In the post war development with AC s being uncommon in the twilight adults would bring out the new light weight folding picnic chairs to cool off with iced tea and beers and chat with neighbors while hordes of boomer kids would try and capture the slow cruising lighting bugs in cupped hands. There was a competition of sorts to see who could catch the most, putting them into glass jars. All released when it was time to go inside.
TCs reference to ephemeral ponds made me pause, trying to recall if I had ever seen such...nope. But the ephemeral magic of the ignis fatuus, Latin for ‘giddy flame’, plural ignes fatui applies. (I just cheated there, borrowing the will of the wisp name...seemed appropriate.)
;>)
We have an ephemeral pond in the woods across the street. No ignis fatuus, though.
I never saw a firefly in my life until we moved to VA in 1980. I’d seen them in a few movies, but had no idea they were real off the movie set!
I was enchanted! I just wanted to watch them all night. ;o]