Peaceful Noise

I woke up early this morning and went to sit in the backyard.

I love autumn in our yard. It's my favorite time of the year. This year I want to savor it, to bask in it and save some pieces of it to take out another time in my life.

I'm not certain there will be another autumn in this backyard. At least for me. There will be a different backyard with different pleasures.

Today I listened to the not-so-silence of the autumn yard.

No people to be heard. No cars or trucks. No phones.

The wind gently moving leaves high in the trees. Birds singing. The crunch of fallen leaves underfoot as I walk to the swing. The quiet creak of the chains as the swing moves back and forth. Water falling over the edge of the upper pond. The splash as a frog dives in the water.

Later today the yard will ring with the giggles of children. The screams of delight. The "AH!" of discovery. Loud tears kissed away to quiet snuggles.

Our backyard is an oasis. It's not a solitude of silence; it's a delight of peaceful noise.