I don’t know the science behind this phenomenon, but for some reason there were very few of the usual suspects of insects, butterflies, and even birds around while the cicadas were in prime time.  It’s like they were all hiding out from the scary zombies.  Now that the latter are starting to wind down, suddenly within a day or two, I’m finally seeing bees, butterflies, pollinators, and my old “craven” friends.  During the peak of it, all I saw were herds of horny rabbits, and a young groundhog hilariously climbing up and over a tall fence!  I never knew they could do that.  Freaks.

The other day I saw my first respectable butterfly of the season, a blue and black one.  Yesterday I caught pollinators on most of the flowers I was photographing.  There are flocks of birds everywhere, hopefully eating cicada corpses.  Best of all, I haven’t been hearing the constant deafening shriek of cicadas.  Honestly, between the racket, the stink, and many young tree limbs broken by their activity, I won’t miss them.  Their “mulch” lingers on to remind me.

It’s been raining and muggy like a rainforest for days, with more to come.  Good excuse to work on indoor sorting and packing.  E continues to repair and paint.  We’re starting to have more boxes than furniture, a sure sign we’re at the point of no return.

Once again, I hang my head in shame to include some of the latest annual infiltrators, but whatever helps sell the place.  I have to admit they’re aesthetic, and of course most of them die in the end.