Scarlet Pimpernel

Meh. Everyone knows how this plays out in the end. You and @psuhoffman will end up with the best cicada-death-bands when everyone else gets cicada-slotted at some point!

A few trees covered with emerging cicadas this evening. And saw several also coming out of the grass. Have seen a few fully out mature ones the past couple of days (black with the clear orange wings). A couple from this evening:

Haha, yeah! Though the cicadas are somewhat cuter and far less dangerous!! (ETA: I mean, you gotta love the Groucho Marx eyebrows they have!)

Hey, even this guy wore a mask, though it doesn't completely cover his whole mouth and nose!!

Couple more photos from them emerging the other night... Synchronized emerging! A new Olympic sport? Damn Soviet judges deducted 2 points for no reason! And, wings spreading out...

Could be that the cooler first part of this month played a role. What's interesting is that I looked back at the photos I have from the 2004 emergence, and I recall that May being quite warm. In looking at the dates on the photos when they were really starting to emerge, it was around May 18. And they were going full bore not long after that. For some reason, I had thought it was a lot earlier than that in May 2004 but apparently not. There are plenty of places nearby where I'm at that have not been developed, they're sort of wooded areas around a creek and such. I'm sure nearly all those trees are a fair bit older than 17 years and were left "undisturbed". But thus far haven't seen anything from there yet, other than the holes I mentioned above. The trees where I have seen with them coming out, strangely enough, are on and right near the apartment property I live at...but those trees are pretty old too, and there hasn't been any development here in that time. Maybe it's a bit warmer (or just enough so) with more sun getting in there, compared to the more wooded regions.

Well that's great for you and your family. But there are plenty of people for whom the risk is much greater for serious effects, and I know several who could be in that group. Why is it so hard for people to understand that you personally taking a risk with this is not the same as deciding to go sky diving or bungee jumping. Which really only affects *you*. A virus can affect anyone around you. Much like smoking. There's a lot still not fully understood about COVID, including various other disorders that people have presented with later on even with a relatively mild case. And don't forget all the variants that are now flying around...the more you don't stop it, the more chance there is of mutations. Fortunately so far, the vaccine has been shown to be effective against these, from what I understand.

Mmmmmm, Krispy Kreme!!! That's some good donuts right there! What's interesting about the shots is that I really didn't feel much of anything with the actual shot, I don't know if they use a smaller needle or what. But definitely not the same as when you get blood work or even a flu shot, where you can really feel it.

Plenty more emerging around here, seems to have been going on the past couple of nights this weekend. It's odd, I've seen a couple of trees where they have been coming out quite a bit, but others where there is nothing so far. And this one wooded area has tons of holes and turrets in the ground which I can only assume are cicada tunnels coming up...but not so much as a single shell that I saw yet. Maybe they're waiting a bit more, or it's still a bit cooler there relatively speaking. No singing thus far that I've heard, though at times I *think* I can hear something in the distance. Maybe these first ones all became Scooby Snacks, as I haven't seen any fully developed ones (black/orange) either. Or maybe it takes awhile before they really start their chorus. I imagine with the much warmer weather expected next week, we might see and hear more!

Yeah! Pushing 80s to 90 by late this upcoming week, quite a flip from the first half of this month. I don't mind the taste of summer as we get to the 2nd part of May, though at the same time I don't look forward to upper 90s or 100 (maybe we can keep that down a bit this year)! Got my 2nd Pfizer yesterday morning...yay! Not too bad after, though last night I had a headache and general feeling of tired and achy to an extent, with even a hint of a sore throat. And a sore arm like the 1st one. Nothing a Tylenol couldn't help out with, though.

Haha! I hear you. Personally I kind of find them and their whole 17 year life cycle fascinating. The other day I actually "rescued" a few nymphs crawling along the sidewalk and put them on a nearby tree!

Here they come! Emerging cicadas this evening...

The early cicadas are the appetizer!! Haven't seen any actual cicadas yet so far, but several empty shells around a couple of trees. And in this wooded area across the street from me, there were a TON of holes and turrets, littered all over the ground. I guess they're waiting a bit before coming out, when it gets a bit warmer.

Yeah, we're down to cicada pee! But hey, not much different or weirder than some of the storm threads during winter!!!

"Who's scruffy-looking?" (Always was amused that Han Solo never denied being stuck-up, half-witted, or a nerf herder...only took offense at being called scruffy!)

Saw numerous shells around a large oak tree yesterday, but no signs yet of actual cicadas. Maybe they were preliminary scouts, sacrificed to the birds! Still awaiting the HECS (Historic East-coast Cicada Swarm)!!!

Interesting! I wonder how this applies to in-house dining then, I would take it that they won't have the restrictions on number of people eating in, though obviously you also wouldn't be using a mask while eating. I hope we get to at least 70% vaccinated soon, they seem a lot more widely available now. A part of me is a bit cautious, I admit, and hoping that Gov. Hogan isn't jumping the gun too quickly here. But cases have been going down, thankfully.

Judging by that smile, I'm guessing the Reaper closed big on the Panic Room after selling it off, and walked away with some serious cash!! (or maybe he raided the slot machines on the way out!!)

Are we in NAM range yet?? Nothing here that I've seen, other than some holes near several trees. I guess it's getting close now.

Short Pump cicada bullseye...book it!!

LOL!!! Too funny! Actually, I'm disappointed by the 1st Pfizer shot, I only got the chip that plays dull elevator music. What a rip! Others reported being able to receive better stations. Hopefully the 2nd one is much better!! Can't we get better science juice???

Same here, haven't seen any yet but have seen several holes near trees. Fringed!

Rain shaft from convection today...

Wow, for a moment earlier this morning I thought I had mistakenly entered some bizarre QAnon thread!