A couple of days ago it stopped. Unexpectedly, and without warning. Normally this would be cause for celebration, but the fear of finding they've moved on to somewhere hidden, somewhere worse, keeps us tense. Will we be going about our lives when a swarm of them will explode through a wall? Will we suddenly find them waiting for us in a huge black mass, crawling over some scrap that Lucy has hidden? Or are they gone...

Where did they go?

It's not like its a surprise, they came last year, scuttling in. We learned our lessons, prepared our defenses, and when we saw signs of them we were ready.

A few weeks ago, there was a series of initial skirmishes which we quickly won. That's what happens when they come on your home turf. Lucy was surprisingly helpful in those early encounters. We'll never really know what it was like, that first summer for her out on the farm. It was a while before we could get her, even though she was ready to fly. Maybe it was them that kept her grounded. It wouldn't be a shock.

Last night was the first real battle. I wasn't expecting it, and had gone to bed. When Virginia didn't come to bed, and I started hearing noises, I went to investigate. The battle had begun. She tossed me a weapon, and though she had already struck a mighty blow against them, we fought together.

It took some time but we beat them back, redoubled our defenses, and eventually collapsed into bed. Lucy stood guard.

This morning there were a few stragglers who needed to be taken care of, and again after work. For the rest of the summer we will have to maintain our vigilance, stock our supplies, and remain prepared... But know this: