by Donna Lewis; photos by Michelle Lopez and Carolyn Henderson
I hope all of you have been hearing what I am hearing during the late afternoon mostly, a sound that brings back many wonderful childhood memories of summer, cool nights, and my parents and grandparents, who I miss every day.
There is something endearing to their song. The cicadas sing from tree to tree.
It is only the males who sing. They will burst out of a hole in the ground and then shed their skins where a new body will come from. The skins are left behind for kids to find, hanging them on their clothes and maybe their pets. At least that’s what I did. My Dachshund thought it was great. When it finally fell off, my dog ate it. Awful, but I’m sure it was not harmful.
The cicadas here in Texas have a life cycle of about 3 to 5 years on average.
The periodical cicadas live from 13 to 17 years and are more common in the north.
If you are walking and one of these fellows hit you, they can put an eye out. They are like the bulldog of the insect world, and go forth headfirst when flying. They try to get to the trees for safety.
Nature is so full of wondrous things. There are as many different varieties as there are stars in the skies.
So just go outside and enjoy nature.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 