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Aug 25·edited Aug 25Liked by Herschel Sterling

On super-hot and steamy nights around Christmas in Australia, we have cicadas. They make a choir of hum and buzz.

When enough of them join in as you're walking through the bush, it becomes a deafening cacophony that hurts your ears. But, if you stomp hard on the ground, there is quiet. The symphony is stopped, temporarily.

Then, just as every time you witness one of nature's wonders, your inner soul longs to have that immense surround sound of cicadas singing underground again. And they do come back gradually, if you tread lightly.

These crazy long-lived insects form a strange orchestra, rising from silence to cymbals crashing next to your ear drum in minutes.

And occasionally, if the heat of evening and moisture in the ground is just right, cicadas keep up their celebration of life choir all night.

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author

I grew up in Michigan, USA. There are cicadas, and also in Illinois, where I also lived for many years. I bet the lizards love the cicadas! No lizards in the Midwest, USA. I never knew about the stomping!! I wish I did!! That seems like it would be fun.

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Aug 30Liked by Herschel Sterling

The stomping works like a dream if you want to shut up the crickets as well.

But, I guess, from your story you wanted to hear their sounds again.

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The stomping is fun. It silences them. But, then you want to hear it again, straightaway. The buildup is magnificent. silence to cacophony in 33 seconds.

The other fun thing about cicadas is putting their empty shells on the shoulders of your friends to scare them a little.

A good jump is always worth the effort!

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Aug 25Liked by Herschel Sterling

You have shone a light on me Herschell, and it is reflecting your own brightness back at you like the floodlight at a ball game. I loved today's story. It reminded me of summer holidays on coastal NSW. We have crickets, frogs and lizards, too, but also cicadas. I'll write another post to shine a light on those strange critters that live underground for so many years and then sing their heart out. I'm returning the story favor. What goes around, comes around, you know?

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author

Thanks for the re-stack! That really helps.

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Aug 30Liked by Herschel Sterling

You’re welcome Herschel, I love your stuff.

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