Senses

The windows are wide open as I walked from the kitchen to the bathroom and I heard the katydids and bull frogs singing.

I remember sitting on the porch with my mother listening to the sounds of the night as she told me about the katydids and their songs. Katydids are insects of the grasshopper variety, native to eastern states, that only sing at night. Their song is one of courtship with the males using their wings to sing to the females and the ladies chirp in response. I remember the smell of damp vegetation and the nearly overwellming hum of all the creatures lurking in the grass and trees surrounding the farm.

Rural sounds are different than their urban or city counterparts, but no less loud. The incessant buzzing of the katydids, bullfrogs, crickets, shieldbacks, coneheads, trigs, and angle-wings can fill your head and be louder than a thousand running engines. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Watching lightening bugs dance across the backyard I breathe deep and draw in the scents that can only be created on the farm during a hot spell in the height of summer. I hate how the dog days of summer seem to go by so quickly and I try to draw these evenings out longer and longer. I stay up later than I should, but it's worth it.

We've added falling water to the sounds of the night with our waterfall in the pond and it's soothing. The insects don't mind the competition and I can get behind this kind of noise pollution.

I suppose you have to love the country to appreciate the bugs and smell of swamp, but I'll take these stimulants over those of the city any day. I find the noise of people far more offending with the vehicles, music, TVs and the buzz of voices.

Some people love it and I can see the excitement of being surrounded by activity. The city has so many things to offer: food choices, drinks, bars, living music, dancing, friends and the extensive opportunity for chance encounters. I lived there once and quickly learned I'm truly a country girl at heart.

An ideal night for me is missing evening TV any warm night to sit outside with a glass of wine and my best friend to hear the katydids sing.