The Bellowing Sounds of Summer

"Croooaaaaak.....Ribbeettttt.......Wuubbbbiittttttttttt...."

Recently making the move from the wilds of of Ridgetop, TN and our overgrown, lush green two acre lot, I was sad to say goodbye to the "sounds of nature" as I imagined moving to suburbia as the cataclysmic end to anything outdoorsy. I was convinced that I was now going to be hog-tied and dragged into everything from fancy tea parties to stuffy proper gatherings instead of the good bon fires and music pickin' parties we've come to enjoy. (for the record, I was wrong - shhhhh...dont' tell anyone:-)

I have such fond memories of pulling down our gravel driveway years ago and seeing a family of four deer standing in the trees at the back of our yard, looking at me with that 'deer in a headlight' look. Yes, I had my headlights on - Ha, Ha :-)

And then there was the time I took Tucker & Sully up onto the 60 acre farm above our woods to run free and get some exercise. They both disappeared into the woods for a few moments. I wasn't overly concerned but started to wonder where they'd gone when all of the sudden I heard crunch, crunch, crunch, swoosh, swoosh coming at me louder and louder from the woods. I jumped back as I saw a large deer come FLYING out of the woods, hopping and gliding through the air followed by the neighborhood beagle followed by Sully followed by Tucker followed by another dog I did not recognize. It was such a comedy to watch. That poor deer. She must have been convinced she was somebody's lunch that day but she was able to escape just fine.

Tucker loved that field. He's a hard one to catch when he gets loose but we'd set him free up there because he eventually 'tuckered' himself out - yes, that's how he got his name. One time we could see that he was VERY interested in something on the other side of the field. Nose digging, tail wagging, throwing some dark disc shaped object up in the air time and time again. Trying ever so cleverly to keep his treasure from our grasps, he turned it into a big chase. Eventually he brought his 'find' our way although still keeping it at a safe distance. It became apparent that he had been tormenting a turtle who had long before disappeared into its shell, certain to need therapy when he saw daylight again.

Then there was the family of eight mice that invaded our kitchen cabinets and drawers for a few weeks for which I needed therapy. Me and the turtle together on the couch...

Little did I know that creatures follow you. Now that we're in our new 'neighborhood development', we're finding the sounds of nature are still prevalent. Our next door neighbors have a little pond in their yard and the world's BIGGEST bullfrog has taken up residence there. I can honestly say I've never heard a frog with a set of lungs like this one. Talk about bellowing! I'm convinced that when night falls, he dresses himself up in a little tuxedo, stands on the side rocks of the pond, walks up to a microphone and starts releasing burps and ribets through a professional sound system. My mind is boggled when I think about the decibles of croaking noise that we'll experience when the HUNDREDS of tadpoles that the frog has left in the pond come to age. Yes, the frog gave birth.

Then there is the mentally challenged cardinal outside of our family room window. Daily, it crashes head first into the upper glass. Must be a female bird with issues (wink, wink!) or could it be that the windows are so clean she thinks it's an opening? Nahhh, I know my windows aren't that clean.

So, we find ourselves still enjoying the sounds of nature. As the music of summer proceeds and the visiting bullfrog breaks into concert with a cocophony of bullfrog sounds and Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen", entertaining his tadpole moshpit of an audience, I sit back, read a book and thank my lucky stars that I haven't found mouse poop in the silverware drawer. I'll take that anyday.