the lightning bugs come out.
just when the sun is down low but not quite dark yet….
grabbing a jar and loading it up with these little guys is a SUMMER MUST.
you have to be careful when you open the jar….they try to escape.
they had over twenty that night.
when the kids go inside to bed i open the lid and let them all go…freedom!
it is another one of GOD's truly amazing creations.
and i love that they don't bite and are so easy to catch.
thank you Lord for these bugs in june.
amen.
(click to see my pics from last year's bug catching….love them…talby changed so much already)
Anna - Definitely my favorite thing about living in the south is seeing all the lighting bugs. LOVE IT!
danielle burkleo - i love these pictures. and i just love everything about talby. so stinkin’ cute.
meat online - This article is a great source of information, you Pictured the things really well. Keep it up and keep blogging.
Moriah - Oh I love the lightening bugs!! We don’t have them in California.
Courtney Walsh - When we moved, I didn’t know we were giving up lightning bugs. I guess they don’t have them in colorado?
the domestic fringe - So fun! We hardly have any lightning bugs…not sure why. I loved catching them as kids. Glad your kids enjoyed them.
-FringeGirl
aimeeb - That’s what we did last night as well!!
james - i used to love doing this as a kid
Southern Gal - We used to have so many lightning bugs around when I was young. They just aren’t around here much anymore. When we do see them it’s only a few and we just watch in awe. June bugs are the same way. Did we kill them all with the bug spraying trucks we rode behind on our bicycles? Hmmm.
Debbie - This makes me so homesick for the Midwest! We’re moving back next week. I hope the lightning bugs are still out! Thanks for the fun pictures.
robin - one of our wishes for this summer – lightning bug catchin’ 🙂
when i was a little girl and would catch my slew of lightning bugs, i would always take them upstairs to light my room as i would go to sleep… in the morning, my jar would be empty from my sweet friends…instead, however, littered about the bottom, were shiny pennies…one for each of my lightning bugs… 🙂
love this memory and can’t wait to start it with my girls… 🙂
amy b. - I didn’t know so many people have never seen lightning bugs! It’s like never seeing the ocean or something! They are awesome! When we were little we would peel their backs off and make glow in the dark jewelry! Really gross to think about that now!LOL!
Kelly - I am going to have to come to Kansas and experience lighting bugs. It is too dry here in Colorado. Kelly
Michelle from Australia - As far as I know, we don’t have them in Australia. I remember you educating me about them in your post last year. WHERE has time gone that it has been a year since last year’s post on them???
Astrid - We just went out on a firefly hunt last night. I love catching them! We didn’t have fireflies in Alaska (my homestate) so I’m always amazed and in complete awe whenever I see them.
My husband made me LOL last night- bugs whose bottoms light up are fascinating….any other bug and we’d be screaming bloody murder to get them away from us.
🙂
Amy Slavik - I wanted to put this on my summer fun list, but didn’t because I didn’t know how easy it was to catch them! I can only picture myself frantically waving a jar through the sky hoping one flies in and then scurrying to put the lid on. Ha! After reading this post, I think i’ll go ahead and add it to the list! Thanks for the encouragement!
Lori - I have lived in Oklahoma my entire life and I never really thought of anyone not seeing lightening bugs. They are one of my most favorite things in the world. As kids, we used to smudge the light on our faces so our cheeks would glow. Cruel to think about that now, but I don’t know anyone who grew up around me who hasn’t done that. My husband used to take me on dates (and still does) where we would just sit and watch them. There is a place in a river bottom not far from our house where they are thick and the trees along the bank glisten like Christmas trees. It’s amazing! We took our daughter there for the first time the other day and she loved it. She has been begging to go back ever since. I don’t comment often on blog posts, but this was so much fun to read, because it reminded me of my childhood!
Jenny B. - Fun! I remember doing that a few times as a kid. We’ve only seen a couple in our yard. They definitely SHOULD be around, but they’re not… maybe something our yard gets treated with? I don’t know. Living in a neighborhood with small yards just doesn’t cut it. 🙂 Nothing compared to the big 2-acre yard I grew up with. It would absolutely light up on a June evening. Ahh… memories.
Carol S. - Gosh I don’t think they’ve hit Chicago yet? My daylillies are just about to bloom, and I think soon the lightening bugs come, too. Happy Summer.
Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I have seen lightning bugs when we visiting New York…they are sooo cool. We don’t have them here in CA though. So cool that you get to do that every year. Happy June!
Pinkturkey.blogspot.com - One summer when the little kids in the neighborhood were out catching lightning bugs we had them put their ears to the ground to listen for lightning bugs’ partner, “thunder bugs.” They believed us (!) and listened for “thunder bugs” for years! We still get a hearty laugh out of that one!
julia - I like the idea of lightening bugs more than the reality.
justjayma - I’ve only seen one lightning bug in my life…We were on vacation in Virginia…I wish my kids had that tradition….thanks so much for sharing!
alicia @ la famille - hey ms. meg…i saw someone else’s post on lighting bugs and was so sad because we don’t have them in south dakota. so sad, i know 🙁 but very cute pics!
Belinda - OH that is pretty amazing. We don’t get them in Australia so thanks for sharing xo
Kami - So cool! One of these days, I would love for my kids to see these! I saw them once in TX when I was in highschool, and I fell in love!
Secret Mom Thoughts - Very cool. I’ve never caught a lightning bug.
Mrs. Wonder - I’ve only seen them twice, and both as an adult. I’m not going to let my son wait that long!
Leslie - We don’t have them in CA but when we visited our family in Kansas City a few years back we saw tons of them – our kids thought it was so cool!
