We are having Indian summer with warm sunny days in early autumn. The leaves are still mostly green, so it feels in some ways as if the seasons haven’t turned.
Seeing this grasshopper I was reminded of the old Aesop’s fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The industrious ants gather food for the winter while the grasshopper enjoys itself, assuring the ants there is plenty of food and no need to save any. Of course the story ends with the grasshopper begging the ants once winter arrives and it has nothing to eat. In some versions of the story the grasshopper learns and the next year is well prepared.
In nature I haven’t observed any industrious grasshoppers gathering food for winter. This one looks very pleased with itself and happy to munch away on the leaf with no thought of the future. At least there are still warm days ahead and I enjoy listening to their soft voices calling cheerfully from the tawny grass. Perhaps we could learn from them at least a little about the reckless joy of living in the moment.
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