In the summer, at dusk, the lighting bugs turn my backyard into an electric metropolis of blinking and dancing lights that usually goes black by 9 p.m. So last night I was surprised when at 9:30 there was one bug left flashing in the dark.

It made me wonder, was it the leader, the only regal bug with the stamina to flash from dusk to dark? Or was it the only bug left that had not paired off with a mate attracted to his flare.

Or perhaps he had slept in. I’m going with the king of the lightning bugs theory.

A few days ago I tried to take a few long exposure pictures of my yard, hoping to capture the whole scene of these flickering insects putting on a light show out back. I expected the photo to be overflowing with yellow lines, with clusters of glowing bands coming up from the ground. But the photos came out far less dramatic than I thought they would.

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1. Light, Eyes and the Cross
2. Sailing the Summit
3. Vermont, in a vintage light
4. The roadway light show