It’s been a very hot August day, full of heat, humidity, and thankfully, a slight breeze. That breeze also traveled through the corn, making the stalks and leaves come alive with sound. The wind blowing through the trees gave a variety of sounds, depending on the type of tree.
This evening as dusk settles in, I’m sitting on our back deck, observing and listening as day turns to twilight. I’ve said before that this is my favorite time of the day. The hustle and bustle of the day slows down and the night sounds come alive.
If you’re sitting in your air-conditioned home with the windows shut tight and the TV blaring, or staring at a computer screen, you’re going to miss out on a wonderful part of the day. It was always a part of our day when I was young, but now that so many people hate to venture out of the air-conditioned comfort of their homes, it’s a part of life that’s unknown to many people.
The sun has now set and darkness is beginning to envelope the land. As light began to fade, I watched as individual trees in the grove next to the house, merged into a solid, dark mass. It reminded me that all of life is connected. It was like looking at the earth from outer space... there are no borders to separate people and countries. One large tree along the fence line, near a corner of the back yard, stands silhouetted against the darkening sky, a lonesome rebel among the other trees. I sit here peacefully alone, watching twilight emerge and pondering the mysteries of life.
The sounds of the night have taken over and the land is alive with a symphony of sound. I just left the deck and walked along the edge of the grove of trees and listened to the sounds of the night. There was a constant, loud chatter among the crickets, tree frogs, and assorted insects. I hope every person who reads this, has the opportunity to listen to nature’s evening symphony. The bass section has just been heard from as the frogs down by the pond added their voices. I thought the birds had all retired for the night, but the wonderful call of a Killdeer just greeted my ears.
There have been a lot fewer birds around this week. All the Redwing Blackbirds, Grackles, and Starlings must have packed up and headed for other places to spend the winter. On Wednesday morning I saw one Grackle with the Mourning Doves under the feeder. He must have missed the memo that it was time to move on.
Listening to this twilight chorus reminds me that we need to maintain habitat for the birds and assorted critters and insects, so these sounds don’t disappear. In recent days, two people, on separate occasions, approached me about their concern for all the trees and fence line habitat that has been destroyed. I recently wrote about my concerns in a story titled, “Call Me A Tree Hugger.”
As more and more trees and brush are destroyed, it’s changing the ecological balance of nature and we’re going to see fewer habitats for birds and wildlife. This spring the last beautiful tree on our old Smith School playground was cut down to make room for a few more plants of corn and soybeans. The Wisconsin D.O.T. destroyed the rest of the large trees at Smith School, along with all the trees and bushes on Sherpe Road, when they built the Uff da Bahn a couple years ago. Now I’ve heard that an out-of-state owner wants to cut down the trees along the old railroad bed across from Country Coon Prairie Church, in order to plant a couple more rows of corn. They’ve already removed all the fences and trees that used to separate farms and fields. Now it’s one large field where contour plowing has been discarded. The world is changing, the landscape is changing, and future generations will be the poorer for it if they can’t sit and listen to the wonderful evening symphony I’m now enjoying.
My father was a great one for planting trees and providing habitat for wildlife, not destroying it. The weeds, brush, and trees were left along the fence lines to provide places for the birds and animals to live and reproduce. We once came upon a Killdeer’s nest in a tobacco row while we were hoeing. He made sure we stayed clear of the nest and didn’t destroy it. He was a fisherman, a hunter, and a conservationist. He would not look with favor upon many of the practices that are destroying trees and wildlife habitat if he were still alive.
I pondered all these things as I sat in the dark and listened to the sounds of the night. The wind began blowing, adding the gentle rustling of leaves to the mix of sounds. The dark trees have now merged completely with the night sky that is now filled with countless stars. It’s always a beautiful sight in the dark sky in the country where few lights hinder the viewing. A shooting star just greeted me. It’s a great, relaxing way to bring the curtain down on another busy day.
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