Last Night

Time lapse photo of summer stars and fireflies

At 9:51PM eastern daylight time last night, the sun's last dying rays weakly illuminated the western sky.  One of the most perfect days imaginable was drawing to a close.   The giggles and laughs of kids rip sticking and nerf gunning out on the cul-de-sac still rang in my ears but around me the sounds and sights of the night caught my attention.  

Unlike our unlucky neighbors far to the south, our temperatures have been quite pleasant lately.   Accompanied by rather low dewpoints, outdoor activities are a pleasure.   Doesn't cost one dime either.  An evening recline in an Adirondack chair is free and worth far more than the price of admission.

A near full gibbous moon glowed above a dying Southern Tier thunderstorm and bats and evening birds took to the air to catch their fill of bugs.  The fireflies began to pop here and there to light their way.   Sprinkled like stardust in the trees, hovering around bushes and skittering down and among the blades of newly cut grass, nature's lighthouses glowed and glimmered on the evening's perfect stage.

One landed on a wisteria branch nearby and let me pick it up.  It wasn't bothered.  It gave me my own personal light show.   There it crawled from one side of my palm to the other, radiating its heatless glow.  Then, off it lifted, seeking its own kind.  It didn't have far to look.  Thousands of its friends signaled nearby.