easy listening

what the heck? it's been 11 days since i've done a post on this blog? i knew i was busy, but jeepers. so on to the topic of the day.

we've had a wonderful summer here in minnesota. some summers, like the past few, have been very hot and humid. i don't have air conditioning, so i am more keenly aware of the weather than most folks. this year, there were only a couple of nights where i found it uncomfortable. and it was certainly nothing a simple switch to a higher fan setting couldn't handle.

during the summer (and in the spring and fall as much as possible), i have the windows in my house open. i love fresh air. i also love the sounds of nature. in the morning the birds chirp, the squirrels chatter and the leaves rustle. sometimes a beetle bumps against a screen, or a bee buzzes around trying to find a way in. right now, the crickets sound like they are having a splendid time.

i have noticed that there don't seem to be as many critter sounds as there used to be. apparently i'm not the only one. bernie kraus, a bioacoustician, has noticed that the sounds of the natural world are vanishing.

sad.

an article about kraus' work contained some wonderful soundscape audio. if you have a moment, then relax, listen and enjoy. perhaps it'll spawn the wish to visit a rainforest near you.