Lightning in a Bottle

It’s a hot, sultry evening. The sun’s warm rays, basking the earth all day, has left a comfortable blanket covering the front lawn.

The moon is new, and the darkness that swept in with the outgoing sun provides a perfect background for a laser light show.

How peaceful and utterly void of light is your yard. It’s dark, and you’re enjoying the tranquility that accompanies absolute stillness.

What’s that? Hey what was that?

Out of the corner of your eye, you think you saw a flash of light.

There it is again!

But this time, the flash is coming from across the lawn, 40 yards away.

Hey, there it is again!

Just a momentary flash, 60 feet high. It appears, and it’s gone.

For the next 30 minutes, you have front row seats to a spectacular light show, compliments of the wonderful firefly.

This nocturnal winged beauty, some call the lightning bug, has bioluminescence. And sometimes the flashes are continuous, a continuous glow. And sometimes it’s a single, quick flash. Sometimes a series of multi pulse flashes.

But you don’t need a ticket to attend. Just step outside your front door and enjoy a free concert.

As a boy, I would catch them in a jar. And may I suggest you do the same?

Place them in a jar with air vents, bring it to your bedroom, lay down to rest, and that evening, watch the performance of lightning in a bottle.