Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

How soon the cicadas must die

It is soon. The buzzing is definitely softer now, and today when I walked around my building I didn't see a single live cicada. Yesterday most of the ones I saw were on their backs, waving their legs slowly...I righted them in the grass, but I know at least one of them died right where I had put him.

I will miss them. Part of it was the crazy distraction...I may not enjoy work, I may not be comfortable with much of what's going on in the world around me, but the cicadas were harmless and interesting. And yeah, I got a kick out of rescuing the bugs from the squeamish people in the office, the people who cringed and backed away when I picked one up with my (eeewwww!) bare hands.

I'm also very grateful for the cicadas. Because I got so obsessed with them, I have been spending much more time outside. When I went looking for cicadas I saw the beaver, the frog, and the swan, and now I'm hooked on meeting my local wildlife. And believe it or not, while I've never been actually frightened of bugs (spiders are a different story), I've also never really liked them.

Last night at the lake I was looking for the beaver and saw that the Japanese beetles are out. Now, unlike the cicadas, Japanese beetles can do some damage...I remember them eating the rose bushes when I was a kid. I also remember not liking them and taking great care to not come into contact, so I never got a good look at one. I did last night; they really are quite striking.

I'll have to take some pictures.