Today was a beautiful early spring day – bright sun, warmer temperatures that earlier in the week, the rain is gone, and nature was at its best outside the back door. I watched a news broadcast earlier in the morning, where they interviewed people who would go into parks and wildness just to hear the silence.
I decided to go sit with my coffee to see what I could hear in my own bit of nature.
Birds definitely – woodpeckers calling and drilling, a Carolina wren who always amazes me by the quality and loudness of his song for such a small bird, chickadees, goldfinches, a robin, mourning doves, blue jays, and tufted titmice. The slight breeze was snapping my freshly washed sheets on the clothes line, and rustling the trees branches. Frogs croaking in the pond, and the sounds of the waterfall and fountain gurgling away. A tree frog trills out in the woods.
And the not so natural sounds – a passing car on the road out front, a motorcycle half a mile away at the intersection, jets at 30,000 feet overhead. A small plane from the local airport. The news story was about how hard it is to get away from man-made sounds, and that there is almost no place in the USA where that is possible any more. It’s true. In just 30 minutes I heard multiple cars, and the jets overhead every few minutes (I had never noticed that many before).
This got me thinking about what I would consider to be my 5 favorite sounds in the world – all things in nature: the sound of a cat purring, rain on a tin roof, a quiet barn where the only noise is the cows chewing cud and rustling bedding, a gurgling steam, and birds singing early just after dawn.
Then I started looking at nature. The gold finch males are really a bright yellow this year. The grass is just starting to green up nicely and my two red bud trees are covered in pink blossoms on every branch and twig. Last year a late frost killed off all the buds and there was no pink at all. Brilliant rose breasted grosbeaks who have just arrived, and one small hummingbird, a female, the first of the year to get here. Some of the flowers have opened as well – a tulip here and there, daffodils, & bleeding hearts. Lots of purple violets all over. The koi are now awake and swimming around. Overhead the turkey vultures lazily ride the air currents, casting huge shadows across the lawn that look like a Pterodactyl . It just beautiful. I have asparagus and chives & mint up in the garden.
Just like pets, being out in nature and sunshine is a great way to lower your blood pressure, and get some fresh air.
Mom would shoo us outdoors – when we were kids she’d say “Get out of the house; go outside and play”. Those were the days. My younger sister and I would disappear off to play someplace on the 200 acres of farmland. She never knew where we might be, or how long we might be gone, and that was normal. We’d get back and she’s ask where we went and what we saw. Guess that doesn’t happen much with kids these days.
More than that, in addition to reducing stress, the sun will provide Vitamin D, and the exercise of walking or hiking is beneficial to a body. You’ll be sleeping better in the evening. All of this can help your immune system.
Mom was right – it’s a good thing to get outside for some fresh air.
What would you name as your five favorite sounds in the world? The only rule – it can’t be the voice of your loved one saying “I love you”. We all love that.
What have you noticed in nature in your world, when you really stop and look?