Sounds of silence on a moonlit night in South Juniper Canyon changes throughout the year…my favorite season of sounds is from now through summer into fall. During the day time hours I listen to the turtle doves, which I love…the occasional hawk flying overhead…early mornings and late evenings we hear our owls…and the coyotes.
My favorite sound happens each night; it is incredible to hear the return of the crickets each spring across the road in our little creek.
Tonight as I opened our window a rush of spring air came in along with our country symphony. I LOVE falling to sleep with our country crickets serenading me into sweet country girl dreams. Dreams of playing in the creek when I was little, catching tadpoles and bringing them in a jar with some creek water and moss to my Mom….
I was so proud of myself as I caught these cute little fish things that we could add to my fish bowl…and Mom said “Now wait a minute honey, these are very special fish and they deserve their own container. She dumped them into a large glass jar she had gotten from the Dairy Queen in town, she usually used it to make ice tea, but it was all she had…she wanted to make her little girl happy and keep the tadpoles alive.
As I write…the symphony stops…silence…the crickets who are the watchman must have heard something and they signaled danger…
When they do that, silence falls on a dark country night until they feel safe again…once they feel safe, they begin to sing…knowing there is danger but for now all is well…lets party and sing!
I begin to fall to sleep with good memories…never figured out that tadpoles were baby frogs until I was a young adult…Mom did not want to tell me…and when I found out I said…really? Yuk…Gross!
I made a pact with the crickets and frogs to leave them alone from then on.
Instead we try to protect them with safe waters in trade for their nightly symphonies for us to enjoy…on a quiet moonlit night in South Juniper Canyon.
Hot Rod Cowgirl 
May 12, 2014 @ 22:05:51
I am a country boy who is stuck in the city. For several months, I had a pair of crickets who inhabited my bathroom. We had quite a comfortable relationship. Enjoyed your enjoyment of the real deal in real nature.
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May 12, 2014 @ 23:35:06
I think God has us covered as He knows what we long for…thank you for checking out my blog…if you read deeper you will see that I am blessed to have always lived in the country…often out in the middle of nowhere:) I love the crickets symphony each night as I drift off to sleep…so awesome that a couple of crickets dropped in to serenade you too:)
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May 11, 2014 @ 16:00:02
Hello & Happy Mother’s day HRCG: Hoping your Sunday was lovely! We had a wonderful day on the patio…sunshine & light breeze…perfect 🙂
I am so glad I have had 3 days to jsut relax & rest with Nylablue. The past 2 weeks really ‘took it out of me’…..
I hope there is no more drama for awhile.
Wishing all of you a wonderful week!
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too ❤ ❤
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May 12, 2014 @ 23:47:07
Happy Mums Day to you too Sherrie-Ellen:) I am so glad that your day was restful and relaxing…that you both could just rest and recover…praying for yous both…keep healing and getting well ok:) Hugs and loves, HRCG, Minnie and Ellie:)
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May 09, 2014 @ 17:14:54
Oh yes HRCG it is pretty much always like this altho not as bad the past few years. Today (Friday) was a perfect day: sunny & 68 F with Sunshine & light breeze. Then we had a fab T-storm & Nylablue & I sat out watching it. Not sure how long the warming trend will last but we are going to enjoy it while it lasts….
I too feel the cold alot more than I used to….well I used to feel it when I was young but I ignored it….can’t do that anymore, lol.
Now I enjoy being warm too!!
Sorry I have not been around. Some bad stuff happened & I had alot to take care of this week (NB blogged about it last Saturday).
I will try to catch up with blog reading this weekend.
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too ❤ ❤ ❤
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May 11, 2014 @ 14:43:08
Hey there and happy Sunday:) I am hoping your days are warmer and doing better all around with health stuff…but you and Ms. Nylablue:) I love thunder storms too and we usually sit out and watch them…not crazy about them, in the middle of the night when they wake me up…with a big loud boom…we usually have the windows open so it is a definite boom boom boom! Hugs and Prayers:)
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May 05, 2014 @ 17:19:16
Thanks HRCG>>>no word of a lie it is still only around 38 degrees here daily. Most days are cloudy & rainy. Today we had Sun but with a Northwest wind so it was like a Winter day w/out snow…
i give up!!!
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue (who is pouting bigtime) xoxoxo
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May 06, 2014 @ 11:05:14
Oh that is cold cold cold….is it always like this? I would be pouting by now….but I do remember Wyoming being like that…we would have bright sunny cold days with the wind too! It has cooled off here again to about 65 degrees….it was wonderful that we had 78 degrees for a few days! I easily get cold so I like the warmth of summer:)
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May 01, 2014 @ 18:02:47
Still crummy weather here…UGH!! the Sun managed to come out for 20 minutes today so Nylablue had that much Condo time…Sun went behind the clouds & the North wind blew up…..
