Lakes, Trees and Cicadas

We really enjoyed visiting Darlene, Steve and Lisa and seeing where they live.   They are in a very beautiful area in a subdivision built around four lakes that they just refer to as Lake 1, 2, 3, 4.  Since we got home I had not posted yet some pictures of the area.

Looking across one end of Lake 1 the largest lake at sunset

I spliced together 2 of the pictures of Lake 1 at sunset to try to make a panorama

Darlene and Tessie at Lake 4 in the evening. 

Elaine, Darlene and Lisa swimming at Lake 4 on a hot afternoon

Sitting out at the end of a long narrow peninsula that goes out into Lake 1

When we were visiting there it was the year of the cicada and they were out in full force and full volume.   In some heavily treed places the high pitched whirring sound of the cicadas was deafening.  I saw some information that the sound of some cicadas can be up to 120 db and cause hearing damage if you are up close.   Most of the southeast US is covered by the 13 year cicadas this year.  I looked up some information and the varieties of  periodical cicadas have a 13 year life cycle in the southeast US and 17 years in the northeast US.  After hatching the nymphs stay underground until the year they appear all at once.     

This short 10 second video clip has the sound of the cicadas while out on the front porch at Steve and Darlene's.  It is a continuous high pitched whirring sound but not that loud in the video since the trees are a ways away.

Other than getting educated about cicadas, it was great visit and a very beautiful area.