Listening in the night
After dinner, and after I had finished cleaning up, I made a cup of orange spice tea, put on my heavy green flannel shirt, and went outdoors. The temperature had dropped, I think, to around 59-60 F, actually a little warmer than I had thought it would be , but I did not feel inclined to take the warm shirt off until I came back inside, later.
Our young tuxedo cat, Gavia (gavia is the Latin name for the Great Northern Diver, aka the common loon, a black and white bird with an elegant profile) came running toward me and darted into the house as I stood with the door open.
I stepped outside and stood still a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dark, then went down the steps and walked slowly toward the front of the house.
I looked up toward the stars, but light from neighbors' houses made them seem not very bright. Then I walked around to the front and up a couple of steps to the front porch.
There I sat, in a comfortable old rocking chair, drinking my tea and listening. I heard a fairly loud and varied sound that may have been insects, or perhaps tree frogs. I dont know them apart well enough to say. What I did NOT hear - for a change! - was the barky dog who lives one house south of mine, nor motorcycles, nor four-wheel all-terrain recreation vehicles, nor lawnmowers, nor chain saws. Nor the loud radio or stereo, or CD player, of the hyoung neighbors who live around the corner.
Where was everyone? My best guess is that they were watching television. That's what the vast majority of Americans do in the evening. Years ago, it was knitting, reading, hobbies, or listening to the radio.
I am happy to say I have no functioning television at this point.
I therefore get to hear things and think things I otherwise would not have heard nor thought.
What was I thinking? I was thinking about God and AA. But that's a topic for another day! [note: see entry for 10-8-05 ]
Our young tuxedo cat, Gavia (gavia is the Latin name for the Great Northern Diver, aka the common loon, a black and white bird with an elegant profile) came running toward me and darted into the house as I stood with the door open.
I stepped outside and stood still a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dark, then went down the steps and walked slowly toward the front of the house.
I looked up toward the stars, but light from neighbors' houses made them seem not very bright. Then I walked around to the front and up a couple of steps to the front porch.
There I sat, in a comfortable old rocking chair, drinking my tea and listening. I heard a fairly loud and varied sound that may have been insects, or perhaps tree frogs. I dont know them apart well enough to say. What I did NOT hear - for a change! - was the barky dog who lives one house south of mine, nor motorcycles, nor four-wheel all-terrain recreation vehicles, nor lawnmowers, nor chain saws. Nor the loud radio or stereo, or CD player, of the hyoung neighbors who live around the corner.
Where was everyone? My best guess is that they were watching television. That's what the vast majority of Americans do in the evening. Years ago, it was knitting, reading, hobbies, or listening to the radio.
I am happy to say I have no functioning television at this point.
I therefore get to hear things and think things I otherwise would not have heard nor thought.
What was I thinking? I was thinking about God and AA. But that's a topic for another day! [note: see entry for 10-8-05 ]
posted by Palema at 9:30 PM
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