Illustration Friday - Summer

An entry for Illustration Friday. It's a bit of a quick fix. I feel I need the accomplishment of turning something in for this week - just to keep up the momentum, but I know that I am too busy to design something new, so as this fits with the summer theme (to me) this is my subsmission.

Now.... This bug is probably better known as the May Fly. But in North Bay, it is known as a Shad Fly. In June, the appearance of the Shad Fly is an indication that summer has truly begun. However, just to tell you how much of a presence and mistique the shad fly has here every year, check this out and this. These are not North Bay photos, but they'll give you a little idea. The Shad fly season is short only two weeks or so, they don't bite, in fact they don't eat. But they cover the walls, windows, trees and ground anywhere near the lake and at night they swarm around lights. And they stink! They smell like fish. And they die! And after the initial appearance of the fly, the start to die in droves and soon you notice that the popping sound as you drive over live and dead shads. In fact, every few years (when the number of shads swells), you notice you have to be careful when driving up to stop lights where the ground is littered with shads because it can get slippery. When you walked down an alleyway sometimes the shads take off and you'll have them cling to you. In fact during the high point of the shad season, invariably, you'll walk into a store, or a restaurant, or someplace and some kind stranger will pick off a few shads and walk them outside. It's just a thing.

With all that, they are rather lovely looking creatures don't you think?

Shad Fly