cicadas

CICADAS

this photo from the texas am forest service appeared in this article on cicadas in the tulsaworld
also here is a scientific american article on cidadas

when i was growing up in the deep south in southern arkansas we would find these cicada shells and place them on the tip of our noses 
the claws of the insect as it metamorphized were left intact
the shell would sit nicely on the tip of your nose so you could chase your younger sisters around threatening them with these scary little monsters

now we dont have these little varmints here in santa barbara
but 
last week when we were at ms bs house she had this insect collection a family friend gave her
there in a plastic container was
this cicada shell

thinking back to my youth and the fun i had of chasing my younger sisters around scaring them with these little monster things
im sure they caused nightmares in my sisters dreams at night back then

so
thinking i would perch that cicada shell on my nose and scare the bejives out of ms b
i reached down to pick it up 
alas
the legs fell off 
so
i just had to describe what it looked like and how we use to scare people with them

she thought it was funny
and
im sure she thought
im sure glad that monster thing fell apart

at the country n we had a small grove of cedar elms near our house
when it was cicada time
the sound would be so loud that you could hardly hear someones conversations when outside
our cats use to like to catch them and eat them

i saw online where people actually eat them
they are high in protein
sorry
ill get my protein source from beans and poultry 

below is a video from pbs on cicadas

i guess i will need to replace that cicada shell for ms b
then i can put it on my nose and chase her around her yard

now mr hudson he wouldnt think twice about picking it up and playing with it

the next time they come around she will be 23 years old and he will be 19 years old

mr n would probably try to eat the shell 
he will be 18 years old when they come around again

so you only get to enjoy them once during your childhood

the organicgreen doctor