RECIPES

Monday 22 February 2021

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.



15 comments:

  1. That reminded me of when we lived in the Far North and the grandchildren came to stay. They collected buckets of cicada shells. When they returned home I disposed of them.

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  2. Further south (much further) we got a few grasshoppers (tiny black ones) and the chirping sound was rather a rare delight. Here in Greece the tzitzikias ratchet away in the gum trees across the road (and we are with you on the eucalyptys smell). Tigger has seen a real cicada on our clothesline - nearly 4 inches long (the cicada, not the Tigger or the clothesline).

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  3. It is too bad that we can't retain more of that childish enthusiasm for collecting things merely because they seem interesting. We lose a lot when we only have a utilitarian outlook.

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  4. Hello,
    The Cicadas are strange looking, I am not looking forward to seeing them here. Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

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  5. What a summery post. I can almost smell the eucalyptus and feel the heat :) B x

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  6. I love to hear such bugs! It is so peaceful and lovely. On a summer's night.

    No such here now, in the North! Everything is hibernating. Me too!!!!!!!!! LOL

    🍒 🍒 🍒 🍒

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  7. Interesting facts about the cicada. They start at the beginning of summer here, sometime in June, and can be deafening.

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  8. I had never seen cicadas until we moved to Prince Edward Island. I enjoy their songs too. I hadn’t seen the shells like that however.

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  9. Years ago we were on a trip through the U.S. and we stopped at the Corn Palace in South Dakota. We stayed in that town for the night and when we went for a walk we heard this insect noise, very insistent , droning on and on. I wonder if those were cicadas.

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  10. I've seen those empty shells around at times too. Must be nice to smell the eucalypts trees!!

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  11. What a start into the day!
    Ohhhh, but then! I was so dumb to buy but one can of Eucalytus Spray, thinking I´d be back now. I´m not and it´s nearly empty. And sadly I cannot find it on amazon, bummer.

    I love the sound, but it´s a sad sound to me, too, I hate it when summer ends.. Spring here, soon, so I smile big ��

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  12. I have a photo somewhere of Lorelei's mom when she was around 10 or 12 yrs old...she had gathered a bunch of those shells and had stick them all over herself and clothes. I never see a shell without remembering that.

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  13. Here in Minnesota we have what is called annual Cicadas, they only live in trees about a week, the rest of the time the larvae is underground. Probably because we are so cold in the winter!

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  14. The cicadas are loud around me at the moment - and the heat has been really 'up there' too. It's been lovely to have a slightly cooler couple of days.
    Stay safe
    Belssings
    Maxine

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