On what is becoming an annual expedition, me, my family, and my wife’s parents gathered near their home to chase down the sometimes enigmatic and illuminant winged insect; the firefly.

For those with experience in such matters, it is probably pointless saying to you that these insects are difficult to photograph in the dark:

Exhibit A:

Source: RL2013 Fireflies in the dark

I know. So don’t call me out on this one 🙂 . I don’t see any fireflies in that picture either. They were there when I took the picture. I should have known. Despite lots of promise, my phone, like me, has limitations. Although for now I’ll put this down to a field exercise in exploring the strengths and limitations of using a Smartphone to document the night-time habits of the firefly.

I did however manage to take a photo of one. No it’s not dead; at least I don’t think so. His/her light is still shining so I’ll take that as a win-win for both me and the insect. It just happened to fall out of my hands after capturing it.

Exhibit B:

Source:RL2013 Firefly down

It is also worth pointing out the great thing about an excursion like this. It fits well within a home schooling paradigm. Upon reflection, this is a “science safari”  that inspires an interest in scientific discovery and takes joy in the diversity of creation. Throw in a well-lit camp fire, with marshmallows as a main course and hotdog spaghetti on the side, and you have one epic insect hunt through the forest, that despite some poor photography on my part, informed, educated and inspired.

Exhibit C:

Source: RL2013 Collage

“Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known’’ – (Jer.33:2-3, ESV)

Disclaimer: I am fairly certain, although I cannot be 100% sure, that despite the appearance to the contrary, no insect was injured during this event. If said insect was, I might plead that it gave its life not for our amusement, but for the betterment of scientific enquiry.