They have arrived. The 17-year return. I did not live in the country during the last event, so am really enjoying this latest. I’m told they should pose no damage to crops, but may damage young trees. I’m leaving them to their business (as in, no, not killing them with pesticides, or squashing for the heck of it,) but may eat some. I hear they are tasty and can be prepared like popcorn shrimp.
They’re really quite beautiful, and perfectly docile. The sheer numbers, however, are kind of creepy. One flew down my shirt yesterday.
The air hums with them. They sound exactly like a space ship in a 1950′s film. They stopped singing yesterday during a major storm, but otherwise the sound is constant. In places, it is hard to walk without stepping on them. The side of my barn is covered with their abandoned shells.
