SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
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Exploring Hendricks County
By Jackie Horn
Where Are They Now? The other day I read on a local Facebook page that a resident found a GIANT hornets’ nest in the tree branch hanging over their driveway! “How do I get rid of it?!” Where DO the hornets go in the winter? Are they tucked away in that mass of wood-pulp paper waiting to sting the bejeebers out of anyone who tries to remove their nest from the tree? In spring, a Bald-faced hornet (the type of nest the writer described) queen emerges from her winter palace among dead leaves on the ground. She finds a suitable place for her new home and makes a small hive from wood pulp and saliva. Having mated the previous fall, she lays her first batch of eggs for the new year. These eggs hatch and grow. These adults are now the workers. The workers will hunt, forage for food, build and guard the nest, and take care of the eggs and larvae which the queen has been producing. The queen’s only responsibility now is to lay eggs to produce more workers. As the eggs hatch and mature, the hive grows in population as well as size. By the end of summer, the nest can be as large as 14” in diameter by 24” in length and house up to 400 hornets. The bald-faced hornets can be very aggressive if they or their home are threatened. They can also sting multiple times with no harm to themselves. Luckily for people, it’s difficult to unintentionally upset them. They build their
The Republican
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Voices
nests high in trees at the end of the branches. The nest has been there all summer. Now that the leaves have fallen it is visible...and frightening. The thing is bald-faced hornets are beneficial. They hunt and feed horse and deer flies to their young, a LOT of flies. The workers eat nectar. While they aren’t exceptional pollinators, they do transfer pollen between flowers. As far as that huge nest hanging over the driveway, it’s empty. At the end of summer, the queen produces two special types of eggs, fertilized and unfertilized. The fertilized eggs are potential new queens. The unfertilized eggs become males. When this brood matures, they leave the hive and mate. Their departure signals the death of the hive. All the workers die as temperatures drop and the queen abandons the nest. She, as well as the new queens, will “hibernate” in leaf debris. The males die. It all starts over in the spring. The old hive, as impressive and intimidating as it is, is deserted. Winter weather will batter it until it disintegrates or is cut down and hung in a school classroom because it is wicked cool! The hornet nest hanging above the drive poses no threat. How about butterflies? Where are they now? Depending on the species, butterflies and moths winter-over in different life stages. Some as adults survive in diapause, a dormant state similar to hibernation, in cracks of trees, rocks, or buildings. Others cling to twigs as eggs or pupae (chrysalises or cocoons) or buried in the ground and leaf debris as larvae (caterpillars). One exception is Monarch butterflies. In spring, a Monarch lays her eggs and in 3-5 days, they hatch. The new caterpillar starts chowing down on milkweed. (Milkweed is the only thing they eat.) In about two weeks, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis, and two weeks after that it metamorphoses into the beautiful orange, black, and white Monarch. The adult butterfly flits around, eats nectar, mates, lays eggs, and dies. The cycle repeats until late summer when a generation delays mating. They migrate. The Monarchs from our area (east of the Rocky Mountains) head south, over a thousand miles, to Mexico. While enjoying the warm Mexican weather, the Monarchs mate. The swarm begins to move back north in March. Along the route, they lay their eggs and die. Their offspring continues the migration north. Depending on where they call home (Monarchs’ range stretches as far north as southern Canada), it will take three to five generations to complete the migration. The amazing thing is, these fragile insects make this migration, fluttering up to two thousand miles, without ever having been there before. With winter’s chilly weather arriving, I think the Monarchs have the right idea. A little south-of-the-border trip sounds inviting...but I think I’ll use a map.
Our Readers Write I don’t profess to understand the details and exact theories of CRT. I would hope that teaching truthful history does not inherently include reducing standards for anyone, and although I expect that there are some advocates of that, I hope that more rational minds prevail. Teaching truthful American history and maintaining high standards should not be mutually exclusive. All Americans learning the facts of history is crucial. All American students should learn the truth of the American Revolution (which includes our forefathers breaking laws to gain independence), the genocide of Native Americans rather than some national pride (and blatant white supremacy) narrative; the history of slavery, including reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin; the industrial revolution; the world wars, including Nazi Germany; the civil rights movement of the 60s; the Vietnam War; at a minimum. All of this to promote the advancement of the human race. No one wants children working in factories again. No reasonable and sane person wants Nazis running the world or even a single country. No one wants monarchies again in the countries that had revolutions and replaced monarchies with democracies. No one wants genocide of any kind yet it continues today in parts of the world. No one wants our political leaders engaging in Watergate schemes. No one wants nuclear war. No one wants crucifixion and torture as legal forms of punishment. No reasonable and sane person wants slavery, but the reality of racism cannot be ignored. Real history must be taught, including the horrors of it, in order for systems and processes and the human condition to progress and advance for the betterment of all peoples. Amy Comer Elliott Danvillle ______________________________________________
Just An Observation By Janet Beam
A Faux Pas
I once made a horrendous faux pas. I was so embarrassed I was at a loss for words for once in my life. As you know or should know, a faux pas is quite simply a blunder, usually in a social setting. I suppose a faux pas could also be considered a “putting your foot in your mouth” goof up. We have all said things we should not have said, but after all we are human and prone to these types of things. My most embarrassing faux pas happened back in the l970’s and I still remember it and feel the embarrassment to this day. I was working for a temp agency at the time and went to their office on a Friday to pick up my paycheck. The girl manning the first desk looked very pregnant to me so I asked her with a smile on my face when her [Editor’s note: We have withheld the name of the writ- Dementia has taken hold of all aspects of your mother’s baby was due. She almost burst into tears and told me her er of this essay, not by request, but because the thoughts personality. She realizes that her memory is fading and is baby was two months old. What could I do? I had made a and emotions it contains apply to so many individuals