Friday, September 24, 2010

Visitors

It is that time of year again. Firefly season! We look forward to it every year it is the marker that it is almost Summer. If you are sitting in your chair in front of this screen thinking to yourself " I didn't actually know they were a real life thing" you are not alone. Until I moved here , 10 years ago, I thought they were just a thing from books.

I had a book about them as a child, called Sam and The Firefly- which I have been trying to think of the name of for ages (and google just helped my find, and Dymoks and Amazon both have - I just bought a copy!!) I loved it? Do you know it? But I always thought they were a mythical creature, I really really did. I grew up in the city ok?

 Remember:



When I moved here and a group of us were sitting inside and someone came back from outside and said "the fireflies are out." I just kind of laughed . We all went to look, me feeling like everyone was in on some joke and not wanting to sound like such a naive just-moved-up-from - the -city- type- which I was!

Then I saw one. Then another. And another, then I held out my hand and one landed on it. It was one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me. Not only were they real, one landed on my hand! Almost saying See! I am real.



.
Do you know why they glow?
This is why: "The male firefly flashes its light for a very important purpose. It wants to find a mate. When it gets dark, the male firefly flies through the night. It flashes its light like a signal. Each kind of firefly has its own signal.
The female firefly has short wings and often can’t fly. It perches itself on a bush or a rock and waits. When a male passes by with a signal the female recognizes, the female flashes back the same signal. The male lands and touches the female’s antennae. This is how fireflies smell each other. If the female smells right to him, the two fireflies will mate. Later the female lays her eggs." From here.

Busy is into them big time! We catch them in a jar and look at them flying around , she takes them into her room and goes under her bed and watches them in the dark.

Do you read Sam and the Firefly as a child?
Did you not know they actually existed in real life?

16 comments:

  1. yep - I read Sam and the Firefly. I still have it and read it to the children now. I always knew they were real but I thought they were only in the north America - I didn't realise we had them in Australia.
    Cool !

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm like Sally and thought they were an American thing...
    we love the firefly song at our house, and sing to imaginary fireflies quite regularly - excited to learn we might be able to see real ones one day without a looong plane trip!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay I will be the third person to say I never knew that we had them Australia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I thought they were American too! Amazed that there are such wonderful critters in Australia, now wondering where I could go about finding some for my kids who would love to see them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. We have fireflies all over the place here! I spent a lot of childhood nights running around and chasing them. And I also had that book! I might even still have it :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love fireflies, they remind me that there is someone for everyone in the world...aren't they the most amazing things, they remind me of tinkerbell :) haven't seen any out our way yet, but I did just see the most amazing frog watching me from outside the loungeroom window!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We love Sam and the firefly! We don't have them here in the Northwest but, my husband grew up with them in the Midwest. They are pretty amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi - I love Sam the Firefly! Read it as a child and then to my own.
    Always knew about fireflies as I live in MI and there are lots of them here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. i grew up in the states and fireflies are a huge part of my childhood memories. they really are something to see.

    ps. thank you for your sweet comment over on my little blog.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sam is one of our favorites, and I grew up with fireflies but then did a long stint in Florida which is Firefly Free. Was thrilled when we moved to the cooler north and were able to share firefly magic with our kids...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I remember seeing fire flies for the firt time when I was 18 and travelling in SE Asia. I thought I was drinking too much and didn't believe that they were real. Amazing little creatures. x

    ReplyDelete
  12. i'd heard about them lots, but we don't get them over here. that last photo is amazing. i want to see them for real now!
    l
    x

    ReplyDelete
  13. I remember this book too. I don't know if we have fireflies where we live but I do remember seeing them when we visited Wisconsin, they are so cool xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. OMG we have fireflies in Australia? That is so exciting. Im off to find out where so we can go for a trip one day - id doubt they are in QLD where I am. Too hot. Ive seen the glowworms in NSW when I was younger. I still remember them - they were fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  15. OMG I was wrong. They ARE in QLD. Whoot!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can't believe it...fireflies really exist!!!? Nobody ever told me and we were always reading Sam.

    ReplyDelete

what a nice person you are- taking the time to comment in this busy hectic world...Thank you!!