The hornets' nest

 Last summer, Shiloh noticed some busy hornets outside the window.

I traced them back to this nest, high in our basswood tree. I spent hours watching them build up the nest all summer.  It was fascinating how they built it, and it was a thing of beauty.  I wanted to see the inside of it, but didn't feel like getting stung by hundreds of angry hornets, so I waited impatiently  for the first good freeze of winter so I could knock it down.  

 Finally, the day arrived, and I went outside to get the nest.  First, I brought Sarah a big icicle.

 It was very difficult to knock the nest down, because it was so high up in the tree, but I finally got it.  It's an amazing work of architecture, inside and out.

For some reason, the cats were extremely interested in it too.