On one of the first warm Spring days this year my husband opened our bedroom window about 3 inches. It’s now August and that window has remained open since that day.

As I lay on my bed the other night listening to the sounds coming through that window, I reflected upon the fact that there had been many an evening that I had done that very thing. I made a mental list of the multitude of different sounds I’d heard and the very different feelings and emotions they had evoked. Each one was rich in imagery and tone and told it’s own story of sorts. Each sound unique and evoking strong feelings and emotions.

As I reflected upon all of this, I came to realize that this list was well worth sharing with my readers. So here it is – 15 Sounds Outside My Bedroom Window.

• A Legion of Crickets Chirping in unison their ominous and enthralling song.
• The whooping and laughing (until 2:00 am) from the backyard party of the neighbors two houses down.  The only one they’ve ever had, so they got a pass this time.
• The innocent giggling and excited laughter of childhood as children play in the summer sun.
• The deafening roar of jets from the nearby Air Force Base, exploding through the air, then dying away to silence, only to suddenly explode into another roar moments later – again and again.
• The sizzling, whizzing, popping and crackling of Fireworks from random directions as various neighbors celebrated independence during the month of July.
• The melodious sound of birds singing and chirping as they converse joyfully with one another in the early morning sunshine.
• The splashing, babbling and dancing of the water as it cascades into my garden pond.
• The jolting, piercing screech of a car alarm with it’s call to action.
• The foreboding, distant wail of a siren responding to the emergency of some poor soul.
• The sharp, concerned, and insistent barking of a dog alerting his master to some perceived danger.
• The whining and whistling of the wind as it rustles and dances through the leaves of trees.
• The consistent, laborious hum of lawn mowers being pushed by studious neighbors trimming their yards.
• The soft, gentle pitter-patter of a light but steady rain.
• Loud, banging, cracking thunder accompanied by the heavy pounding rhythm of a downpour!

The night I thought I had just finished this post, as I lay in bed that night drifting off to sleep, I heard a new sound.

• The rapid-fire, click, click, clicking of a cicada who was obviously not thinking about sleeping!