Can You Hear the Quiet?

When you’re in the city or even just a suburban neighborhood you’re surrounded by noise that you don’t even notice. The refrigerator hums on, the washing machine swishes, the air conditioning buzzes, cars rattle down the street, the next door neighbors chat. It’s different out in the forest, woods, or lake when you’re camping. Unless of course it’s high season and the group in the next site is having a major party you weren’t invited to but that’s another blog post. We camp during the week as well as weekends and the quiet is shocking at first. You sit and listen and don’t hear much of anything. Gradually the smaller sounds creep in, a bird twittering, the leaves rustling, the fire crackling.

Occasionally a boat churns up the lake or a plane flies over head, but mostly there are few manmade noises.

At night the silence is almost eerie. The howl of a pack of coyotes is a welcome relief that you’re not entirely alone. (The rattle of a snake coiled under the picnic table not so much — yes it happened.)

A few hours after a vibrant pink, red, and purple sunset the stars peek out one by one. The silence deepens. The embers of the fire glow. And then there’s this moment when you can almost hear the stars glimmer.

Dee
Note to self: Light the way with the flashlight when walking at night.