Afer and Before

   No, this is not a "pretty" picture. In fact, if you are not a fan of bugs, it's pretty icky. This represents a big part of daily life right now for a lot of us in the eastern United States. Brood X cicadas are swarming in their seventeen-year festival, trying to find a mate and reproduce. First, we noticed holes in the ground under certain trees. Then one warm morning, dozens appeared in our front garden. Now there are millions just in our neighborhood. This guy emerged from the exoskeleton to his right. He was testing his legs, waiting for his body and wings to harden. The old shell had eyes and legs. It's a remarkable transformation. But mostly right now, it's just very, very noisy around here!