The "Leaf" That Screamed

We had a good rain Thursday night, sort of unexpectedly. But hey, we'll take what we can get! And on the morning, my husband went out, and he was pulling leaves off his car, when suddenly one of the leaves started screaming at him! It squealed and it squawked! So he put it back down. What the heck? You should have seen my husband's face!

Turns out it was not a leaf but a katydid, giving him a good blessing, as katydids can do! Here is a picture of the katydid, walking all over my husband's car. In this moment, the bug seems to contemplate itself and become self-aware. Or maybe it's saying, "You is smart, you is kind, you is important!" Or perhaps a simple, "My, but you're a good-looking critter!"

We eventually reached out a little broom thingy and got the bug onto it, and then said bug was safely removed to the jewelweed along the edge of the yard. If only we could translate bug-speak, we'd know what the bug said when my husband picked it up. He talks to our creatures all day long but seldom do they talk BACK! LOL! I am convinced what it said wasn't pretty, but it definitely made us laugh and set the tone for the day!  :-)

My soundtrack song can only be this one: Bobby Darin, with If I Could Talk to the Animals.

Bonus: we're heading into one of the hottest weekends of the year in central PA, with temps in the mid-90s F in many places for Saturday and Sunday, with a bit of a cool-off expected Monday. Here are a baker's dozen tips:
1) Don't leave your kids or pets inside cars with the windows shut while shopping, etc.
2) Check on the elderly, sick, disabled.
3) Stay out of the sun during peak hours. (I try to do a.m. stuff.)
4) Stay hydrated.
5) Wear a sun hat and sunglasses if you go out.
6) Don't leave anything in your car that will explode, and if you can, leave the windows down a crack to let the heat out. If you have a sun shade, USE IT NOW. Park in the shade.
7) Put fresh water out in your yard to help your wildlife.
8) If you don't have to go right now, DO NOT GO. Save your errands until it's a bit cooler. (Monday, for instance.) Stay home. Crank the air conditioning. Find the coolest spot in your house and STAY THERE. With a cold drink. With lots of ice. And maybe a book!
9) If you MUST go out, go someplace cooler. For instance, up into the mountains, where there are trees and shade. Dunk yourself in cold water if you can; it'll cool your core down. (For the locals: Black Moshannon is always cooler than down here. Greenwood Furnace has the coldest water we know of.)
10) Exercise caution if you are exercising; it's easy to get heat stroke, dehydration, or screwed-up minerals. Something a bit salty like chicken soup might help pull you out of it. Consider exercising in morning or evening, and choose a route in the shade.
11) Find some indoors projects or games to keep yourself and your family busy. Now might be a good time to reorganize a room. (I just did!) Or a closet. Or a single box. Or that junk drawer.
12) If you are expecting packages, retrieve them quickly from the outdoors, as these temps can melt just about anything nice!
13) And here's a bonus, #13, if you're a cold-weather fan, like me, and the heat gets you down, pull out some winter movies to boost your psychological coolness factor. (The Shining, K2, Vertical Limit, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Frozen, etc.) You're welcome!

P.S. Added later. Husband: "Say, the Screaming Leaves would make a great name for a punk rock band!"