They seem to show up about this time every year. A few crawling around and poking their heads out from where they are seldom seen for more than 10 months out of the year. Although, it does seem that they show up a little bit earlier than they used to nowadays. Regardless, we are content. The days are growing long now and my pals and I are starting to feel like hugging these deep pockets filled with boulders is not the only way to be happy. As the sun crests over that ridge again a cycle begins anew. A cycle made of delicious crunchy morsels of goodness.
Each day we eagerly await their awakening. With clumsy abandon they seek one another out, flying and flopping about in the sage, on the rocks…in the water. It really is almost too easy. Slide in behind this stone and take it easy while minute after minute our dinner is delivered to us on an aqueous platter. At first glance they seem too good to be true. A meal with proportions of such magnitude, usually requires a long chase or a wound of some kind from an inadvertent fin but not these orange colored delights. Just a mouth held wide open and they slip right on in and down to the stomach. Orange inflamed nectar of the gods. So crunchy, so filling, so delightful.
Floating from lie to lie we snack and fill ourselves just before the sun goes down and we watch hoards of two legged devils patrol the banks and float over us. Im not sure why it is but their conduct is even more erratic during this time of year. It is as if they don’t know about the buffet style dining that they could be enjoying as well.