Friday, March 30, 2012

Hey! Keep it Down!

Has anyone besides me noticed how "loud" Spring is? Criminy, I've got to shut my windows--not for the cool air, but for all the noises the world is making these days. I know Winter is quiet because of the natural insulator--snow, (Well, that and all of my idiot neighbors are in their houses doing weird stuff inside for all those glorious months.)  but every year, I marvel at how the earth wakes-up and makes all sorts of noises to announce it's return to life. 

There are very specific sounds that I don't hear the rest of the year--sounds that just scream "Spring" to me:

  1. Red-wing blackbirds singing --they are the true sign of Spring. Forget those robins.
  2. Small-engine airplanes buzzin' the sky on a clear, cool Spring day (Why don't I hear these any other time of the year?)
  3. Lawn mowers and weed-whackers....back in action
  4. The water sounds of the pond
  5. Frogs croakin'--calling the gals
  6. Traffic sounds at night when you are falling asleep. (Traffic is there all year, why don't I hear it?)
  7. Motorcycles 
  8. Dogs barking--I don't miss this in the winter when my windows are closed
  9. People traffic in the 'hood--kids on bikes riding by, folks on their cell phones, people walking by the house
  10. Robins at dusk or early morning--Dang, these birdies love to sing at the oddest of times, don't they?
I'm sure your Spring noises are different than mine because of where you live and how you live.  Mine are very suburban and scream of congestion. But those are sounds I grew up with and they remind me of falling asleep with my windows open as a kid.  You know--when your mom made you go to bed and you would just lay there.....listening.....and waiting for sleep to come.

Don't know what I'm talking about?  Open your window or go outside and sit a spell.  Just still yourself.....and listen.  Listen to the world whispering that it is awake again. 

16 comments:

vanilla said...

Mostly I like the sounds of Spring. Here in South Texas we have the cooing of the ground doves, the raucous calls of the grackles, and the sweet songs of the mockingbird. But we have some bird, get this, that SINGS in the middle of the night, I mean from 1:30 a.m. until daybreak. What's up with that? I'm trying to sleep here!

vanilla said...

Mostly I like the sounds of Spring. Here in South Texas we have the cooing of the ground doves, the raucous calls of the grackles, and the sweet songs of the mockingbird. But we have some bird, get this, that SINGS in the middle of the night, I mean from 1:30 a.m. until daybreak. What's up with that? I'm trying to sleep here!

Duni said...

Yes, I notice that every year. I do love listening to the birds though, not so much to people's lawn mowers...

p.s. with my workload Kaffe's quilt is going to take years to finish ;-)

Diane Cayton-Hakey said...

All I heard was the flapping of the doggie door as Izzy went in and out and in and out during the night. She's SUCH a night owl.

Grace said...

That last line is lovely - "Listen to the world whispering that it is awake again."

Tho from your description - it seems Spring is more a cacophony of Spring rather than a whisper...

Patty Woodland said...

I have birdsong all year round really. Softer birds in the summer, Canada geese in the winter. Coyotes at night all year long.

And the damn roosters. They don't care what time of year it is and don't believe the sunrise stories. Stupid birds crow all night long.

Tracy said...

Oh my goodness Lin, you made me laugh....I had the same thought last Sunday as I was trying to sleep in and couldn't becuase the birds outside my window and the storms and the dogs barking...GeezLouise....

Simone said...

You're right...there is a sound (or sounds) of spring. Usually, there is a bird that screeches, "Eep" throughout the day and another that yells, "Awk". Those two are the reminders that spring is here. So far, I haven't heard them so it must be because they are trying to keep covered from the rain.

silverthoughts2 said...

Church bells

Train whistles

Certain types of birds

Kids playing outside

Neighbors having loud parties to all hours of the night.

Petula Wright said...

Love this post. My sounds are not of the Earth, but the naughty kids that parents kick out of the house. And it seems like they send them to play right in front of my door. Ugh!

We don't get as many quiet months being in the South... and then there's the pollen that makes us keep the windows down and turn the air on really early.

BeadedTail said...

We just hear rain. :(

Catherine said...

I love the sounds of spring in the early morning...well except for those unthoughtful neighbours who think they need to mow their lawn at 7 am Sunday morning. What is up with that? Grrr...
Have a happy weekend Lin!
xo Catherine

Lin said...

Vanilla--What kind of nut job bird sings at night?? Nightingale? I'd have to kill that bird. Especially if I had my windows open.

Duni--I don't like the human sounds very much either. I wish we lived out in the country to just hear the nature sounds instead.

Diane--Oh, she goes out at night? That can be scary, eh? We bring the kitties in at night because I fear whoever is out there--raccoons, stray cats, coyote...

Grace--I think it just seems loud because we are so used to the closed windows and everything so muffled. I love to have open windows to hear the yard sounds.

Patty--Ugh, the roosters. I don't think I would like that very much. Although a rooster might be a great get-even with the idiot neighbors who mow their lawns at the crack of dawn. ;)

Tracy--Those darn robins can be SO loud in the morning! What are they so happy about at 4:00 a.m.??

Simone--I like all the different bird sounds. I think they amp it up for mating season, so they are extra loud. :)

Silver--oh yeah! Train whistles or the sounds of the wheels on the track.....in the distance! That's a good one.

Petula--You know, it's a good thing to be the house where all the kids play. That says something about you and your family. Although it is a pain in the neck! I get it. ;)

Beaded Tail--Rain is nice---if it isn't all the time. No birdies singing in the rain??

Catherine--I like the nature sounds, NOT the human sounds. Yeah, we have those idiots who feel the need to clink metal on metal at the crack of dawn too. What is with that?! It's always metal clinking or yard machines. Ugh.

Sharkbytes said...

#10a= why I don't like robins much

Nancy said...

I really don't want to write out my list as it would just annoy me. We need to move to suburbia ASAP!!!

Lin said...

Sharkey--I don't like them (or blue jays) when I'm camping and they have to sing right above my tent. arrggh!

Nancy--Suburbia is no better. There is always some fool who has to clink metal very early on weekends. Or drive their atv somewhere. Suburbia is fool heaven.