Solstice and a beetle

Summer solstice came at the end of a long, busy week for me, and I barely had a chance to mark it. The morning after -- this morning, quite early -- I was awakened by a semi-regular clicking coming from the floor around the dog crate. I dragged myself over, moved the crate, and confirmed what I had suspected: an Elateridae or "click" beetle. (Maybe Sylvanelater cylindriformis?) These tiny fellows can snap their bodies between the abdomen and thorax, which enables them to flip up or right themselves when they're turned upside down. In this case, he was stuck between the carpet and the plastic tray of the dog crate, so his "click" was even louder. Amazing, the creatures you can discover right in your own house.

I went back to sleep for awhile, and when I woke again, the sun was higher, the sky a hazy light blue with a few small white clouds scattered across the north. A hawk was circling in my view. Very hot, very alive. Very summer.