To all of my california friends who can’t miss fireflies because they haven’t ever seen them.
^ what? do they not have fireflies in CA??????????
Nope! They don’t really live west of the rockies. The first time I saw them in Ohio, I thought I was hallucinating.
The fireflies were the most fantastic part of my first visit to America. I was with my BF and my roller derby team and we were in one of those yellow schooll buses being taken back from the tournament venue. I spotted some lights in the bushes and pointed it out… then we all lost our minds!!! As it got darker we saw there were SO MANY! Our American hosts couldn’t believe how crazy we were for them… but there is nothing even remotely like this in Scotland, it was like being in a fantasy movie or something. I’ll never forget them.
I love them so much! They come out part-way through my Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop (now taking applications! Pat Cadigan returns as special guest author this year!) each year, and it’s such a joy to introduce these little delights to people from parts of the world where they can’t see them.
PS: In Minnesota, we called them “lightning bugs.”
We had them in Norfolk, Virginia when I was a kid. Same time of year as the junebugs, but those are in the daytime.
Ok but imagine being an Irish immigrant coming to America for the first time having never heard of them and just…nope nope nope Don’t Go In Those Fields The Fairies Fucking Followed US I Thought We Would Be Free Of This Nonsense
fireflies are so sweet and harmless and gentle. they’re not afraid of you, and will perch on you if you happen to be where they are when they feel like sitting down. when it’s hot out, i take my daily walk in the evening just as it’s getting dark, which is prime firefly time. sometimes several of them land on my hat and get a ride.
every year we get a few coming into the house through the air conditioner vents, and they hang out in my room and twinkle for me as i fall asleep. then in the morning i try to find them and put them outside. they’re usually in the curtains. they look like slender little drab beetles with cute dot eye faces in the daylight. turn the lights out and they’re like PARTY TIME? and start blinking their little rave light butts.
i love fireflies. i love them so much.
(Source: https://www.instagram.com/)
just moving along like everyone else 