City noises are very different from
the sounds in the country. I definitely
wasn't raised in the country, but it wasn't a part of the city during the 60's
either. Mom may have thought as our
newly developed neighborhood as "hick country" as even the busiest
part of SLC was nothing like the quietest part of San Francisco (was there ever
a quiet place in San Francisco) but I called it a town.
We lived far enough from the city
that we were not really a part of it, but close enough that we could drive to
various places. There was a 7-11 within
walking distance. It was built before
any business was open 24 hours a day.
7-11 hours were from 7 in the morning until 11 at night. I don't recall any restaurants or other
establishments to walk to other than the corner gas station - but there wasn't
a convenient store connected to it, so what would have been the point?
I don't recall any specific sounds
from my early childhood. Sometimes I
would hear trains in the distance or hear planes flying overhead. Gradually the city built its way up around
our little neighborhood until it was eventually swallowed up in the mass. There were 30 - 40 food places within walking
distance after I had graduated high school.
The sounds were provided by traffic flow, often barking dogs - perhaps
something else. I really don't remember.
I had heard animal sounds (other
than dogs) at Wheeler Farm. We lived far
enough that I didn't hear them constantly -
I knew roosters crowed. I thought
it was a morning thing - to let everyone know the sun was up - or what have
you. I didn't know roosters crowed ALL
DAY LONG!!
In
our first house in Oregon, we would often hear goats bleating and a rooster
crow. We called the rooster Random as he
would go off at various times of the day.
There didn't seem to be a pattern.
We have been in our second house for almost two years now. I don't know how long the rooster has been around,
but Jenna is always first to hear it.
He'll go off at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. What is up with that?
At first I thought he might be
boasting, "Oh, yea. I just had
myself another hen . . ." but just before it rained, Random was crowing
like he had gone loco and WOULD NOT SHUT UP.
But again, maybe that's normal. I
don't know roosters. Until I moved here,
I hadn't heard the constant echo of their sounds. I don't know how many roosters may live in
our neighborhood. It sounds like only
one, but to my ears, he has definitely got a problem. Perhaps to the average country folk, the sound
is normal. But I don't like it. Put Random and my family out of his/our
misery already and make some rooster stew!
