I'm in the Brood X cicada territory, but in a town that was mostly cleared farmland until the '60s or '70s. No woods, no cicadas. But the woods have since recovered, largely on city owned property
-- parks, trails and watershed. (The school system owns a 40 acre wood lot behind our house.)
So I was puzzled at the lack of Brood X, both last time and this. They are heavy in nearby towns.
Yesterday I was weeding the @#!&* creaping thistles from around the cucumber cages, when what should I find but a red cicada wing. I assume a bird ate the rest. The birds love my plant cages.
So apparetly they have made it to town but are still in low numbers. If I last another 17 years, maybe there will be enough for me to see.
I'm fond of the tiny monsters, in a strange way. But I'm not having them for dinner.
On the edible front, I also got the basil into the ground. 12 nursery plants rather than the 20-24 seeded pots I had planned, but I can't roll back the calendar. I've never made pesto, though both my wife and I love it. This is supposed to be a pesto year. Hopefully with excess in the freezer.