One evening last week, Kim called me over to watch the most amazing little scene unfolding. At first, I thought what she was pointing out was a leaf lying next to a hole in the ground, and I was underwhelmed. But, upon closer inspection, I realized it was a little caterpillar next to a hole about the size of a penny and buzzing in and out was a digger wasp working furiously to make space for its dinner in the underground burrow. 

This little wasp was hard at work. It would disappear down the hole for a few seconds and then emerge, somehow with its legs clinging to a little pile of dirt. It got about a half a foot away from the hole and then, in what looked like a puff of smoke, it would unload the pile of dirt it had excavated. Over and over this was repeated. I was so mesmerized that by the time I thought about running inside to get my camera to snap a picture, the whole operation was complete, and the wasp’s next meal was neatly tucked away in its burrow.

Although I didn’t get a picture, you can check out this video of another wasp burying its dinner.

I love these little nature moments. Moments that we walk past a hundred times each day and don’t notice. Moments that are constantly going on all around us. At any given time, a million little creatures are going about their business, building homes, finding food, and raising young. Small creatures are accomplishing remarkable things through perseverance and grit all around us, if we just take the time to notice. 

The next time you’re in the garden, take a moment to look down. You never know what you’ll see unfolding right at your feet.