Paper wasps, in my experience, are not aggressive. Sitting a few feet away and watching them tend to their home and children reveals a certain dedication. Patching, building, feeding all continue throughout the season, with rest time when it’s cold.
The otherwise barren crest was crowned with gold. Only a few inches tall, they covered the crumbled rock of the mountain top in waves of gold, rocked by hot gusts coming up from the dry valley below.