Of lightening bugs and the Xbox

Theo loves the Croixathlon.  He has a real sense of ownership of the race, as he should, as he is a key volunteer.  This year he came out to help the evening before the race and talked me into letting him spend the night at camp, rather than at my parents' house with the rest of us.  He and the Neske Boys (they deserve the capitalized title, believe me) spent the night at Julie and Dave's house.  Dave is the camp caretaker and they live in an old farmhouse off on the edge of camp grounds.  He has an XBox, and usually not many people to play with.  Enter the four boys.  They spent hours in combat on the screen until Julie (my old boss and one of the loveliest human beings on this here planet) lured them outside around midnight... She wanted them to come out into the prairie to witness the lightening bugs.  We see one or two in our postage stamp cititified yard on a rare night, but Theo says this field was alive and glowing.  He really was awed.  After running around and capturing some in jars, they went back and settled into sleep, their jars of lightening bugs flashing in the corner of the room, the coolest night light a  boy could ask for.