B.I.G. AND U.G.L.Y. Bug

We went to Walmart this morning. It's a great deal of fun being able to just go to the store without having to maneuver the after school crowd. We saw several mommies with their toddlers. J-man loved running ahead and then stopping and running back to me. He's at least staying in the same aisle.

He thinks he's big stuff.

Once Home, everyone helped carry in the bags. Mini-Me said, "There's a big bug outside. It's yellow and black striped with a brown head. I stayed AWAY from it!"

Okay. I said absently. Checking for messages and any e-mails that might have come in that needed immediate attention.

I went outside to gather in bags and purse and a diet coke I didn't need and she said "Look mom, there it is!"

I looked. It's a Cicada killer.
They are among the creepiest bugs EVER. A huge wasp...Oh - wait...Here's a link I found. I couldn't run in and get my camera soon enough - Prof. Holliday here has a picture at the bottom with a cicada killer actually climbing onto his hand. He's either brave or nuts. He's got fabulous pictures!

Then there's Wikipedia. And any number of other sites, come to think of it.

The first time that I saw this type of wasp, it flew past me and went into an underground burrow. It was huge to me - I mean it flew right by me. I first thought of the creatures from "Apollyon". Then I called my dad and said, "What the heck...?" And he told me what it was.

So when I saw it today, it was dragging a cicada across the lawn. I followed it to the tree and then watched to see what it would do. I wanted to see where it's burrow was located. It went up the tree!! It was the freakiest and coolest thing ever.

It climbed with a few feet and flew with it's wings, NEVER letting go of it's food source. It kept going straight up. I don't know why, as most of what I've read said they burrow underground. I don't know if it would go up and get a better lift off to fly home...or if it had found a place to live in my tree. It went straight up...Of course, standing there I got a bit nervous. What if it accidentally let go of it's paralyzed cicada and it bonked me in the face.

Mini-Me was not as fascinated as I was. That wasp had tenacity. It never let go of it's kill. It kept going up, up, up.... Resting when it could get a good foot hold. For it's two front feet.

Granted, I don't want to paralyze anyone, I just want that kind of stick-to-it-ness.