Why this blog exists...

I guess I wanted to start a blog because it just makes it a heck of a lot easier to keep up a running commentary on the Internet. I like to be able to post regular observations about certain things; such as my two favorite hobbies, wasp watching and storm chasing. Last year I tried to maintain a webpage with comments and information about each new storm event, and having to go in and edit HTML for each new event got old real fast.

Of course...it is January so both of those activities are kind of in the off season, but that doesn't mean interesting stuff can't happen.

Last Thursday, I spotted two bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) nests within a block of each other, up in trees in people's front yards in Stoughton. Using a long-handled clippers and a box to catch them I cut them down and added them to my collection. One is pretty much fully intact, and has branches woven into it in such a way that they make a nice built-in tripod to stand it up. The other has a big hole in it, so the cells inside are easily visible. I'll add some photos later.

Meanwhile, the 2006 severe weather season isn't wasting any time. After a very convoluted 2005 (the most active months were August and November, instead of April and May) one tornado has already touched down in Mississippi.













A widespread outbreak of severe thunderstorms may be in store for the southeastern United States tomorrow.