Sound of Silence (02/29/20)

Living in an eastern section of southern California, pre-pandemic, nights and early mornings tend to be relatively quiet. But on a beautiful warm spring Saturday morning, sitting out on the balcony before sunrise, the "sounds of silence" become quite entertaining.

Shortly after midnight, the laughter of a half dozen voices begins, followed by the revving of several car engines—each trying to outdo the other. The group starts to cheer, tires squeal, and the engines of the cars carry them at top speed up the street. Appears drag racing in our area has become quite the Friday night thing to do.

After several races, the silence returns...

Then a rustling in the nearby field, followed by the joyful barking and yapping of coyotes. I have to say, those coyotes really do know how to enjoy themselves. You can hear them barking and chasing each other around the weeds for half an hour.

Off in the distance traffic can be heard, getting closer to the intersection visible from the balcony. Sounds like two cars, then an extremely short squeal of breaks and a huge smash, bang, roll, scatter—somebody missed the red light and smashed into the other car.

After a few seconds of metal shattering, the silence returns...

The coyotes are quiet, the neighborhood is quiet.

Only a few blocks down the street, the first sounds of sirens start up. The accidents at this intersection are common and frequent, and the response time from paramedics and fire is quick—both are located a stone’s throw away.

Shiny squirrel: While out walking and biking we always see the paramedics parked in the area—is it the chicken or the egg. Are they parked close knowing there are frequent accidents, or do the accidents just happen with paramedics near?

Regardless, glad they are close. As their sirens begin to whirl louder, the coyotes begin to howl, and a wonderful melody erupts for a few moments.

Then the silence returns...

It’s now 2:30 a.m., several cups of coffee later, and a fever of activity—bars have closed, bottles have been capped, and folks are finding their way home. Naturally they are not quiet about it, yelling, screaming and whooping it up as they stagger to pass out on their floors.

Sitting on the balcony, another cup of coffee in hand, we can do nothing but laugh as we hear "you flirt with that whore again and I'll cut your balls off"—glad we're not invited to breakfast with that couple.

The silence returns...

As the sun begins its daily chariot ride through the sky, the chorus of birds begins. First a single chirp, then a response, then a song, and a retort—from pianissimo to fortissimo as the sun starts to light up the sky inviting a symphony of nature's winged critters.

The roar of a plane taking off from the nearby airport briefly overtakes the local songbirds.

On some special mornings, the yells and taunts of some of the local gang members or drunks, as they walk home from release from the detention center down the street, interrupt the birds. Yes, we live in a special neighborhood!

The day now begins as a constant rumble of innumerable cars, trucks, and airplanes.

The silence will now wait...
...till the sun has again dropped and the neighborhood begins another night of its "sound of silence."

Musical reference: The Sound of Silence, Disturbed

 

#sound #silence #coffee #birds #coyotes #nature #disturbed