today three little girls, their Mom, and I watched a cicada emerge from her shell and hang for a while on the Hemlock trunk bark. The change in color, movement, and shape of this little creature emerging after its 17 year hibernation deep underground was really incredible to watch. So amazing to imagine it just stuck in that stiff shell for so long–does it have any cognition, sensation at all? Of course, how does it know how 17 years are up? But even more amazing what is this world like after 17 years of frozen darkness?