Summer is in the air, and here in Nyack so is the sound of cicadas.
Both my girls love bugs. I like to think they learned it from me. Louisiana is serious bug country, and growing up there I took pride in my fascination with them. None of that bugs-are-for-boys stuff for me!
So when we learned that a king-size brood of cicadas was due to emerge this summer, we were full of anticipation.
And a little bit of misgiving.
“How many of them are going to come out?!” Evie asked nervously one night at dinner. I knew how she felt. Truth is, I was a little anxious myself, bug-lover or not. Cicadas aren’t angels, after all. Was I really going to like all those strange winged creatures buzzing around?
Each day we checked the back yard, and as the nymphs emerged from the ground we cheered them on. On the day when the winged adults started emerging miraculously, we’d forgotten all about our misgivings.
The brood turned out to be smaller than expected. Fact is, I ended up wishing more had come out. Even though they’re not yet gone, we miss them already.
They won’t come back for another 17 years. But when they do, Evie says, we’ll be right here to greet them. Two girls who love the world and all the strange, wonderful winged creatures in it… from bugs on up.
