This is my weeping blog entry. I knew there would be at least one. But, just when I thought I had it made, that shooting an ending for my "Antworks" video was easily within reach, the ants have presented an array of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Yesterday I roamed the area to check on the colonies I've been keeping track of for the past four years. Of the six original large colonies, only two are left. This is a big bummer - for them, for me, for my project. The colony I worked with last year is one of the causalities. It's terrible when your actors die mid-movie.
I also wandered a good distance to collect the plant that forms the heart of the "Antworks" video. It's been a dry summer and many of these plants are sadly drooping, but there are enough in good shape to shoot my ending. (You can see the time-laspe scene on my website.)
But, no, not another reason to cry? This plant that last year the ants couldn't get enough of, that drew in millions of them within an hour of placing it near their trail, so many ants I could hear them cutting with my naked ear, this year none of the remaining colonies will touch it. It's too strange. Where is E.O. Wilson when you need him!
I have no idea what I'm going to do.