Sounds of Summer

·      gentle hush of waves on the beach

·      beep of refrigerator when the door is left open too long while I remember why I opened it

·      machines mowing and trimming our neighbor’s large lawn

·      roar of Coast Guard helicopter overhead

·      hummingbird hum near my ear when we are on the back porch

·      Kim’s humming her “doing chores” tune

·      our commercial-grade coffee pot groaning to keep water hot and at the ready

·      whirr-ding of microwave reheating coffee for late afternoon pick-up

·      beep of my car when I stray over white edging lines – too many, and the car suggests I rest

·      distinctive call of a faraway loon

·      rustle of squirrel’s feet running along our bark siding

·      loud drumming of pileated woodpecker on our siding

·      sharp hand-clapping I use to chase woodpeckers away

·      distant hand-clapping that our neighbor uses to call his dog

·      distant laughter carrying across the water from a boat

·      welcome patter of rain on the roof

·      chimes of doorbell ringing on my phone

·      Cookie Monster voice when Kim receives a text or phone call

·      distant beep as I use my car key to try to find my car in the parking lot

·      whining roar of jet-skis disturbing a peaceful afternoon

·      low rasp as Kim falls asleep watching television

·      two thumps as I dump my outdoor shoes in the metal tray and put on slippers

·      faint white noise in my ear when everything else is silent

·      grinding of Kitchen-Aid mixer, signaling that Kim is baking something for me

·      “thunk” from the computer when we ask it to do something it’s not inclined to do

·      faint groan when either one of us stands up or sits down

·      Kim’s laughter when she is on the phone, most likely with Beth, Sandy, or Heidi

·      the music of Mackinac Bridge, changing pitch every few seconds when we drive over the metal grades on our way to the UP.

·      the silence of an early morning fishing boat in the mist