This year 2004 is the year when vast numbers of cicadas will infest Washington DC and the surrounding areas. They come every seventeen years. The first time I saw these creatures was in 1970. I was thirteen at the time and thought they were kind of cool, if a little creepy. Collectively (and we're talking millions here) they make a sound that is very much like that of a Star Trek phaser. They came back in 1987. This time they weren't very cool at all. They ate crops and gardens galore, and left these empty shells when they die. When it was over, I thought, "Well thank God we won't have to deal with this again until 2004.
Beware, Washingtonians! They are coming!
Beware, Washingtonians! They are coming!