and self-conscious especially around you guys. The small inmost serious faux pas, blunder, put my foot in my mouth, families who are going through, or have gone through, significant issues we all deal with daily now cause great thoughtless, tasteless comment and there was no way out. the same thing with a loved one. It’s an experience that anxiety. She is afraid that as she feels more and more disI said simply “Oh, I’m sorry, what do I know,” grabbed my changes lives, that turns the world upside down and it tant from all of us you are seeing her as weak and stupid. check and left. I never saw the girl again. When I went I know you are aware of this because I’ve told you but never quite rights itself again.] back the next time, she was not there. I hope I did not scar yet your behavior towards her has been unchanged. To her for life. I learned my lesson. You can be nine months My wife of 40 years is in the early stages of dementia, help you understand what she needs, text messages from pregnant and hardly able to waddle around and I will never and though she and I struggle with the impact this disease you and your spouse are not what she needs nor are playask you when your baby is due. ing on-line word games. What your mother needs is for has had on our lives, it is very difficult for others to see. Now I have moved on to another faux pas – not mine, I see the changes in my wife: her ability to reason and you to see her in person. Your spouse and kids are great other’s. The most major faux pas (to me) is putting your communicate steadily declining while I attempt to make for her but she needs you. You need to sit with her and talk Christmas decorations out when still having pumpkins on accommodations to her daily life. Regardless of the ac- about what she is going through as well as what is going the porch, in the yard, along the side of the house, etc. on in your life. She needs you to touch her, hug her, and commodation, her condition continues to worsen. Please don’t do that, it simply drives me crazy! make sure she feels like you love her and are comfortable If I could explain to with her in her condition. others what it is my wife Just an observation. It is becoming more challenging for me to maintain and I are going through, I ______________________________________________ some balance in your mother’s life and keep her anxiety would tell them to visulevels down while maintaining some sense of myself. It is alize seeing a loved one especially difficult when I know the impact this has had on through a window, and as the two of our lives but it appears to me as if you are oblivthe disease takes hold, the ious to our struggles. Seeing you visiting your mother and window begins to close. making her feel as if you care would bring great relief to In one regard, the finalme. I am tired of explaining to her that you really do care. ity of the window closing I make all the decisions about your mother and that’s can allow you to see all By Archy fine with me. But I am not all knowing and would feel the uniquely special things better if we discussed what’s going on with her and I had “We’re having a gift exchange at the Squirrel Salon this you’ve always loved about some input to help make those decisions. But this can’t year,” Archy said with a hint of excitement. your spouse. The look in their eyes when they are excited about something you happen if you don’t spend time with her. Organizing some I pictured Archy juggling shopping bags as he scamdid—or something you did that disappointed them. The family get-togethers where she can feel as if we are all pered from store to store. little things they say. All these can be seen through this aware and interested in her would be good for her. Regular “Not presents,” he snapped as he read my mind. “Gifts! relief I can count on helps me recharge and continue to We are sharing our special gifts with others.” window. Unfortunately, as the years progress, and the disease provide the daily care I know you expect me to provide. Seeing that I didn’t grasp the concept, he tried to elucitakes further control of her mind, the more distant these You can make a difference in this final stage of her life but date. memories are. Ultimately, what starts as minor inconve- it will take some initiative on your part. “My gift is philsophy,” the squirrel explained. “Sparky, niences, humorous at times, lead to a spouse you no longer _____________________________________________ bless his heart, can be a little dense at times. I’m giving recognize—or even understand. You are left with a very him my knowledge of human nature. Oscar is giving his plain, vanilla version of the person you love. gift of poetical expression to Seymour, who is awkward Hendricks County Senior Services hosts an Alz In most diseases that will end up taking our lives those with words.” heimer’s Support Group that meets at the Senior around us can clearly see the decline. This, I think, is be “But how...” I started to ask. Center, 1501 Sycamore Lane, Danville, the 2nd cause we see the slow physical deterioration one is going “It’s a temporary metaphysical transfer,” the squirrel Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. through but with dementia there are no physical manifesreplied to my unasked question. “It only lasts 24 hours, It also offers 90-minute Dementia Friends Workshops to provide individuals, families, and busitations of the disease until very late which makes it very but for that time the recipient can experience the joy of a nesses with insights on providing care and support difficult see and understand. skill they don’t have.” to caregivers and those affected by dementia. For To Our Children: I asked if there wasn’t a letdown when the gift transfer more information on Dementia Friends Workshops, I began telling you I was seeing changes in your mothends. contact Helee at 317-745-4303. er five or six years ago that seemed to be consistent with “Sometimes,” Archy said, “but mostly it ends up with dementia. By this time, you were all gone from home and the recipient developing that gift on their own.” were around your mother far less than when you were “Like reading to a child so they’ll understand the joy of We offer Voices as a place to share a story, younger and these changes didn’t seem very serious to reading,” I said. a memory, an idea, a comment, you, we even laughed about some of the senior moments. “Exactly,” Archy said. “Everyone has a gift they can a criticism, or a solution. Two years ago, she was diagnosed as being in the early share, and everyone has a talent that they’ve never tried Contributors must include name, address stages of dementia, being that both my mother and grandout.” & phone number. mother died from this disease I am far more aware of the I thought of the mountain of wrapping paper and the Names may be withheld upon request. symptoms and impact of this disease than you are. Now miles of ribbon that would be saved. Submissions are included at that you mother has progressed, your failure to gain an “Can you and I have a gift exchange?” I asked. the editor’s option. understanding of the disease and attempt to discover ways “I believe we just did,” the squirrel replied. to help both of us is making this situation harder for us. ______________________________________________
A Window on Life with Dementia
A Squirrel About Town
