Fire flies (aka lightening bugs)

[H2O Man]

I just went out to bring my dogs in for the night. I love the sounds of the "peepers," the small frogs singing away. I was surprised to see numerous fire flies, lighting up the sky, as I walked out through the field. I think it is important that as often as possible, all of us who invest time and energy in the campaign take some time to walk in the fields, listen to the frogs, and watch the fire flies. Life is good.

[mike_c]

1. one of the few things I miss about the east...

...is fireflies on a summer night. :sigh:

[Dookus]

2. Yup...

me too.

I went to Pennsylvania last year with my BF to visit family - he was raised in Seattle and now lives in California - he'd never seen a firefly in his life!

He liked 'em :)

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. They are the only bugs I like

I used to catch them when I was a kid...fun times

[Mrs. Venation]

4. I Saw The First One Of This Summer Season

a couple of nights ago. Bertha and I have a bit over one acre, and we absolutely love living here. She had never seen a firefly before she moved from So. Cal. to the east coast.

One of my favorite sounds of summer is a whippoorwill. My family used to go camping a lot, and in one of our favorite parks in Tennessee we would hear whippoorwills singing every night. Hearing them sing makes me relive some of the best times of my youth.

[DemoTex]

5. My dad is a retired professor of entomology.

He turned me on to noticing (nay, paying attention to) the flora and fauna of your local environment early in my life. Required reading in his house, in the early 60s, was Rachael Carson's Silent Spring. How prophetic.

Dad visited us here in the mountains. He said that never - anywhere - has he seen such a diverse range of insects. It is really unbelievable. There are big flies (really big) that mimic hornets. There are more butterflies and moths than you can imagine. Even the ants are unbelievable.

The house always has an errant wasp or bee buzzing around. But they are looking for light, not victims. They get in when the dogs open the screen doors to come in or go out. I had a small (1.25-inch) scorpion come prancing out of the pantry last week. That was the third scorpion I've killed here in six months. It was an extremely wet week, and that is when they seem to show up. A neighbor was stung by a small Appalachian scorpion and claims that it was less painful than a wasp sting. Nevertheless, I shake my boots well before putting them on in the morning!

[patchdickens]

7. ME TOO

INSECTS MAY BE AGGRAVATING AT TIMES, BUT THEY ARE A PART OF OUR NATURE and we know how to respond. FIRE FLIES (LIGHTNING BUGS), my children thought they were the coolest things until we suggested they catch them as we did as children. AWE! Adolescents of today!

[Lizz612]

6. Its really cool

When the frogs eat the fireflies! They glow!

[Eye and Monkey]

8. I'm looking forward to hearing the first alligator bellow of the season.

Frog chorus has been going strong, including a couple of bullfrogs in the pond. The days shimmer with crickets, grasshoppers, katydids.

[MuseRider]

9. Ours aren't out yet

but it will not be long. That is one thing that I love about my farm, it provides me with a solice I can't find elsewhere.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. Lightning Bugs

Here is a poem I wrote quite a few years back, dealing with the wonder of this moment. I enjoy posting it when I can. I hope you enjoy reading it!
---

LIGHTNING BUGS

Warm springtime dusk-- Just right
for barefoot-running through
he back-yard grass so cool
and tickley; fresh and nice—
The flashes happen suddenly,
hidden at the corner of an
unsuspecting eye—
Now stop! Stand still;
don't breathe or blink,
for they may see and fly,
unseen, away!
Now over there! Up in the trees!
As night sneaks up to cool the breeze;
a Flash! and Flash!
Before you know you're darting
here and there across
the night-dark grassy lawn,
hands snatching at
a million zillion flecks
of winking yellow light—
You reach, and catch!
Your Mason jar is full
of blinking midnight
magic-lantern fire!
So, giggling, off to bed—
You keep your jar safe by your head—
You drowse to sleep, and smiling, dream
of whirring through the night on wings of
sprinkly, starry, winking, twinkly light.

---
©2000, 2004 Steven A. Hessler
All Rights Reserved