Fireflies in the front yard

[jams]

What a delight to watch my neighbor's kids chasing fireflies from my front porch, and trying to imagine how it would feel again to have that innocence and sense of wonderment again.

Damn, growing up sometimes just sucks.

[ccbatson]

get a jar and catch a few...never too old.

[Gannon]

We know what you did to your innocence, Jams, but what do you think is wrong with your sense of wonderment?

[Gannon]

I'm with Cc on this one...as long as no fireflies are injured during this endeavor.

[grumpyoldlady]

We live in rural west central Minnesota now, and a couple of nights ago, I picked up my grandchildren and brought them out into the country to our farm. As we came up the long driveway, there were hundreds of fireflies blinking. I turned off the car lights and we just sat there and enjoyed them for a while. The kids are 3 and 4 and were blown away by the "blinky bugs" as they called them later. I call them "lightning bugs" most of the time, but I think I like their "blinky bugs" better, lol. If the mosquitoes hadn't been so thick, I'd have gotten the kids' butterfly net and tried to catch a few to put in a jar for a night so they could watch them as they fell asleep.

[Gannon]

Nice euphemism Grumpy, but I understand your code-speak.


They are NOT "going asleep'! (heh, firefly murderer...possibly serial, better keep an eye on the likes of you...)




We must be careful not to piss them off...if they swarm one could possibly become toxic with organic phosphors!

[Bobl]

As children, we used to put them in jars, too. Then one of the older kids came up with the idea of smearing them on his face, like "war paint". We terrorized the neighborhood (and fireflies) that night!

[eriedearie]

As a kid, my uncle showed me how to remove their butts and put them on your finger to wear like a ring. They stayed lit for a while. :cool:

[Ray1936]

Nice rememory, Jams. Thanks for the reminder.

[ccbatson]

Just don't let Obama get near them Gannon.

[Gannon]

May those who've NEVER smacked a fly or mosquito be the ONLY ones who cast stones at our MFIC for doing the same.


I'm sure you've never killed a fly. Right?


If you have, then kindly shut the feck up.

[Lorax]

Maybe Batts is just jealous of Obama- he killed for sport, then threw away such a tasty morsel! Aren't flies one of the food staples for bats? :eek:

[jams]

Guess a thread about the simple innocence of children just doing what children do is too much for some.

[Downriviera]

Let my dog in one night, she had something in her mouth glowing green. My first thought was those glow sticks the ravers put in their mouths. After further inspection she had a fire fly stuck between her teeth.

[jams]

We know what you did to your innocence, Jams, but what do you think is wrong with your sense of wonderment?
The true question is Why is wondering considered a waste of time?

[Gannon]

I wonder...

[jams]

I'ld call you names but prissy minds would misunderstand.

[MoparDan]

Let my dog in one night, she had something in her mouth glowing green. My first thought was those glow sticks the ravers put in their mouths. After further inspection she had a fire fly stuck between her teeth.

LOL Good story! Reminds me years ago when one of our dogs came in the house & barfed onto the floor...well, we thought he barfed...turned out he had a live toad in his mouth & it jumped out when he opened it! My wife & daughters screamed when it started hopping around. I have to say it caught me off guard, but I grabbed the little guy then released him into one of the mulch beds outside.
As a youngster, it was a big thing to see how many fireflies you could catch in a jar then watch it "glow". After a while we'd let them out & start over. We originally wanted to keep them but one of the older kids said since we didn't punch air holes in the lids, the fireflies would die. Besides half the fun was chasing them around. :D

[eriedearie]

Gannon - what does MFIC stand for? I have an idea, but would appreciate verification. :D

[reddog289]

I will let Gannon explain, Think CAY. Love watchin them Lightning Bugs. This time of year your hopefully at the point were the garden is in and you can sit and watch them buggers fly round your yard.

[Gannon]

Exactly, I wanted to inject some brevity into my angry reply to this broken record of ours.

Coleman Andrew Young often referred to himself as the MotherFuckerInCharge.

Reportedly he had a plaque with that phrase on it at the City/County building, somewhere in his office...maybe ON his desk.


Obama be that now...at least nationally. Some would say globally, but I think we're about to learn some lessons about that sort of boasting.

[gnome]

GOL- "blinky bugs" has now entered my lexicon, give a big thanx to those grandchildren of yours. I love how kids re-purpose words and concepts into new forms that become standards within a family's inner circle. I think an entire thread could be crafted from just those invented words.

[eriedearie]

Gannon - thanks for verifying my suspicion. :D

[rb336]

I once drove through a swarm of fireflies. when I parked and shut off the lights, the car looked like a planetarium

[ccbatson]

I, and my dogs, love to hunt and kill flies and various other bugs. I was playing devil's advocate.

[Gannon]

What's the going rate on a contract like that?!

[Maxine1958]

I, and my dogs, love to hunt and kill flies and various other bugs. I was playing devil's advocate.

Will you come to my apartment and take care of the disgusting earwigs?:confused:

[reddog289]

I love fireflys,blinky bugs, lightnin bugs, But them damn earwigs, hated them since I poured a bowl of cereal and there were about 10 earwigs in there.Gotta get the non-organic stuff out for those.

