Not just any cicada, mind you, but the 17 year cicada. These puppies only show themselves every 17 years. (Apparently there's a 13 year cicada too. They were here in 2004. I don't know what the difference is. As a matter of a fact, I'm suspicious that there is no difference and it's all a big science joke.)
Well, not the same cicadas over and over again. Apparently baby cicadas hatch, fall to the ground and burrow down for 17 years until it's time to come up and make more baby cicadas.
The thing is, when you don't see something for a really long time, you tend to spaz out when creepy little bugs start emerging from the yard by the hundreds or thousands.
And then there's the noise. Cicadas are very (did I say very?) noisy. Soon, the neighborhoods of Louisville will be humming with cicada songs. Male cicadas sing to attract a mate. (actually they vibrate. or hum. or something. but singing sounds much nicer.)
I'm thinking they should just send flowers.
So, when I open the door to let the dogs out, all I hear is bzzzzzzzzz. Now, that could be my infected ears or it could be a herd of cicadas. I'm just saying.
Apparently people eat cicadas too. Nobody I know would admit to such a thing, but according to some, they taste like shrimp. I think I'd be hard pressed to pop out in my yard, scoop up a handful of bug-eyed critters and serve them for dinner. No matter how high grocery prices get. They do come with a warning, though. Evidently if you are allergic to shellfish, they advise not to eat cicadas. Because they not only taste like shrimp, they, like shrimp, are arthropods. Which begs the question, then why do they live in the dirt? And honest to pete, the newspaper said they are low fat and high protein. Ick.
So, do you have cicadas where you live? If not, can I send you some?
9 comments:
Karen,
Can I say I don't like these things at all, they are every where and i can hear them inside the house and when I open the doors it is 100 times worse... and they are not very cute, now if they looked like a lady bug or something like that I might be able to handle them every where, but not these things... EWWW yucky... Plus there ugly brown shells are every where as well, Ron had one on his pants the other day when he came in the house, it is a really good thing for him that he saw and put it back out side where it belongs... And I am not sure that belong there, I feel like i'm going deaf outside...
Ok ok i'm done on this subject... I hope you are feeling better, you are in my prayers...
Connie
GBU
We have Cicadas this year, we had some last year too. Don't know which were 17 yr and which were 13 yr...just know they are loud. At least they don't taste like chicken. In Texas they tell you rattlesnake tastes like chicken, squirrel tastes like chicken, alligator tastes like chicken...to which I say ha!
Hope you are feeling better.
Annette
As far as I know, in Texas we have cicadas every year. Maybe the 13 and 17 year ones take turns commuting here. But they are the sound of summer.
And BTW, as for Annette, "they" may say all that stuff tastes like chicken, so I just say, "Then I'll just eat chicken!"
Don't you ever wonder what chicken tastes like to these people that think alligator, squirrel, deer, rattlesnake, etc. tastes like chicken?
Does that sentence make sense? If not, blame it on the medication.
:)
More crea----tures! The locusts! Cicadas are in 17 years cycles, and in Texas, Annette is right--maybe they take turns because it is more an annual or bi-annual plague. But the sound is unbearable and I can't imagine with hurting ears already. I hope you are feeling much better today. Patience, grasshopper, patience. Love, Annette
We don't get Cicadas like that in NorCal :( We also don't get Lightening Bugs. But on the plus side, the June bugs skip us too!
I happen to love cicadas. It is like being in the South of France, where they are the regional symbol. My host dad said it was a relaxing sound. I have never heard of anyone eating them though, not even in France where they eat some strange things. My French teacher wanted to make a necklace out of them once. She kept them in a jar in the classroom once too.
I don't have them and I am not sure I could stand that noise! I bet it is pretty freaky for the dogs!
I've never heard of them being in Michigan! But, I know I don't like them! Hope you are feeling better!
Love,
Angie xoxo
p.s. Don't even think about sending some to me!
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