I am sitting out on the front porch this evening enjoying the last of a pleasantly cool August day. I listen to the sounds of the approaching night and the treasures it brings. There are crickets chirping their jagged little chorus, frogs bellowing there raspy ribets as some late nesting song birds are putting their two chirps in from the tree lines off in the distance. Fireflies flash their presence here and there as the night captures the dawn.

Growing up I had always loved lightning bugs and enjoyed, as all kids do, catching them. I would grab them in my hand ever so lightly so not to crush them. I knew I had a good catch if I felt their legs tickle my hand as they moved around inside my cupped fist. I then would let them go and if I was lucky they wouldn’t fly right off but blink their light a few times before taking flight. Cool stuff for a kid and still pretty cool if you ask me.

Several years ago we had a larger than normal amount of lightning bugs hatch and occupy our little corner of the world . As I was sitting at home my wife comes in from visiting in town and ask me to take a ride. Well I was ready for bed and was about to say no when I asked her to drive so I didn’t have change.

We drove about a half a mile down the road and  turn around to head back towards our house. As we cross the bridge over the creek running behind my neighbors property and our property I look over at the tree line that runs parallel to us and I am awe struck. Fireflies, what seems to be millions of them, were lighting up the tree line and it looked as if all the stars and planets in heaven were reborn there!

Words cannot do the sight justice but I can say it was really cool.

Authors Note: I wrote this post, August 2009, and decided to revisit it after I witnessed last night the first real gathering of lightning bugs this year.