There they were. Scattered all over the grass were wilting green leaves from a towering oak tree. They were some of the first to fall this year, having yet to transition into oranges and browns as so many leaves do in autumn.
The roaring sound of cicada tymbals has noticeably quieted. The next generation of periodical cicadas is young and silent. After hatching from eggs laid in trees, they will fall to the ground and tunnel into the earth, where they will live in darkness for years. These days it is the lightning bugs who are putting on a show.
