Don't ask me why but these little critters have been on my mind a lot lately. It could be due to the fact that while sitting on a co-workers back porch on a sweltering June evening in North Carolina, I noticed loads of "lightening bugs" - as we called them when I was a kid - flying around the bushes and trees. After moving to Colorado in 2000, I had not thought of fireflies much because you just don't see them in these parts.
Upon returning from my trip to NC, I blurted out to Brian one night that I was sad we didn't have lightening bugs here. He looked at me like I was half looney - not too far from the truth - and asked what in the world I was talking about. Explaining my fond memories as a kid, of chasing fireflies around the woods with jar in hand and watching them as I fell to sleep at night, I realized I was sad because my children won't have this experience. Of course, we can help them create the memories by visiting locations where lightening bugs are abundant but you really have to time it right. Apparently, they only light up for a certain period, which I had never really thought about.
The topic of fireflies came up again last weekend, while cooking out with a bunch of our neighbors on the 4th. And just when I thought I was over this obsession of mine, this article shows up in the local paper today. And just because I don't have anything better to do *wink*, I'm now on a mission to find some Colorado lightening bugs.
Upon returning from my trip to NC, I blurted out to Brian one night that I was sad we didn't have lightening bugs here. He looked at me like I was half looney - not too far from the truth - and asked what in the world I was talking about. Explaining my fond memories as a kid, of chasing fireflies around the woods with jar in hand and watching them as I fell to sleep at night, I realized I was sad because my children won't have this experience. Of course, we can help them create the memories by visiting locations where lightening bugs are abundant but you really have to time it right. Apparently, they only light up for a certain period, which I had never really thought about.
The topic of fireflies came up again last weekend, while cooking out with a bunch of our neighbors on the 4th. And just when I thought I was over this obsession of mine, this article shows up in the local paper today. And just because I don't have anything better to do *wink*, I'm now on a mission to find some Colorado lightening bugs.
2 comments:
Funny you mentioned that. I was in Iowa over the fourth of July and doing a run at night to try and beat the sweltering heat/humidity. I ran through a dark park and noticed all of the fireflies and it brought back memories of being a kid. I then wondered why you don't see them in Colorado.
I always remember catching them in Nebraska during 4th of July reunions. We didn't have them in South Georgia!
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