Very nice photos everyone

Architecture of a different kind, hornets nest with and without it's covering.

Aren't they fascinating Igmd? All that work and so precise. Not so fascinating when the bald faced hornets chase you tho. I remember a time when I was mowing around the old outhouse and suddenly felt a pinch. Looking up, there was a hornet's nest under the eaves! I ran for the house and they followed, I slammed the screen door and they hung on there. I managed to knock the nest down, thankfully it wasn't as big as above but appx. a little bigger than a soft ball.

Not too long ago there was an ad in the paper "For Sale: large hornet's nest on a branch" = $100 (!)" I never knew they were in such demand. ha

I don't like the paper wasps either and altho I regret knocking the nests down I do.

There's a story that's told in town. One winter a couple of guys were cutting firewood out in the forest and spotted a large wasp nest. They cut the branch it was hanging from off of the tree and proudly brought their find into one of the local pubs. As the nest warmed up in the heated bar, wasps started to emerge one by one. Pretty soon the patrons in the bar were being attacked by angry wasps which cleared out the bar as the customers tried to escape.

Most of the customers made their way across the street to the other local pub in town while the employees of the first place tried to figure out what to do with what had turned out to be a nest that was very much alive.

It is amazing how precise and perfect those nests are. A human could never construct such a thing without the aid of computer models and machinery.

schoolhouse, this nest was in a tree in our backyard 3 or 4 years ago. In mid winter it had fallen to the ground with most of the outside covering gone. They are fascinating!

Edited to add, that the reason the nest fell with most of the covering gone is because the Bluejays had a hand (ok, beak) in dismantling it. They pecked and pecked at it, till it was pretty well exposed and it fell from the tree.

A temple in Vientiene, Laos:

Annie, that altar has some morbid stuff going on. Where is that?

Pillars and arches showing the gothic style of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Built during 1100-1200 without benefit of power tools, electricity, etc. The ceiling is enormously high, an architectural feature sought after by the builders of the day. Some church buildings couldn't withstand the pressure and collapsed.

Amsterdam: friend sharing pics of her travels this week.

Getting a little color in the atrium. Still have to get it power washed. Just getting started.

Church in St. Augustine, Florida

St. Nicholas Church, Lesser Town, Prague