permaculture

[Kevin Topek <ktopek@bellsouth.net>]

This message is for Guy Clark in particular,

    Please do not consider the advent of the cicadas as a time of suffering. 
They are
a sign of eternal life. If a wealthy person in Ancient Northern China could 
afford to
be buried in jade armor, to preserve the body, all his or her orifices were 
plugged
with jade to preserve the spirit. The most ritual of all the plugs was a jade 
cicada
placed in the mouth, signifying longevity. A few years plant growth is not an
unreasonable price to pay for the song of the cicada. The plants should 
regrow even
healthier than before. Mature root systems show little if any signs of 
damage. My
childhood on the Texas Gulf Coast was a summerlong serenade of cicadas. You 
could
always tell when fall was coming by the change of their pitch. When you listen
carefully you can even attempt to predict the weather and upcoming 
temperatures,
though this science is a bit inexact. Sit outside as evening falls and drink 
in the
miracle of the massive noise made by these tiny bugs.

Kevin Topek