Beyond frustrated here!
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too xoxoxoxo
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Apr 29, 2014 @ 16:55:07
I think we are on a different planet!!!!
It is rainy & windy & wet & cold here….very UnSpringlike!!
We’ve turned the corner all right….lol…
*sighs* No use complaining…..
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue xoxo
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Apr 27, 2014 @ 16:34:01
What a lovely post HRCG!!!
Spring is still reluctant to stay here so we have only Mourning Doves & a few sparrows & chickadees. I did hear a few robinz last week but nothing now…it is like suspended animation here & it is not warm at all. We are lucky to see the Sun once a week….
I think Nylablue & I would love to hear crickets chirping & frogs croaking & a soft WARM breeze thru the trees….
Wishsing you a wonderful week (I know I am a week behind; horrific flare-up so I have fallen behind yet again….)
Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue xoxoxo
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Apr 28, 2014 @ 08:58:36
Thank you:) I hope this week that you will turn a corner into Spring and warmer sunny days! We are definitely in Spring here yet we are waiting for warmer temps and less wind. It is to be a nice week this week though with temps up in the upper 70’s to low 80’s by weeks end and I am looking forward to that! The crickets are always soothing to hear on spring and summer evenings…love the turtledoves too:) Hugs, HRCG….I will try to send some crickets up to you along with warmer days!
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Apr 23, 2014 @ 18:40:31
Crickets and frogs – couldn’t ask for a better serenade. Enjoy the spring!
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Apr 23, 2014 @ 19:34:33
Truly a perfecto serenade:) Wishing you the same:)
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Apr 22, 2014 @ 15:13:55
I am enjoying the sounds of spring, as well! In the area behind my house there are many trees. Right now we have families of crows that caw from the early morning sun (not so fun if you want to sleep in, but I giggle at their chattering), and the woodpeckers are going crazy! I also hear the sweet chirping of what I think are swallows or perhaps finches. It just a glorious time of renewal! 🙂
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Apr 22, 2014 @ 18:08:07
Your home sounds awesome too with the various beautiful sounds of the birds and nature:) I so appreciate God’s world and enjoy all the seasons but right now is a favorite time with the returning sounds of summer:) Sending prayers and hugs….God Bless…HRCG
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 23:05:31
Amazing photos
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Apr 19, 2014 @ 06:27:17
Thank you much:)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 14:35:17
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
THAT’S WHAT I MISS IN OUR LITTLE APARTMENT….THE NIGHT SOUNDS!
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 15:32:13
Thank you for the reblog:) I know I am so used to the night sounds here…and yet on nights its totally quiet, I am used to that too…the thing with crickets and coyotes is that if there is danger around, they let you know….the coyotes will not howl and the crickets stop on a dime…once they begin again you know all is well:) With our neighborhood watch group out here, we pay attention to what our animals are doing…and also God’s animals that use their instincts to let us know the world is safe:) Happy Easter weekend:)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 16:27:50
Wise and wonderful woman. Proverbs 31 is you. Thank you, we will ….my disabled wife wants to get to church! 🙂
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 16:31:54
Thank you:) I pray that you and your wife have a wonderful weekend and that church will be easy to go to for her:) God Bless:)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 16:36:56
🙂
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 04:02:01
Totally gorgeous photos…….as they always are………I can almost HEAR the silence (I know that sounds silly but I also know YOU know what I mean!!). My favorite sound is the return of the crickets too….can’t wait to hear it this year as it’s been a LONG “cold” season. Happy Easter to you and yours!
Hugs, Pam and Sam
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 11:29:08
Thank you:) I do understand about hearing the silence..it becomes a part of your world and in many ways it is comforting….and the crickets, ahhhhh I love their chirps and how they serenade me to sleep:) I know I can hardly wait too for nice warm summer days…we have had a couple of nice days this Spring but I want more:) I need to get flowers into pots etc. My Grandmother always told my Mom that you wait until after Mother’s Day here before you plant any flowers…I know she is right so I will be doing more weed pulling and spraying for now. Wishing you a Blessed Easter full of Happiness:) Lots of kitty loves for Sammy and hugies for you:)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 00:27:37
Lovely post, love night time sounds, we don’t have crickets where we live except for a couple of summers ago one of are neighbour’s kept pet snakes and lizards and some of the live food (crickets) escaped it was nice to sit out in the garden at night and hear them chirp
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 11:20:15
Thank you:) There is something soothing in the crickets chirping….every time when I hear it, I know I am home. Have a Happy Easter!
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 11:42:38
Nothing better than the old familiar sounds of home, have a Happy Easter too
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 20:27:36
Hi, Hot Rod Cowgirl.
