Living in the "Wilderness" gives one a sense of solitude, peace and silence. Right?
No! After living here for one year the wilderness is NOT silent. I wake up early in the morning listening to my closest neighbors...the Robin and Chickadee in a constant argument. What these two birds would be fighting about is beyond me. They are my official alarm everyday at 5:30 am. At 7:00 am just right on the dot my new friend "Stella" a Stellar Jay arrives demanding his daily bowl of peanuts. It amazes me that he arrives at the same time everyday and will squawk until fed.
You can hear a little rustle coming from the bushes and Mrs. Turkey arrives. She ruffles her feathers and starts to forage for food. She is always mumbling something...sounds like complaining! Did her husband not come home? Are her children driving her nuts? I have no idea but she mumbles non stop. Off in the distance you hear the first Elk call. The day proceeds with the sounds of Crows, Ravens, Geese and thousands of bird calls. For several months I heard a constant banging at the back of the property. All through the winter I could hear the same sound. Now that the snow finally has melted I hiked to the back ridge and discovered the noise! Pileated Woodpeckers! Look at what they have done to this tree! Amazing!
Pileated Woodpeckers are huge! At least 18 inches and larger. Woody the Woodpecker (the famed cartoon character) was named after these birds.
Oh the noise they can make! Rat a Tat Tat...Bang... Bang!
As the day turns into evening the deer, coyotes, frogs, owls, elk, and the occasional wolf create the forest into a symphony of sounds. My neighbors are just now different but each provides me a comfort and joy. Each has its own character and sound just like my old neighborhood. They just look different.
Have a Great Day Everyone!
Your Artist Friend in the Wilds!
