Oh, those nasty, noisy, plentiful insects have invaded my world again!

This month, the 13-year version of cicadas have come to Middle Tennessee full force. The only other time I have experienced these bugs was in the summer of 2004, the year Jon and I moved to the DC-area, so at least this time I knew a bit more of what to expect.

They are everywhere... and, they are LOUD. Near our house, they are not so bad, mostly I'm guessing because our house has been built since the last invasion. But, in other parts of town, they are just overwhelmingly everywhere. At my desk at work, I can hear them outside. Driving home, my car gets dive-bombed. They are in piles on the side of the road. They are everywhere.

Poor Jackson has not been thrilled with the bugs. He's kind of afraid of them and hasn't enjoyed playing outside at school as much as normal. His friends love them... pick them up and collect them. He's not so adventurous and sticks mostly to observation.

We've had them for a few weeks and I can tell they are starting to die out - though, they have officially entered our neighborhood. In 13 years, our area will be as teeming with them as the rest of town. Yuck!