that goes, the higher the hornets nest is from the ground, the more snow to be expected.

There's nothing like the sweetness of a fresh-picked apple. We had an apple tree for many years before a storm took it down and my husband and I loved grabbing one when riding by on our lawn tractors.
I've never seen a hornet's nest and hope to never see one, especially if it's inhabited.
Neat pictures, Barb.

I had a hornet's nest just below the roof line of
our house about a month ago that looked just like
that. It was identified as a bald-faced hornet
nest. Apparently, they are very aggressive hornets.
They also continue to build their nest and some of
our neighbors had some that were almost as big as a
basketball. So, be careful if you see one of these.

Mary, I had the same thought about it falling on a windy day. Sure wouldn't want to be right there right then!!
We had one of these in the backyard couple summers ago, but it was close to the ground, and very inhabited. I was trying to figure out how to get rid of it safely and cheaply (exterminator was Expensive!). Lo and behold one morning it was completely gone, and a few stray hornets buzzing around looking for it. Must've been a bear?? Whatever did it - Thank You! :)

Perfect face for Halloween! great pics!

Nice lookin crib!

That (#3) looks like (click →) Ramesses II lost his head!
Now where's (click →) Ichabod Crane? 😉

Now I see where the Beehive hairdo comes from, although I'm guessing the bees didn't come as part of the package.....

Janie T., hope the prediction about the higher up the hornets' nest is from the ground, the more snow to be expected won't be correct, but guess we'll find out before too long!

Look at the number of entrances/exits on that thing
too....I thought there was "only one"....That one has
too many!

Janie, that wasn't a very nice thing to say. It
snowed here yesterday, but didn't stick because,
thankfully, the ground is too warm.

Nice pictures!

I especially love the apple photos. Thanks 4 sharing.

I'll take those 'high in the sky' nests over the ground nests of the yellow jackets any day!

As a boy in the Copper Country, I surprised my mother with
one of those huge nests. We took the nest into our home
home and placed it above the fireplace. It was cold when I
retrieved the nest from the tree!

Stewart Keskitalo (Skeskitalo):

"As a boy in the Copper Country, I surprised my mother with one of those huge nests. We took the nest into our home and placed it above the fireplace. It was cold when I retrieved the nest from the tree!"

That sounds like we're missing the "rest-of-the-story" … after it warmed up! 😉