Friday, June 27, 2008

Fireflies And Other Memories

The other night as I was letting Homer run around the backyard, I noticed the blinking lights of fireflies. Our new backyard overlooks a corn field and the field twinkled with lightning bug flashes. I was instantly taken back to my childhood chasing lightning bugs on the shores of the Lake of the Ozarks.

It got me thinking. Many of my happy childhood memories involve insects. Fireflies, caterpillars, butterflies, mayflies, june bugs, lady bugs, stick bugs, ants, and on and on. Capturing caterpillars and putting them in jars and watching them become butterflies. Watching the short lived mayflies flying around the outdoor movie screen. Blowing up ant hills with firecrackers. Watching june bugs fly into windows and walls (we used to call them tanks). Southern California doesn't seem to have as many insects. A few ants, but nothing really interesting that I can recall.

I like how the flashing sparks made me feel. Kind of comforting, warm, and fuzzy. Those days of my childhood, they seem so simple now. How I miss them.
Posted by at 3:54 PM Labels: ,

5 comments:

  1. After reading this I'm feeling rather nostalgic. I was way less squeamish about bugs when I was a kid.
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  2. Fireflies were fun. June bugs, ugh!
    What are mayflies?
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  3. JaG: We were all a lot braver in our youth.

    Dobegil: They are about a half inch long, have a thin green body, and rather large wings compared to their bodies. They hatch, reproduce, and die usually with a single day. Here is a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfly
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  4. Wait, all that hiking 'round here and you never noticed the insect population? Really?
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  5. GH: I remember the insects on my hike and I'd have to say that most of them were annoying. Nebraska bugs, except for the mosquitoes, can be quite pleasant. Of course, once I get to hiking again I'm sure my opinion will likely change.
    ReplyDelete

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