Cicadas Mean Summer

 

I am not sure how I did it, but this morning I managed to spill a whole lot of milk down the front of my dressing gown.  Yuk!

Thankfully it was another hot sunny day, so the dressing gown is now all washed, dried, and hanging back up on its bedroom hook.

I had occasion to drive across town this morning and revelled in the smell of the eucalyptus gums down the road.  Because of the heat, they are releasing their scent in overload and it is an aroma that I adore.

Nature’s music was in overload too, with cicadas singing their hearts out in the trees.  They seem to prefer London Planes and English Oaks, but maybe that is because that is what most of our big city trees are.

I love seeing their empty shells sitting on the bark – as children we used to collect bucketsful of them.  I don’t really know why, as I don’t recall doing anything with them.  I think they just intrigued us.

It is the male cicadas that make all the noise, hoping to attract a female.  They only live 3-4 weeks, but that is long enough to mate and start the life cycle again. 

Grubs will burrow into the earth beneath the tree, and not re-emerge until several years later.  There are 42 species of cicada found in New Zealand, and there is still a lot that science does not know about them.

To us normal people, the loud cicadas mean late summer when the weather is hottest.  When they stop singing, then we can expect our weather to cool down.

Smile, and be happy 😊

Margaret.