[MoparDan]

I love fireflys,blinky bugs, lightnin bugs, But them damn earwigs, hated them since I poured a bowl of cereal and there were about 10 earwigs in there.Gotta get the non-organic stuff out for those.

That probably blew your appetite right there! :D
I step on those li'l (insert expletive) every chance I get! I don't mess with spiders too much because they're useful in helping to get rid of other pests. Not that I want my house draped in cobwebs or them having free reign mind you but they serve a purpose.
With the oppressive heat we're having down here, waterbugs are starting to make their appearance...I wasted no time spraying insecticide or pouring boric acid into every nook & cranny I could find around the garage/patio/porch areas. Those bastards may survive a nuclear attack but I'll annihilate as many as I can until then.
Kill 'em all & let God sort 'em out! Ooh Rah! :cool:

[Gannon]

I DID have a decidedly more aggressive attitude towards the 'Palmetto Bugs' when I lived in Florida.

Ahem.


Turned me into Dr. Mengele of the South. I finally decided they could have Central Florida. Much later, I found inner peace.


You can be one with all things, as long as they aren't trying to fit you into their food chain.

[Maxine1958]

I love fireflys,blinky bugs, lightnin bugs, But them damn earwigs, hated them since I poured a bowl of cereal and there were about 10 earwigs in there.Gotta get the non-organic stuff out for those.

I'm going out of town this weekend and plan to "Raid" my whole apartment on my way out! If anything survives the weekend, I don't know what I'll do. I have stuff for them in the garden, but I'm stumped as far as indoors goes. Any tips?:(

[vetalalumni]

As a kid, my uncle showed me how to remove their butts and put them on your finger to wear like a ring. They stayed lit for a while. :cool:This is so funny, and profound as well.

[ccbatson]

Earwigs? My dogs will hunt them (any little bug will do for them), I am not too fond of them.

[grumpyoldlady]

Gnome....I will tell Nick and Liz that "blinky bugs" works for you.

[MoparDan]

I DID have a decidedly more aggressive attitude towards the 'Palmetto Bugs' when I lived in Florida.

Ahem.


Turned me into Dr. Mengele of the South. I finally decided they could have Central Florida. Much later, I found inner peace.


You can be one with all things, as long as they aren't trying to fit you into their food chain.

I'm wondering if you're referring to what we call "roly polies" or "pill bugs" down here.

I figure as long as I stay on land, I'll be at the top of the food chain provided I'm armed if I run into any wild carnivores; otherwise it could get ugly really quickly. When you step into the ocean though, you just became a link! :eek:

[Gannon]

Palmetto is the euphemism used in Florida to describe what the rest of the world calls big-ass local ROACHES! I'm sure there is some minor entomological difference, but to the uninformed...those large creepy crawlers are actually in charge throughout Central Florida. That's who comes to collect the taxes...fellow I knew said he starred in some Kafka novella...

[MoparDan]

Palmetto is the euphemism used in Florida to describe what the rest of the world calls big-ass local ROACHES! I'm sure there is some minor entomological difference, but to the uninformed...those large creepy crawlers are actually in charge throughout Central Florida. That's who comes to collect the taxes...fellow I knew said he starred in some Kafka novella...

Ok, that's probably what we call "waterbugs" down here...big, ugly & worst of all, they can FLY! A can of Raid is no use unless they're on the ground & you're better off stomping them at that point.. Otherwise your best weapon is wasp spray so you can hit them at a distance, esp if they're on a wall or the ceiling. Pouring boric acid around nooks & crannies where they're likely to crawl through will help put a halt to their advance. :cool:
Ah yes, Kafka's Metamorphosis.

[ccbatson]

Nasty bugs, pests, only radical PETA members can resist the desire to get rid of them when they are near.

[eriedearie]

I had to dig this thread up...last night we were sitting on the back porch with our 8 year old grandson. The "blinky bugs" were starting up. So we were making a game of counting them. Our grandson counted one that we didn't see and when I called him on it...he says "well, grandma, that guy didn't have his light on!" :p

Kids are so funny! :)

[gibran]

I had to dig this thread up...last night we were sitting on the back porch with our 8 year old grandson. The "blinky bugs" were starting up. So we were making a game of counting them. Our grandson counted one that we didn't see and when I called him on it...he says "well, grandma, that guy didn't have his light on!" :p

Kids are so funny! :)

very cute....

when i was a kid there was a stretch road between Maple City and cedar Thant my Granddad used to drive...as we were coming home one evening the roadside lite up like a celestial light show...those "blinky bugs" were everywhere...to this day when I see them in my yard ..I smile at the reminder of the simpler things in life...the smile of a child the first time they see "glow-bugs" as we called them ..while driving with Grandpa...

as far a rolly polly's prolicfic nature ..they can be endured and throw outside..however. the "palmetto's" nuke em...and Boric acid works well...I used to throw a few "green horse apples" in my gardens around my house to encourage another path for those pesky creatures ....

[jams]

Nice posts, it does us good to see the world through the eyes of a child when we can.

[gibran]

Nasty bugs, pests, only radical PETA members can resist the desire to get rid of them when they are near.


and extremists in the neoconda familia ..they can't smash their own..:D

[grumpyoldlady]

I am delighted to see how many here have adopted the term "blinky bugs".

[ccbatson]

Good shot Gibran.....ahem.