joyeux jour de la bastille!

"em, mais, quel est le jour de la bastille?"




and let's not forget this guy...

where are all the coastal fireflies?

I grew up in an area where summer was synonymous with cicada and cricket song and firefly light shows every evening. Where are they? Why aren't there any in Boston? I have seen them farther inland, near the Berkshires, but not near the coast. In the case of cicadas, one does hear them from time to time near Boston, though their songs are limited to occasional hot August days. Sadly there are none at night, nor are there crickets. I am convinced that it has something to do with the fact that it is neither hot nor humid enough here in the north. But fireflies--what is the reasoning for their absence? Lack of uncut grass? The salt air?
I swear I saw two tonight while I was out watering the garden this evening...

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"For whatever reason, the greater Washington [D.C.] area is a major epicenter of firefly activity. There are many, many species," says Jonathan Copeland, a biology professor at Georgia Southern University and one of the country's top firefly authorities. "It probably has something to do with how humid, how hot, how moist it is."

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He thinks light pollution at night may be one reason. "That's noise to them, and might be affecting successful mating."

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Decoding the Flash of Fireflies from All Things Considered, July 10, 2005

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fellow firefly country ex-pats reminisce and commiserate together...

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World Champion

Happy 4th of July!