As I mentioned the other day, something really exciting happened: I found a (dead) 17-year periodical cicada (on the lid of our recycling bins). When we went to the Kansas Sampler Festival, we found out that this was the year! that they were coming out, I totally lost any sense of composure.
Well, somehow I managed to keep my cool on Sunday and brought this baby home. Michael proceeded to take these pictures. It was pretty exciting and we've been happily listening to the cicadas singing since we first realised they were out.
The periodicals are smaller than the cicadas that we saw last year - they are out too. Cicadas are little sound bites from home. Their songs are reassuring, even if they are different. I'm still in disbelief that we're here and the periodicals are out....
When I first heard about them in a seminar, way back in 2007 towards the end of my Honours year, I thought they were amazing and knew that I wanted to see them, but I didn't investigate the issues of "when?" and "where?" because I was overwhelmed by life at the time - my siblings were overseas, the family dog had been euthanized, Honours was coming to an end, and I was moving to Samoa for a year... So, yeah, I put the information about the periodical cicadas in a safe place and kept going with the daily business of life.
And now I've seen them and so has Michael. Most likely, Jimmy will not remember them, but we have pictures to prove that he was next to this (dead) 17-year periodical while Daddy was taking some pretty pictures. I feel like being here, while these periodical are coming out, is us witnessing part of history: we can't control it; we have helped record it; and we are unlikely to ever see it again.
And if you're wondering: this cicada is a female 17-year periodical; the periodicals should be around and singing for a wonderful 4 weeks; Michael and I enjoying it.
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