Our dog, Cyrus, usually sleeps well and doesn’t disturb anyone until we get up in the morning. But a few nights ago he was awake at 3:00 a.m., clearly trying to rouse someone. He trotted from one side of the bed to the other, whimpering and nudging. Since this behavior was unusual, I knew I should comply with his wishes. As soon as I got out of bed, Cyrus raced downstairs to the side door and was happy (probably relieved) that I let him out.
So what do you do at 3:00 in the morning while you wait for your dog to finish his business? I walked out onto the enclosed porch that overlooks our backyard to see if anything was going on and was rewarded with a spectacular show from the fireflies. There were hundreds it seemed, and I watched closely to try to figure out the rhythm they were creating, wondering if the timing of the flashing was deliberate. I had recently seen something on television about a place in the mountains of Tennessee where a certain species of fireflies flashes with synchronicity. I was fascinated to the point of trying to sing a tune in my head to go with the rhythm of the fireflies as I watched.
Before long Cyrus was back, and we both returned to the comfort of bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about those fireflies. I have since found out that there may be several species of fireflies in an area at any given time, each one having their own code of flashing. The code comes from the male who signals to the female what species he is, hoping for a mate.
Whether it’s the dance of the bees or the rhythm of the fireflies, nature is always putting on a show.
So what do you do at 3:00 in the morning while you wait for your dog to finish his business? I walked out onto the enclosed porch that overlooks our backyard to see if anything was going on and was rewarded with a spectacular show from the fireflies. There were hundreds it seemed, and I watched closely to try to figure out the rhythm they were creating, wondering if the timing of the flashing was deliberate. I had recently seen something on television about a place in the mountains of Tennessee where a certain species of fireflies flashes with synchronicity. I was fascinated to the point of trying to sing a tune in my head to go with the rhythm of the fireflies as I watched.
Before long Cyrus was back, and we both returned to the comfort of bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about those fireflies. I have since found out that there may be several species of fireflies in an area at any given time, each one having their own code of flashing. The code comes from the male who signals to the female what species he is, hoping for a mate.
Whether it’s the dance of the bees or the rhythm of the fireflies, nature is always putting on a show.
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