Thinking Out Loud
Out Of Season

August 19, 2012
By: Diane Szczepanski

"If the robin is to many the harbinger (messenger) of spring, then the cicada is perhaps an advance scout for autumn warning for all who hear it to "enjoy the summer while you can for the end is near."
Charles Fonaas

The sound of the cicada's are at ear-piercing levels lately, which annoy me for two reasons.

One, this is the love song of males trying to attract females for mating. It's a little disturbing when it goes silent for a while, because I know someone just got "lucky".

Which is really just a little bit too much information, even if in the insect world.

Two, the high decibel melody in the air signals to me that the flip-flops will soon go in storage and the winter boots will soon come out.

I'm not a 'Fall' or 'Winter' person.

I revel in high-humidity weather fronts and flourish in the heat of two shower a day temperatures. Air conditioning is for sissies and feet are meant to be bare and calloused.

The crescendo of cicada's is confirmation my days of summer festivals, back yard barbecues and late night bike rides, are coming to a quick and certain end.

The pleasure of an ice cold beverage with good company surrounded by blossoming flowers on my deck, will soon be replaced with closed windows, a warm sweater and a space heater in my all season room.

I know I shouldn't be so melancholy.

Each season offers its own beauty and rewards and I truly am grateful for every season I am privileged enough to be on this earth to usher in.

However, despite the undeniable glory of golden leaves and picturesque landscapes of colorful trees of the Fall to come, the cicada song inevitably makes me a little sad every year.

I'm just never ready to turn in my suntan lotion for chapstick, or my swimsuit for parkas.

The cicadas song.

So much more than an annoying buzz which we try to tune out.

It is Mother Nature's alarm clock and she'll only let us hit snooze so many times...