Reqium for the fireflies

Back in the mid fifties my father decided that it was a good idea to move our clan out to the boonies. He had the crazy idea that he wanted to raise goats and rabbits. To my eight year old sensibilities this seemed like a great idea. My evil stepsisters were slightly less amused. My oldest sister was about to graduate from high school and would not be graduating with all her little friends. My middle sister was equally unenthusiastic. My Mom seemed to want whatever Dad wanted. To further complicate situation was that as a policeman my father was not supposed to live out side the city limits and finding a small farm inside the Cincinnati city was nigh on impossible.

Mom and Dad found a place in they liked just out side of the city in a place that went by the very Mayberryesque name of Peach Grove. A little red brick house sat atop a six and one half acre hilltop lot, most of it at a forty five degree slant(perfect for goats Dad decided). Dad's little piece of paradise was on a road called Lockwood Hill. The thing I remember the most was the incredible view. To paraphrase Bab's hit song "On a clear day you could see forever". At night I was amazed at how dark it got, being a city kid I was used to street lights. Once your eyes got acclimated you could see all the way to the Fernald National Lead plant where they processed nuclear fuel(no,I don't glow in the dark)

Being an over stimulated borderline A.D.D. /O.C.D kind of kid my parents and evil step sisters often found ways to to keep me distracted and after the second or third summer night I was fascinated by the huge clouds of fireflies that haunted our little hilltop hideaway. The surrounding woods and fields were practically over run with these little luminescent beasties. Some one in the household had the bright idea of me going outside and catching some in a Mason jar.(I suspect my evil stepsisters) Before long I was running after the lightning bugs and even capturing a few. I even took my flashing little menagerie to bed with me. (I seem to remember releasing some in the attic that I shared with my E.S.S's(evil step sisters),
much to their consternation.

So why am I waxing nostalgic about bugs with built in flashlights? There are stories in the news that fireflies might be going the way of passenger pigeons and dodo birds. Their numbers have been dwindling over the last few years. No one seems to know why, perhaps pollution or global warming. (I'm leaning towards Alien Abductions personally) To an eight year old with more imagination than common sense those shiny little guys were magical. Watching them light up weaving in and out of the trees as I chased them. Juking left and right or flying up just out of reach. So if they are going away and not coming back, I for one will miss them