Night Sky & Fireflies

Field aglow at night with tiny firefly lights

One of my favorite parts of the summer season is the arrival of fireflies.  Blinking their lights, they look like miniature low-lying stars above yards and fields.  These magical insects are only around for a brief time, and always around here for the 4th of July.  When I was a little girl, we collected the glowing insects in jars in a contest to see who could catch the most.  I rarely won the contests, but I was always mesmerized by the fireflies ability to shine and glow.  My mother always had us release any fireflies we caught after the "winner" was determined among my siblings and me. When I was a young child, I never quite got why we had to let them go, but I fully appreciate it now that my mother was wise enough and kind enough to make us do so!