With the windows open

It was a long cold winter. The storm windows were in place and the doors closed tightly. Often a blanket of white covered the ground. Inside my home it was warm and snug. I was fortunate to be isolated from the outside. Watching the calender I saw spring was coming. The heating bills were not a welcome sight. It was with relief that I greeted the spring. At last, I could turn off the heat, throw open the windows, and put the screen in the kitchen door. The warm breezes gently moving through the house are so pleasant. I can hear the birds singing and the rustle of the leaves. One thing though, I had forgotten how noisy spring is. In between the sounds of the birds and the rustling leaves there is so much more. Lawn mowers,leaf blowers, passing cars, motorcycles, loud music and a plethora of other sounds. Spring is a regular calliope ! Winter, in comparison, is a quiet time. When we think of the sounds of the season we normally think of the music. Christmas carols, holiday songs and beach music but they are not the sounds I am hearing now. I'm hearing noise ! It is true ,there is a price to pay. I have the warmth I so sorely missed, but it has come at a price. Oh, there are moments when all is quiet and peaceful, I begin to drift into a bit of a dream world, the slight breeze and the comforting warmth when, VROOOOOM, shift, VROOOM and a loud screech ! What ? Oh, a motorcycle, it might be a tractor or a combine going by, tractor trailers and fire trucks. That's what you get for living in town. This noise will continue well into late November. Well, I will only be aware of it until I put the air conditioners in the widows. After that all I'll hear is the hum of those units, they seldom stop. And that old electric bill reappears. Not much one can do about that.
There was a time when the noise of things happening outside drew my curiosity. That is not the case anymore. I guess I have aged and mellowed. No longer do I run to see what is up. Now all I hear is a bunch of noise ! Good grief. The sound of loud music and raucous laughter is no longer an alluring thing. Engines revving and tires squealing causes me to shake my head. What kinda nonsense is that ? Like B.B. King wrote, The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away. What I want now is peace and quiet. Time to think.
One of my dreams is to retire and live on a mountain. I would like to be close to a lake or a mountain stream so I could fish. The catching of the fish is not so important as the act of fishing. I can see myself in a little cabin, snow on the ground, fire roaring in the fireplace and a good book. Peace and quiet. An occasional descent into the valley for the necessary supplies is all I would require. I would like to live with the windows open. That would be ideal to me, to have the windows thrown open and not have to be bothered with noise. The sounds of nature would be all that is necessary. Of course a cottage by the sea would be equally as welcome. The sound of the surf and the screech of a gull. Now that would be a great soundtrack to live by.
All I can say is the world was a quieter place when I was growing up. I could listen to the whip or wills and tree frogs. The sounds of the birds and the whisper of the wind. Cool summer nights were filled with those sounds. I lived on the edge of the wood, three miles from town. Now I live in town, downtown Greensboro. Some day's it might as well be New York City ! Maybe that is why I get up so early, to enjoy that silence in the morning. Our minds have a way of adjusting to situations. All is quiet out there right now, it won't last though. Before I know it there will be noise ! That second stoplight in Greensboro hasn't helped at all. It just slowed the noise down a little bit ! Oh, and that bar that opened down the street from me, the outdoor concerts will be starting up. The noise will go on till ten o'clock at night ! Oh, the mountains and the sea are more appealing every day.