June Bugs

I went down to gather the last of the blackberries this evening. The berries on the top of the bush are already turning brown and dying and one might be tricked into thinking that there were no more good berries to be had. Being a blackberry picker from waaaay back, I knew that the biggest and sweetest of the season are in the bottom, shady part of the bush.

Apparently June bugs are hip to this fact too because as I reached for a particularly plump cluster, a big ol' honkin June bug was squatting on one of the berries.

I shooed him away and picked the cluster and moved to another one. On this bunch was several bugs. I conjured up my Moses voice and said flee you vermin or I shall smite thee.

The June bugs either didn't fathom the gravity of the Old Testament language or they simply thought they could take me out staff and all, because they didn't budge.

When I thumped one, it didn't fly away as I expected but flew straight toward my head. I dodged and it headed for my ear. It felt like it was as big as a hummingbird.

Now having a June bug on a string when you are ten years old (as I often did in the summer) is one thing, but at fifty-eight, having one fly into your ear canal and perhaps eating out some things in there that you could need later, is a totally different matter.

I backed away from the angry bugs and looked for other clumps down the path. I decided that there was enough to share. That's probably all the bug wanted to convey to me. Anyhow, I got plenty of berries for another cobbler.

I'm so excited.