Nature Note:Field Crickets

The field crickets are already chirping on the adjacent farm.Around the home,however,they are still silent.They do seem late this year.It's almost August,and the close-in crickets are songless.The unusually cool summer,plus a long dry spell,may have stunted them for a while.The past week has felt more like a traditional July week,with its heat and dampness.All it needs is the late summer song of this musical insect.