Cicadas
 

The Great Southern Brood is hatching. I've had three so far bounce off of my arms/chest and one hit the spoke on my front wheel making a rather loud ringing sound. Knock on wood, none have gone in my mouth yet.

Fun. I don't know if we'll get them out this way or not, but yesterday evening I hit the creekside greenway just at dusk and really wish I had had some kind of cloth to tie over my mouth and nose. The air was so thick with gnats that I was afraid to inhale.

I haven't hit one of those yet, but my cat brought one in the house for me once. They seem a lot louder indoors.

did you know some of them have 17 year lifespans? I always thought that was awesome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada

I assumed that they all did, but now I know better :) My father always called them "17-year cicadas."

The southern brood is a 13-year group. The midwestern brood is a 17-yr.