We are expecting it to rain anytime, accoring to the radar it should be raining 😉
At any rate, it’s after dusk and I was outside and noticed a few lights flashing here and there around the fence in the back yard, under the Locust Tree. Sure enough, it was Fireflies!
Sounds like a silly thing to be excited about. Right? Well, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen Fireflies on our property. Exciting!
I called Russell out of bed to see them. Asa and he share a room, so since Asa was still awake, out he came too. Victoria was already asleep.
I showed the boys the Fireflies from the deck, then we went into the yard. We “chased” the Fireflies, trying to follow them, then I encouraged Russell to catch one.
Oops! I told him to catch it in his hands.
I should have done that differently. One dead Firefly.
It was interesting to look at it though. It was dead alright, but still rather intact in it’s body shape. It’s luminous rear end was lit up in a 3/4 power glow … poor little beatle. That’s right, not fly, beatle. Fireflies are beatles. Learn about them here.
This is an example of home education. It happens when you least expect it. It’s fun too!
Russell successfully caught two or three Fireflies after the first dud of a catch.
As we were going inside, Asa was waving so sweetly at the sky, looking for Fireflies and saying “Bye Firefwies!”. It was really nice.
As we were going in, I could smell the scent of Fireflies in my hands. It was a memory, not an actual real-time scent. It was the memory from when I was a little girl, chasing “Lightening Bugs” [as we then called them] and catching them in my hands, in jars, letting them go. They left a particular smell, earthy, and it’s burned in my memory. It’s one of those kinds of reminders that refreshes your outlook for how to communicate with the children. Fun, sweet times, and good memories will last forever.