It has come to my attention that we have been much too busy this summer. We have been busy doing inside things like (constant) cleaning, packing, and building. And so, it wasn't until last night, that quite by accident, we came home from frenetic erranding just at dusk, which is exactly the right time for fireflies. And although the fireflies have been around for quite awhile, you just don't see them while you are in the house, picking up a precious, treasured gum wrapper (or something of that ilk) for the fifteenth time.
Before we pulled into our driveway, six little mouths were championing the cause of the their empty stomachs. At least one little person almost completely wasted away from famine. But when the car doors were opened, the magic fireflies distracted all but one from their horrible fate. They spilled out of the car into the dusk, screaming and laughing, and caught several fireflies (at least one of which is now illuminating the inside of the house at random intervals.) I had to entice them inside to eat the barely warm, but still scrumptious, Colonel's specialty.
Again tonight they were outside as soon as dusk hit, chasing lightning bugs and other benign creatures of the night. Two toads were captured in the lightning bug house. They looked as if they were finding their captivity quite tasty. The only firefly I could see was a partial one on the outside of Mr. Pipi's mouth. (The larger toad was apparently named for his action on retrieval.) That is the beauty of summer. Its the time when life reaches out and pulls you in, to let you know that the thing that you've been working for, hoping for, dreaming for? It's here and it's all around you, and it's time to go catch some lightning bugs.
