Cicadas

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I have such traumatic memories of the 14 (or 17) year cicadas coming to Illinois when I was younger. They are so big and clunky and where ever you walk there is the crunch, crunch of their discarded skeletons. I remember not even wanting to go outside when they came. Luckily, the infestation only lasted  few weeks and they were gone.

So now to present day Australia. The cicadas have come back into  my life. Apparently, they are a summer time insect that returns year after year- no 17 year waiting period for these buggers. They are everywhere you go around here.  Their loud buzzing sound seems to follow you where ever you are in the area. Cooper is of course, fascinated by them and wants to know all there is to know.  I have been a good mom and not shunned them in front of him and have even gone on the internet with him to see pictures and learn all we can. We did both agree, however, that eating cicadas (which they do in many countries) is gross. Phew. Thankfully, we have not seen one yet, only heard them. And that was fine with me, until today....

Today, I let Manzie out onto our balcony which is semi-enclosed and 24 floors up.  She usually goes out, sniffs around a bit and then waits to come back in. Today when I let her out, I saw her attacking something. Now, remember this is Manzie we are talking about. Manzie who is mostly blind. Manzie who sleeps all day. Manzie who rarely moves from her spot of comfort  even to greet us when we come home!  Yes, this Manzie was attacking some kind of insect and she got it! I ran out to see what was going on and there she was with a giant cicada in her mouth! Ick! I managed to grab her before she chomped it up and she dropped it.  I quickly put her inside and closed the door. Doug will have to deal with the dead cicada on the porch when he gets home. And now, Manzie sits by the balcony door, staring outside so she can go out and inspect her prey.  Who would have thought that my Manzie is a fearsome hunter of....cicadas!  Watch out insect world!

Manzie begging to go back to her prey.

Dead cicada thru the door because I am not going out there!