I saw that you asked a question on Bob Mielke’s site about where to get the daily writing prompts. There didn’t seem to be a place to reply to your particular comment on his page, but I wanted to give you this link. The WordPress staff posts a blog every day with various prompts. They have a writing prompt every day and a photo prompt every week — as well as other things that encourage and trigger blogging ideas. I haven’t used the writing prompts very much because my problem is usually that I have too much to write about. But I often respond to the photo challenges. I thought you might like to have the link and see for yourself what all they offer. And if you go up to the top of the page and click the “Follow” button, you will get a notification on your own Reader page every time they post a prompt.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 20:52:27
Hi there:) Thank you so much for sending the link…I have seen others do the daily prompt and also the photo prompt and wondered where they were getting it….I am much like you with lots of words too but sometimes I get stuck with too many words…or I hear the words in my writer’s heart but not sure how to get them to paper…I usually figure it out but I thought it may be fun to do the prompts every once in a while:) Thank you again…I am going to subscribe to the prompts and also to your blog:) Happy Easter!
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 03:05:28
I just now thought about the fact that you might also be interested in some of the short story challenges on WordPress. They are fun and really good writing discipline. I take part in them as often as I can. I guess that’s what I meant when I said I have too much to write. I can’t keep up with all of the fun stuff. If you’ll look up in the navigation bar of my site and click on “Short Stories,” it will give you links to stories that have the links to the blogs where the challenge came from. Of course, those particular challenges are done, but each site will have a new one going for this week. (Oooops, I think the one with the picture of the Bride is a story challenge that came from my own blog, and it doesn’t have a new, current challenge going, but the rest of them will.) Hope all of this makes sense.
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 11:24:27
Hi there:) Thank you so much for the info….it sounds like fun so I will go check it out! I appreciate your input and help on finding the photo prompt and blog prompt and now short story prompt….the short part would be a challenge as I am wordy…my hubby says I have at least 50,000 words a day….he loves to tease me…but he is prob right:)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 12:44:54
The “short” part is the hardest part for me as well. Being a newspaper reporter for quite a few years helped me with wordiness because you have no choice but to stay within the word limit for the paper, but these 100-word challenge stories have helped me even more to discipline my writing. However, you will notice — if you see the posts come up — that whenever I offer a writing challenge on my own blog, it almost always allows as much as 500 words. (After all, I have to use my extra words somewhere.)
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Apr 18, 2014 @ 13:10:21
I totally agree….that is what my hubby says to me, try to use up all your words before I come home after work:) LOL! I do think that women have more words to say each day than men…it is our nature to process, talk, question and dig for answers and then sharing. We can multitask much better too:)
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 20:10:29
I have always loved the sound of crickets in the evening. And the hooting of owls. It’s the sound of night in the country. We have coyotes, but they don’t sing. I wonder why not? I guess they’ve adapted to living near people. Beautiful words and pictures.
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 20:44:16
Me too…they are soothing to the soul…and owls are interesting to watch and listen to…coyotes can be both interesting and evil….the last few years we have LOTS of them…they are much more bold and will walk through the horse pasture or stand on top of the hill and watch us…kind of creepy…but their mournful howls and yips are also part of my life of memories…we had a Bobcat sighting about a mile from our house, and that bothers me most…sounds odd but if I go riding my horse or out for a walk now I carry my pistol for safety. Wolves have been sighted close to us too and that is another worry. I think prob your coyotes do not serenade due to the people and the sounds of the city not too far away. Up at cow camp when I was growing up we saw Bear too….kind of unnerving when you are gathering cattle to come up on one fishing for a trout….and we had Bobcats and they can sound like a woman screaming in the middle of night….it is way creeeepy. I am so happy to see you writing…I am a praying you well my friend…and that this next year will be a fun year of surprises and dreams come true for you and Garry!
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 18:21:00
Beautiful photos! I grew up in the city but attended College in a very small town near the mountains… I was intrigued how every night a “symphony” of crickets turned on almost at the same time each evening… it was next to a National Forest and nearby mountains, so they were definitely the majority and we were the minority! Once I found out what this (and other sounds were) I looked forward to this time of the day 🙂
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 20:29:17
Thank you:) I never stopped to think that not everyone knows what a cricket is…country night sounds are unique, of course living here forever I know the sounds…Quail, pheasants, owls, coyotes, frogs, crickets….they are my favorite as they sing me to sleep….and if they are quiet, you know something is not right. I also hear my horses let out an occasional snore type sound…or they squeal at one of the horses to say stay over on your side darn it! Coyotes are not something I enjoy hearing when they are in too close….we had one that came in nightly, as into our driveway and she was very old and crafty as she would try to entice our dogs to come out…and she had this creepy chicken sound. You will laugh but I can even tell which neighbor is driving by the sound of the pick up…silly huh? Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend:)
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 16:53:18
Beautiful!
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Apr 17, 2014 @ 17:01:09
Thank you:)
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