I sat outside last night and watched this guy pull himself out of his shell. The girls loved it and came back from their play periodically to see the changes. It was almost like watching a morning glory unfold on a pre-sunrise dawn. The body slowly gained some color and the wings eventually rolled out and filled it's tiny little veins with blood, giving them shape and functionality. Check it out:

Like a butterfly finally emerging from its cocoon, this beautiful (and loud) cicada reaches adulthood. The body hardens and the greens darken as the exoskeleton solidifies and its wings stiffen more for steady flight. Now, all across the southeast United States, the cicada join the toads, frogs, birds and crickets in a rapturing natural song. Hope ya liked the pix, thanks for stopping in and REMEMBER TO BE YOU! I always am, even if I'm just buggin' ya!