Aimee - One of the things I miss about the East Coast. Sniff.
My cousin, who was raised in Nevada, thought fireflies were a myth, like fairies, until he was 20. 🙂
Lori - I grew up in the Midwest and love love love lightning bugs! (In Iowa they are called lightning bugs, fireflies in Minnesota) I always hated when my friends would take off the lit up thorax (is that right?) to put on their ring fingers! Torn off thorax = dead bug. Nonetheless, Great memories of my childhood!
Lori in Colorado
Talia - Wow! Talk about a trip down Memory Lane. We always caught lightning bugs as kids. Thank you for allowing me to relive that warm fuzzy memory!
Jenna - I never did this as a child! What a cool idea, and I’m glad you set them free 🙂
Jenna
april - ok meg, is it toally pathetic to tell you that i sooo look forward to your post about lightning bugs every summer? I live in cali and the kids and i haver SEEN one! totally unfair! HA!
xoxo
melissa - we lived in west virginia for 2 years! this was our favorite part. the girls would catch them in a jar-use them as night lights-then release them the next day. they also had a drive-in-theater and before it would get dark,waiting for the movie to start, they were everywhere!!! all the kids would chase them. so fun
http://www.theshabbyfarmchick.blogspot.com
Carrie Haywood - me and my niece caught some the other day..i always loved it as a kid and can’t wait til my babies are old enough to join us.. i found it was easier to keep them in the jar if you turn it upside down because they were always crawling up.. 🙂 i didn’t realize that lighning bugs weren’t everywhere.. makes me happy to be from mississippi. 🙂
Jessica Johnson - jealous of kansas. those bugs don’t like california. boo.
Lisa - We have a 6-month old puppy who loves chasing the lightning bugs around the yard. So much fun to watch! 🙂
Kate S. - We had an interesting lightning bug experience the other day–one hitched a ride into the house on one of our dog’s coat and when she had a drink of water, he fell into the ball. It was dark and the lights in the kitchen (where the water bowl is located) were out, so all we saw initially was the water lighting up greenish-yellow in the dark. It was beautiful. One little bug managed to light up the entire bowl. But, don’t worry, we rescued him and set him outside to dry as soon as we realized what he was: )
Summer Crosbie - How awesome! I’ve never actually seen a lightning bug but it would be neat!
Terrie - saw my first lightning bugs of the year the other night!! think a 40 something woman running around the yard catching them would look strange?
Cindy - I was just visiting my dad in Arkansas last week and my kids caught them every night! So fun! I drove through Kansas and thought of you!
Heather @ Cookie Mondays - Sooo cool!
Jen Brandt - “Catch Lightning Bugs” is on our summer fun list and last night I told my girls we should go out tonight on the longest day of the year. We’re planning on it. 😉
My girls (6 and 4) are getting their pictures taken by our friend tonight in red, white, and blue dresses as a gift to daddy for his class graduation. He’s been gone since March 6 on a training deployment for the Army, graduates in 2 1/2 weeks and will be HOME! As a current soldier and Navy vet, we’re planning on taking a few pics with one kiddo in his old sailor hat and the other kiddo in his Army hat. Can’t wait to see how they turn out! Thought Photographer Meg might like to hear about this. 🙂 Hope you’re having a great day!
Pamela Gordon - Great photos! I love seeing lightning bugs. Our daughter was married 3 years ago today and her husband, on the night before the wedding, had someone deliver a jar of lightening bugs to her. Yes, there were tears! And for Denine in Canada who posted a comment above me – we do have them in Canada. They are best seen where there are no street lights though. Enjoy! and Happy Summer to you and your family Meg!
mandy friend - we don’t have them in oregon:(
stevie - love love lightning bugs. every june they make me smile. 🙂
amy - i did a post on catching lightning bugs last week and i was surprised by how many people had never seen them! one of those little things you know but forget and it just reminded me not to take these little treasures for granted. definitely a good thing about living in the midwest ; ) unfortunately, the kids wanted to put their jars on the ir bedside tables for night lights and i intended to go get them to set them free and forgot : ( ooops. love this post!
Denine - I have never seen them before in Canada. Thought they were just a myth. Now I know the truth. Just so much fun!!
Michelle - I live in CA and have never seen these…maybe they don’t live here in CA? Awesome pictures of the kiddos!
Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - We havent had a chance to catch any yet but wow are they out in droves around here! We can see them lighting up along the sides of the highway even. I love them too. Im all about simple things. Theyre simple but theyre amazing too. God is an awesome creator for sure!
xo
Katie Sellers - We just don’t get lightening bugs in Florida anymore. Where have they all gone?
tara - 29 and i’ve NEVER seen a lightening bug! EVER. i need to load up the kids and the husband and drive somewhere that we can catch lightening bugs! love these pictures!!!
Dana @ Bungalow'56 - Wished we had these in northern Canada. Always read about them but never saw one. Very very cool.
happygirl - I love that you call them lightning bugs and not fireflies. Makes me feel more “at home” with you. Such good memories. Pickle jars with holes in the lid and lightning bug night lights. 🙂
Holly - awesome! I wish ours would come out before dark!
deborah@applesinwonderland - love these photos. lightening bugs never get old. we catch them every year, like we did when i was a girl. my gram used to like to tell me the sweet story of catching lightening bugs. i’m sure our future grandkids will catch them too. had a friend visiting from europe that said, “wat are toes boogs tat mak da light? they are crayzy gooooood.”:)
Gemma @ Musings of a gem - These posts are making me so jealous! The weather here is cold and wet at the moment..you wouldn’t think it was June!!!
Wish we had lightning bugs here.
Gemma xXx