Cousin Jeff is in town, and last night after dinner he, Kish and I sat out on our patio in the darkness, talking. As we chatted, I was struck by how loud the background sounds of a summer evening can be. There was a steady, discernible buzz of different insect noises, led by the high-pitched, crackling chirping of crickets. That symphony was then punctuated by an occasional dog bark, a happy shout from one of the neighborhood kids, or the distant drone of a passing car.
To me, at least, the thrum and throb of a summer night is incredibly soothing — and it also makes me realize how many unseen bugs call our backyard home.