Home

cloudhiking - maps and adventure guides

Site Links

Support

Contact Us

Journal

Mountains

Trails

Metro

Gear

Green

Diversions

Scree

Friends' Links

Appalachia & Beyond

Family Wilds

fiddleharpa

Marking My Territory

Outcast Hikers

Affiliates

Scree - May 26, 2011 - Bugs

cicada on the garage

26May11 Cicadas

When our dog, Jake, first saw the cicadas he naturally snapped at them as they flew by. He caught the bugs but then spit them out. Well, somewhere along the way he developed a taste for the cicadas. He ate, and ate, and ate the red eyed bug. From the kitchen window, my wife and I watched as he patrolled the backyard. He was not ready to come inside until he was sure there were no more bugs taking refuge in his territory. He was diligent and then he was sick.

I don't know how many hundreds of cicadas he had to eat before he got sick; but he found that magic number. After recovering, he seems as if he has learned his lesson. He does not hunt the cicadas any longer. Oh, he would probably still snap at them if they buzzed him; but he has seemed to learn that too many tasty treats are not necessarily a good thing.

26MAY11 Cicadas Again

The cicadas are making news. The Tennessean ran an article about the bugs that included recipes for such yummy treats as El Chirper Tacos, Shanghai Cicadas, and Chocolate-Covered Cicadas. Yum.

We are having a birthday party for Diane, Amy's mom, tonight. She is celebrating her 80th birthday! Maybe , we will marinate and make a couple of skewers of cicadas. Diane has an adventurous palate. That might be just the special treat for remembering her 80th. Forget the trip to Europe, Diane, you can tell everyone that you ate cicadas! : )

I think Jake, the dog, would say, "no, grandma, don't do it. They are tasty at first; but it's not worth it. They will make you sick."

26May11 Ants

Sticking to the bug theme ...

It has been very wet in Tennessee lately. When it has been wet for days, ants tend to find ways into the house to take shelter.

I was needing a snack the other day and went to the pantry closet to grab a few raisins. I grabbed a good handful, put them in my mouth, and then came out of the dark pantry (I had not turned on the light) - only to find ants all over my hand. It looked like hundreds of ants. By then, I had already chewed and swallowed the mouthful of ants and raisins.

I didn't get sick; but I wasn't happy about eating the ants, after all I am a vegetarian!