When we decided to move to our current home outside the city limits of Union we expected to love it completely, but now after more than three years living here Annette and I both recognize the limitations of living outside of town. Going practically anywhere is at least a seven mile journey one way, so it forces us into consolidating trips. Previously we lived inside the city limits, less than a mile from Wal-Mart. That makes for some spontaneous trips at any time of the day or night. No more of that. Now we have dust from a gravel road, no access to cable TV, and I have a summer filled with what seems an unending list of yardwork. But there are many aspects of living here we love very much. I like seeing the occasional deer or turkey, the peace and solitude is wonderful, having a large yard is great, and the house is just exactly the way we designed it, so all in all we come out ahead.
In the spring one of the things I most enjoy is the comfortable temperatures and sleeping with the windows open. I can lie in bed at night and look out my open window and see distant lights of Union and, before the foliage obstructs my view, even lighting from an industrial center in St. Charles County. I really love it. I also love waking up in the morning to the sight of the sun casting warm rays of light on our greening backyard and trees, and I especially enjoy being awakened not necessarily by the alarm clock, but by the beautiful melodies of the songbirds in our yard. Of course, they start very early, like in the five o'clock hour, but what a brilliant time of day. First light on our yard and beautiful music from nature to wake me gently. I can just rest there in bed enjoying the beautiful melodies with my eyes closed, that is, until I hear footsteps pounding over to the window. When I open my still tired eyes I see Annette grabbing onto the window and slinging it shut, then pushing closed the blinds and drapes. "Darn" birds she says with disgust as she marches back to her side of the bed and tries, with no success, to go back to sleep.
When I opened the May 2009 issue of the Missouri Conservationist (which by the way is free to any Missouri resident or $7 annually to non Missouri residents) and found this short article on Missouri Songbirds I had to laugh, and I mean laugh hard, and show it to Annette. I promised her I'd get her the CD and maybe when it gets hot outside and we have to close our windows we can pop in the CD around five a.m. so she doesn't miss her morning wake up call. Of course she laughs about it when I make fun in the evening, but to her it is no joking matter at dawn.
If you're looking for a gift idea for Annette, definitely do NOT get her this CD. Ear plugs might work better.
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