Getting Grounded…

Grounded in springtime –

planting and potting and cleaning!

And the Cicadas are due any minute now!

We called them the 17 year Locusts.

Magicicada.

Living as nymphs, 8 feet below the surface,

feeding on tree root sap in underground bunkers,

(and I thought they were sleeping!),

17 years later,

they emerge through tunnels that they create,

to shed their skins

and reveal the insect that we are familiar with,

the Cicada.

The males sing their hearts out

waiting for a reply from a willing female.

5 weeks later they are gone – deceased- it's over –

except for the thousands of eggs left behind in the bark of their preferred trees.

These eggs become larvae that fall to the ground

and become the hardy nymphs that live quietly underground

for a very long time!

Yes, the "song" can be annoying, deafening even,

but it is truly fascinating to ponder such a life

and to witness its Grand Finale!

Grounded indeed!

Photo of a bog on a farm nearby!