Pathetic

Several weekends ago, when I was visiting my mom, sister, and brother-in-law in Brenham, we were sitting around in the evening on their back yard patio. I was thrilled when I saw a few lightening bugs - I haven't seen any in many years. (At the CTRU we talked about perhaps all the spraying for mosquitos had done away with the lightening bugs in "these here parts.")

This evening I was working in the garden, and as I started packing up to go inside, I thought I caught a glimpse of a lightening bug in my peripheral vision. I was so excited! I started looking around to see if I could see any more, and discovered that I was catching a reflection of the X-mas lights on the arbor, on the edge of my eyeglass lens. I was so disappointed.

Now for the pathetic part: I stood there for several minutes, moving my head around in circles and figure 8's, imagining that the light I was catching on my lens was actually lightening bugs flying around in my back yard.

I felt like a child again.

Hey, nothing wrong with that! :)

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with feeling like a child again. I'm thinking that standing there waving and rolling my head around like that, I was probably just dizzy and disoriented! lol

(sigh!) I miss lightening bugs....

I think the pathetic part is that the lightning bugs are gone, not that you wanted to see them!

You're right. I know that West Nile Virus is a real concern for us (in 2004, the first TX fatality was in Conroe, in Feb), but it's so sad to see these things chased out of our lives.

What's pathetic is that I've never seen a real lightning bug in my whole life, and neither have my kids -C

I don't think my son has either, come to think of it.

Are you in a pretty heavily populated area?

We still have lots of lighting bugs , here in Indiana. I never will forget the first time my brother brought his Japanese bride home to meet the family. She had never seen , nor heard of them. We couldn't get her to come in after dark she enjoyed them so much. We just took for granted that everyone in the world had them and that they were no bid deal. I always will remember her fascination with them and now I am thankful for them instead of taking them for granted. She still likes to come see the"fireflys" as she calls them. Lou

We have lots of them too...didn't realize that there were places where they were gone.

They'll start their show here in about 3 weeks...sometimes there are hundreds at a time during the peak season.

I don't think they're a Colorado critter. I live in a rural area but pretty sure we never had them to beging with.
When I was little I remember thinking for some reason that they were myths - like Nessie, fairies, dragons....................sad huh? -C

We had a young visitor from Singapore a few years ago and she had never seen them before. The sight of her running around the yard chasing them was just hilarious, she had such a good time! Never caught one, which was probably good because they are not quite as attractive not lit up!!

Isn't that neat? I don't know how young your young visitor was, but I know lightening bugs can make a kid out of anyone!

We still have them here, and my girls get all estatic when they see them. Everytime I see them I think of my grandmothers yard. My cousin Scotty and I would run around a chase them. I would love to do that again. =)

I still occasionally catch a few in a Mason jar and sit in my porch swing to enjoy them for an hour or so....then I let them go.

just makes you feel good to do it.

That's a nice visual... sitting on a porch swing in the evening, playing with lightening bugs.

It's really kind of neat that I discovered how to make them "appear" by catching reflections in the edge of my lenses. I've taken to "watching lightening bugs" almost every evening since then. Just hope I don't slip totally into some fantasy world, never to return. :-)

Why not, it sounds like fun!

You know what? You're right!!

See ya!

I got a spanking in tha 1940's. We lived on Waverly Street in the Heights there in houston.
At that time we still had blackouts when tha lights would go out all over town. War time status ya know.

At any rate, I knew I should be home. Kids are kids still I guess.
What I told my Mother was, Tha lights went out and I had to catch a jar of lighting bugs to fine my way home.
-
Its my story lol. Still got a spanking! Haha didn't need a jar nohow, anyway, there were so many.

Up Shepherd way we still have plenty to enjoy!

Maggie, God Bless Ya, just keep doing it. It's fun and ya enjoy it, no harm, no foul. More power to ya, if your young in your mind and heart, you'll be young, FOR-EVER. Danny

:-)
I guess I'm about six then.

Charlie, what a tale!

Hi everyone, Lots of them here in this part of Ohio (north of dayton) Great stories thanks for sharing :) Bucki

have lots here wherfe i live.

I was talking to friends about this a couple of nights ago, they said that they still have lightening bugs in Huntsville, about 30 miles north of here. I wonder where the largest "shows" are? If any scientists track that, maybe we could all make a pilgrimmage to see the show together, like many astronomy buffs do to see comet shows.
:-)

There's a town that calls it'self the 'Lightning Bug Capital' Saw it on the news years ago...don't remember even what state it's in...but they have a festival and everything.

I'll go a googlin' and see what I come up with.

Couldn't find the town...seems there is an 'indy' film with the name 'Firefly'...it has most of the google pages filled up.

There is a Firefly Festival in Japan though.

And on a happy note, I saw my first one of the season last night!