The dog days of summer are named after Sirius, the Dog Star. This season also gives its name to the Dog Day cicadas. Is there a better representation of August than the sound of these annual cicadas?
The Tibicen genus nymphs spend a few years underground sucking on tree roots. There are broods every year. They are not to be confused with the periodical Magicicada genus cicadas, who spend 17 years (13 further south) underground. Our last Magicicada apotheosis here was in 2013. Climate change, by the way, seems to be making the periodic nymphs lose count of the years: they are starting to break their ancient patterns and sporadically emerging early.
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Scott Pruitt is dismantling the EPA. Trump and the GOP put him in charge of poisoning our air, water, soil, and food for the enrichment of their oligarchical pals, and he is hard at work doing so in secret, with his own armed guard.
Backyard and Beyond 
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