I had a dream last night about crickets. I had a bunch of them in a container and they were jumping around. It was a joyful thing. But this has caused me some distress. I have venus flytraps. They are something that I have always wanted. There is something almost magical about them and I shot a video of the whole process including the feeding of them (It's here). But it does distress me to feed them. It's a brutality that is unsettling. Baby crickets are just so beautiful. And crickets play an important role in my second novel. It is a peculiar theme that has arisen for me -this theme of the cricket.

The whole thing puts me in a conundrum because it is time for me to feed my flytraps again and I will need to go to the pet store and buy more baby crickets. If I don't do this the flytraps will die. And, they are really trying because they have sprouted buds and will soon flower - if they get enough nutrition. It simply astrounds how life needs to end life. Who am I to make this decision?

Here is a closeup of one of the flytrap buds. It almost feels like a bribe. The flytrap is saying "Hey feed me and I will reward you with flowers."

A few days later