Yearn to Wander
Noises Through The Night
As the sun goes down, different sounds begin to emanate from the fields and forests here in North Okanagan above the 50° North parallel.
Early evening sounds of the squirrels and birds, who have squawked and chirped their good-nights, fade. Then sounds of grasshoppers and frogs, who serenade us well into the night, increase in volume.
In the background, the dull roar of the corn harvest reminds us the farmers and their crews are still working long past sundown. The feed corn, that was green two weeks ago, has dried enough to harvest. One day twelve foot high corn stands in the field; the next day six inch stubble remains. The farmer drives the combine, which cuts several rows at once, chews up the cutting, and funnels the shredded corn plant into a dump truck working in tandem with the combine. When the truck is full, the harvest is hauled over to the farmyard for storage -- all the while emitting a constant low drone of different engines grinding through their chores.
Occasionally, we hear distant dogs barking up and down the mountain, our goats mehhing in their pen below the house, or cows mooing from the feedlot in the valley. Less occasionally, I hear an owl hoooooooting from a distant tree.
Every once in a while, in the middle of the night, we hear an animal shrieking. That's the sound of an attack. Here it's probably a bear, or maybe a wolf or coyote, or more remotely a mountain lion, attacking a farm animal or a deer. When I lived in the Tetons, it was likely a bear or wolf or lion on a young Elk or Moose. Whether a farm animal or a wild animal, the sounds of one animal killing another are all very eerie, and unsettling, especially in the still of the night. But that's nature.
As night fades and morning starts to dawn, distant roosters welcome the day. Near the house, pheasants join them. An occasional car or truck speeds along the road below, as the driver starts another day. That seems to awaken the crows, the chickadees, squirrels, and other critters who talk to us until mid-morning, when all seems quiet until dusk falls again.
PS Beyond the night noises are the night sights, meaning a sky full of stars. Even the Milky Way is still visible. It is a nice reminder of my childhood.
In the background, the dull roar of the corn harvest reminds us the farmers and their crews are still working long past sundown. The feed corn, that was green two weeks ago, has dried enough to harvest. One day twelve foot high corn stands in the field; the next day six inch stubble remains. The farmer drives the combine, which cuts several rows at once, chews up the cutting, and funnels the shredded corn plant into a dump truck working in tandem with the combine. When the truck is full, the harvest is hauled over to the farmyard for storage -- all the while emitting a constant low drone of different engines grinding through their chores.
Occasionally, we hear distant dogs barking up and down the mountain, our goats mehhing in their pen below the house, or cows mooing from the feedlot in the valley. Less occasionally, I hear an owl hoooooooting from a distant tree.
Every once in a while, in the middle of the night, we hear an animal shrieking. That's the sound of an attack. Here it's probably a bear, or maybe a wolf or coyote, or more remotely a mountain lion, attacking a farm animal or a deer. When I lived in the Tetons, it was likely a bear or wolf or lion on a young Elk or Moose. Whether a farm animal or a wild animal, the sounds of one animal killing another are all very eerie, and unsettling, especially in the still of the night. But that's nature.
As night fades and morning starts to dawn, distant roosters welcome the day. Near the house, pheasants join them. An occasional car or truck speeds along the road below, as the driver starts another day. That seems to awaken the crows, the chickadees, squirrels, and other critters who talk to us until mid-morning, when all seems quiet until dusk falls again.
PS Beyond the night noises are the night sights, meaning a sky full of stars. Even the Milky Way is still visible. It is a nice reminder of my childhood.
ms
2010-09-29
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