Mid-January provided a unique opportunity to wander under the old 69 bridge at Big Sandy. Draped in kudzu and surrounded by dewberries, the bridge is no doubt home and hunting grounds to a number of predators. If you're a caterpillar, chief among these might be the wasp. This nest is about thirty times larger than the average set of cells you'd find in a light fixture or the corner of your patio.
Notice the charred quality of the timbers and materials above the nest: the bridge was burned at some point. There's no evidence of the damage on the topside of the structure; only by wandering underneath can you see the blackened materials. Structurally, the bridge seems sound except for two creosote-soaked supports near the water which have been smashed. There is a sag topside in that area. |
