Saturday, September 19, 2009

In search of quiet

Yesterday, I set out on the trails of Appleton Farms in neighboring Hamilton to seek out some migrating song birds and some quiet. When you have a one-year-old, the sounds of crashing books, musical toys and even squeals of delight can sometime overload your senses. I put Lizzie in the jogging stroller and went in search of the Appleton cow herd.

We did see lots of cows and learned a new word: "caa-ow" (until now cows were "dogg--oo", which I guess makes sense since they do look like large dogs). But more importantly I had an hour of quiet and sunshine.


I want you to study this photo taken on the farm as I looked up into one of its majestic old oak trees. Imagine what you might hear if it had a sound track. Now imagine what you can't hear: no cars, no farm equipment, no airplanes or church bells or sirens. No human created sound of any kind.

All I could hear was the sound of the wind in the leaves and the crickets in the grass. Even Lizzie was quiet, taking in the smells of the cows and the feel of sunshine on her little face.

Perhaps I shall walk there again today.

10 comments:

  1. How nice...like you, sometimes I just wanted to be quiet and find a very serene place away from the noisy city. I would love to stare at trees and get sensitive in listening chirping birds in the morning and sound it makes when soft wind blows.

    AL

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  2. Having lived in Houston most of my life, I well understand the desire for a serene place where it is just you and nature.

    I now live in the country where all I hear when stepping outside my back door are birds or see rabbits scampering across a field or deer staring at me from the distance. It is really neat and am so grateful for the opportunity to live where I do. Of course, every now and then you will hear a truck, motorcycle, or see, not hear, a car traveling the road which is about 1500 feet from the house. It is wonderful!

    At some point in your life, I hope you have the same opportunity. :D

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  3. Kate, it's so wonderful that there is some place you can go to hear nature's peace and quiet. I hear it also when I go hiking up in the mountains. Unless a plane goes over, it's completely quiet, just the sound of the wind in the trees and my labored breathing when going uphill.

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  4. AL: I hope you had a chance to find some quiet this weekend!

    Lynn: Houston must be a loud place! I can see why you live where you live now...my neighborhood is pretty quiet but not as quiet as the farm.

    DJan: you are lucky you have so many chances to have quiet in your life. retirement must be nice! :)

    thanks for reading everyone! -Kate

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  5. Oh wow, what a lovely walk that was... I love a quiet day and simple retreats. I live in the city but my neighborhood is fairly peaceful and the parks are accessible. What a lovely day, Kate! :)

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  6. Ah, an ooo-aaah moment, for sure. I've been out to the Appleton property a few times. It is a fun place to walk about.

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  7. Tes: thanks for following! I added you to my list as well. you are lucky to have efficient city living AND quiet!

    Steve B: We are very lucky to have so many beautiful places to visit here on the north shore aren't we?

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  8. there are many quiet spaces here. fortunate that there is little airplane traffic in the area.
    spaces where it is the wind talking in the leaves and hissing through the grass making the loudest sound.
    quite noisy, she the wind....

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  9. Through the years I have managed to find some special places like that where the only sound is Mother Earth's song. There were several years we lived in a large city filled with mechanical sounds. We now live on the edge of a relatively small town and sometimes when I step out on my patio there are only the whispers of nature.

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  10. deborah: judging from the photos you post you are quite good at seeking out quiet places, and describing them with such poetry!

    SQ: My yard is much like yours, not always quiet, at the edge of the town, but usually full of nature's music, especially early in the morning like right now.

    -kate

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