Kate’s new sport: “15 or 50”

(The Gadfly invites your “local color” reflections of this sort***)

Kate McVey is a concerned citizen, 30-year resident of Bethlehem, professional organizer, dog owner, mother of two children, been around, kosher cook . . . explorer.

Apropos, see these two articles in recent news:

Katie Park, “You know to kill the spotted lanternfly. But what if you could make it a game? You can.” Tribune News Service, Septwmber 30, 2019.

Michael Rubinkam, “Great Spotted Lanternfly War being waged to stop invasion of destructive, despised insect.” lehighvalleylive.com, September 26, 2019.

Gadfly:

My new sport is called “15 or 50.” Each day — frequency depends on my schedule — I go to my maple tree, in front of the house, and I am there either for 15 minutes or for the time it takes to kill 50 lantern flies, whichever comes first.

I must say, either they aren’t very smart, or I have become excellent at this game. I use a broom, a bag over my hand, and, depending on location, I smash them with my foot, hand, or broom.

I know this won’t make a dent on the infestation, but it is a very good activity for releasing stress and quite satisfying.

I surprise myself as I didn’t know I had this killer instinct in me!

Kate

*** From the Gadfly About page: “Local Color: original creative work with recognizably local Bethlehem subjects or connections — art, poems, mini-essays, vignettes, photographs, songs — that help us see or think about our town and townspeople in interesting ways.” Kate’s vignette is a good example.

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