Of course it's hot, it's July 22, smack dab in the middle of summer. I've come to expect Houston to be sticky and mostly miserable this time of year but everyone runs their air conditioners to maximum capacity so it feels wonderful to step into almost any building and be hit with that aaaaahhh of cold air.
We're being overrun by crickets. They're everywhere. You can't walk down a hallway or sidewalk without seeing several. I've done a little reading on them and I guess they're trying to escape the heat just like the rest of us. They want to get into cool, damp places - that would be anywhere but the blazing streets and yards.
They feed at night and early morning. I must have been a real sight yesterday morning when - after a 5am run in the dark - I walked through the back entrance of my building and stirred up about forty of them. They all jumped. I jumped. They jumped some more. I let out a string of curse words. I'm going to have a stroke one day from a bird or insect startle. I just know it. Freaking nature.
I've also read a little about the insecticide used to get rid of crickets. That takes a little investigation. I discovered that many of them (Pyrethroids) are based off of the chrysanthemum flower and are listed as "safe" for humans but that their mechanism of action for pests is by causing paralysis at the sodium channels of the nervous system. Seems simple enough...read a little more...oh, there are dangerous levels of these chemicals in some waterways. Freaking chemistry. Why do I read these things?
Along the way in my cricket research I found a video of a cricket fight with people wagering money on which fierce battling cricket would win. There must be other ways to spend a Friday night. I'm considering heading out my back door to listen to more music on the Town Square. Last night was a great evening of jazz and it was made even better when a friend showed up. I hadn't seen her for several months. She promptly introduced me to a very handsome man, insisting that we should know each other. She has this way about her, very insistent. So we'll see. He has my number. And would you believe? He called today. Jiminy!
©Michelle Scofield, July 22, 2011 All Rights Reserved
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An attempt to pull it all together in one place. Let's see how long this lasts.
About Me
- Michelle
- Houston, Texas
- Kansan transplanted to Texas. I started distance running in my 40's and ran my first marathon at 52. I started collecting running injuries and decided it's no longer the hobby for me. Writing and photography provide escape from the escape that running was supposed to be.
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