The Lantern Files Part 1

I have been trying to be more active lately so I decided to go for afternoon walks.  I still have my morning runs sometimes, but I have not been in the same shape as I used to be.  Actually, in the spring I had been able to run eight miles a day.  But life and other things got in the way and my routine got disrupted once again, so I ended up going down to three miles.  And then recently, I've just had a lack of energy and maybe more laziness, and I have struggled to just get to one mile.

So the walking has been either a good addition or supplement to the running.  I usually go around noontime.  Sometimes before I eat, sometimes after.  I would walk fast and work up a little sweat, checking my phone every now and then to make sure no issues come up at work.

One afternoon, I noticed a bunch of lanternflies just hanging out by the neighboring pool area.  This is on a walkway by the river, near the farthest end, where there is kind of an open area.  Just a whole bunch of them.  So the ones that were on the ground, I stomped on them.  The ones that were kind of higher up on the ledge by the fence, I would just kind of flick them with my finger.  I did this for a few days, I think.  Mostly I concentrated on finishing my walk and getting back home to check on work stuff.  

But then I noticed that flicking didn't kill them or even incapacitate them.  I looked it up later on and learned that that kind of force doesn't affect them very much.  Because science or something.

Anyways, the following day when I would find some lantern flies on the ledge, I would take off my right shoe and smack them with it.  I would just smash the shoe down hard.  Sometimes when it would be an awkward angle for a smash because of the fence or something else on the way, I would then flick them first and hope they land on a clear area and then stomp on them.

One weekend while the pool was still open - this was probably the last day - it was a hot, sunny day, and again I found a whole bunch of them there by that area.  So I proceeded to stomp and smash.  The walkway is on the outside of the pool area, as well as the houses, so I was on the other side of the fence.  There were all these people there swimming and relaxing, and I was wandering around stomping and smashing.  No one really reacted much, but I do wonder if they noticed and what they thought.  Did they figure out that I was killing lantern flies?  Did they not know and not really care?  Did they just think I was just some crazy dude because I probably looked it anyway?