Save the Lightning Bugs

In this photo you see some of Laura's latest "new best friends". This was actually taken in Hazel Green, AL at the home of our brother and sister-in-law, Steven and Barbara Capps. They were willing to lend us their "bug box" for Laura's evening ritual of catching the lightning bugs.

You'll notice the sand....she is sure that sand makes a REALLY nice bed for the bugs. Unfortunately for the bugs, Laura likes to shake them up a bit, and I'm sure they sustained at least minor abrasions!



I've been meaning to write this post for two weeks now, but I'm actually glad I've given Laura time to truly hone (sp?) the craft of catching lightning bugs! Here you see her actually holding the death chamber, I mean bug box in the process of providing the sand.

Laura has gotten so good at catching these things that she can get several in each fist before she puts them in captivity. I must refer you to the post about whose child this is because again, those who know me at all, and certainly know me well will know that catching bugs of any variety has never, ever been on my agenda. And certainly not something I would consider fun. But, I found out about the things a mother will do for her child during this visit to Alabama. One of the victims, I mean lightning bugs, was a little too high for Laura to catch, so she said, "You catch it for me, Mama!" Okay, what mother would refuse that request. So, ignoring every pore of my being telling me NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I reached up and very gently, with the least amount of contact possible (for the bugs, of course) caught her little friend. I even put it in the box for her. Then I shuddered for five minutes recalling the feeling of that thing in my hand. Eeewww. Yes, I'm a prissy girl. I'm really okay with me, so I'm okay with admitting it. But I'm proud of my girl who likes bugs and mud, too, because it must be good for you somehow to like those things. As I type this, there are about seven or eight lightning bugs flying hopelessly around a homemade bug box in my living room. I titled this post Save the Lightning Bugs because I think that some activist group would want me to prohibit Laura's catching of these bugs. And were it not for the fact that she would be horribly disappointed, I'd go release them into the wild to do whatever it is that they do every day. She keeps asking me what they eat, but somehow I'm not eager to find out because I don't want our house to become a sanctuary for lost and forlorn lightning bugs.

On another note, everyone at our house is well now. Lindy was MUCH better by Sunday morning, which was quite a relief. She goes for her two month visit and shots in the morning. Poor little thing. She's an angel. I look at her and I still wonder if she's real. Then she spits up all the milk she just drank all over my clothes. Yep. She's real. :) Have a happy, blessed day!