The sound of summer.

Someone told us - but we can't remember who - that when the cicadas start singing/shrieking then you know that summer has arrived as they magically appear when the temperature reaches 27°

Yesterday it was up to 26° and this afternoon it reached 29° -  sure enough we heard the first of the cicadas.  It's difficult to describe the noise they make, it's not a gentle sound like a cricket and it's definitely much much louder.  If you happen to be under the olive tree in which they are "singing"  it seems to make your ears ache and echo with the noise.  Luckily it's only from sun rise to sunset so not for  many hours then.......  :(      

Only the males make the noise and they do it by vibrating membranes in their abdomens!   (Yes, I'm full of useless information.)   We saw  a TV programme once about the loudest insects and the cicada was  the winner by a long way. 

But leave here, go down to Yator and it's blissfully quiet.  Apart from the horns of the delivery vans of the fish man, bread van, frozen food lorry, fruit and veg lorry......