The Swarm

The cicadas arrived a couple of weeks ago and they are driving me crazy. The little buggers appear out of nowhere about this time every summer and do their best to scare the total bejeesus out of me.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not afraid of bugs (that is me holding the one pictured to the right. You can tell it's me by the total lack of any kind of manicure.) And it's not even the incessant "songs" they sing every night that can get so loud it will drown out all normal conversation.

Nope, it's because they deliberately lie in wait just outside the door; and when I take a step through .... BAM! ... I get nailed. At least once a day, I am dive bombed by one of the damn things. They are pretty big bugs and fast, too; if they manage to smack you upside the head, you feel it. And up close and personal like that, they sound like a chain saw.

Recently I walked out onto the deck, carrying a glass of wine, and one flew straight for my eyes. This startled me into involuntarily hurling my own drink up into my face. As much as it royally entertained everyone else present, I was much less than pleased.

The one pictured above knocked himself out trying to get me last night, so I grabbed him to have a little talk, and maybe get him to pass on a few words of warning to his friends. He got a little angry, but that just made me enjoy it even more.

Right after that, I squashed him! Haha, just kidding! I only flicked him between the eyes like he meant to do to me, then I let him go free. I am expecting some sort of revenge attempt later this evening, but I'll be ready with my tennis racket, baby. Bring 'em on!