Happy Sounds by Suzanne Rossi

Hi everyone.

It's August and the summer is slowly winding down. Soon there will be a nip in the air and the leaves will turn from green to yellow and red only to drop to the ground where they'll be raked up later. I blogged last month about how special summer has always been for me. I think that's because I associate the seasons with what I call happy sounds. Sounds that soothe me, make me smile, or are just plain enjoyable.

Summer leads the list. I can sit outside under the shade trees and listen to the insects on evenings when a light breeze brings the temperatures down to almost comfortable and gently rustles the leaves in the trees overhead. However, I have to admit that this year the cicadas have been especially vocal, drowning out the crickets. In fact, at times they've been so noisy as to stifle all else.

I'm also a big fan of wind chimes. I know that to some people they're annoying, but I love the music they play on the wind. When we lived in Ft. Lauderdale, I had dozens hanging from the lanai roof. During the winter when we slept with the windows open, the various tones would drift in. Believe it or not, the soothing sounds relaxed me. I moved those chimes here to Memphis where they remained lost in some box for months. I finally found them only to realize I didn't have as much space to hang them as I did in Florida. As of now many are suspended from curtain rods in the sun room. Sooner or later, I'll figure out where to put them.

Autumn brings other sounds. The dead and dying leaves swish across the grass and pavement with a music all their own. And since we live near one of the local high schools, every Friday night we can hear the marching band and the crowd cheering on the Red Devils to victory.

Winter has never been my favorite season. Oh, the first snow of the year was fun. As a kid, I'd put on layers of heavy garments and go outside to build a snowman or play "Fox and Geese." An hour later, I was ready to come in. As an adult, I lived for four very long years in Rockford, Illinois. Now, that was winter! Occasionally, my husband and I would walk the dog late in the evening. Our neighborhood was quiet and if it was snowing (which it did frequently in Rockford) we'd stop and listen to the sounds of silence. At times it was so still we would close our eyes, and enjoy the sound of the snowflakes hitting the ground.

I love Spring. The old adage of "April showers bring May flowers" rings true. There's something soothing about the sound of rain on the roof, especially when I'm in bed. And when the clouds blow away, the birds return to serenade me in the early morning and late afternoon. The cheerful songs lift my spirits. I always pause to the foot of the driveway when I go out to get the paper in the morning listening to the happy chirping and tweeting coming from the budding trees and nearby bushes.

Everyone has happy sounds. Some emanate from nature. Others are man made. And there's nothing like the sound of children's laughter as they play outside regardless of the time of year.

I hope you've enjoyed this month's blog. I enjoyed sharing it with you. Have a good Labor Day and I'll be back with you again in September. In the meantime, stop, take a deep breath at the end of the day, and listen to something that makes you smile.

Suzanne Rossi