Wed, Dec 03 2008
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Published October 05, 2008 09:28 pm - CARTHAGE, Mo. — Night sounds are lovely, now that the cicadas — I used to call them jar flies — have ceased their relentless mating calls. Even that assault on the ears (up to 120 decibels at close range) can be perceived, with concentration, as white noise, lulling you to sleep. Jo Ellis: Falling walnuts drown out cicadas CARTHAGE, Mo. — Night sounds are lovely, now that the cicadas — I used to call them jar flies — have ceased their relentless mating calls. Even that assault on the ears (up to 120 decibels at close range) can be perceived, with concentration, as white noise, lulling you to sleep. I’ve always enjoyed as much fresh air as possible, so I tend to hear quite a few night sounds through my open window. The tire hum on a distant highway, the belly-like grumble of a train, the ever-present background buzz of insects less noisy than cicadas or the soft hoot of an owl are always more pleasant. Even the howling and yipping of a coyote mother and her brood are comforting, as long as we know our pets are safe inside. These plaintive coyote sounds, evidence of their nightly prowling, tell us we are much closer to our natural environment than we sometimes realize. Fortunately, our neighborhood dogs are very considerate. Rarely do we hear barking that is loud or incessant enough to disturb sleep. Thank goodness; I’ve had that experience before, and it is not good. Lately, our nights have been under attack from a different front. Two huge walnut trees overhang our roof. Their nut production this year is prolific. All night long, I hear a soft thud, a long roll and then “kerplunk” as their squishy, green shells smash into the ground. One night, a strong wind tore off some of the harder green walnuts and flung them onto the roof. It sounded as if we were under fire from a cannonade. It was not a sound conducive to sleeping. I have to remind myself that the exercise from picking up walnuts certainly contributes to a good night’s sleep. Also, they’re paying $13 per hundred pound for them this year — not a bad trade-off. I try to think of it as money falling from the sky. I sometimes wonder what it would be like in some far corner of the Earth where there is no ambient noise. On a frozen tundra, perhaps, in a deep cavern or on a high mountaintop (no, you wouldn’t catch me there. I hate heights). I suppose there would always be something like crackling ice, or wind or running water to invade the silence. Night sounds stand up really well to day sounds. Day sounds are dishes clinking, televisions blaring, washing machines running, vehicles starting, printers and computers whirring, and papers being shuffled. Which reminds me, I have a lot of papers on my desk to shuffle. Papers about weekend events in Carthage of which I should remind you: n At 6 p.m. Friday, artCentral, 1110 E. 13th St., holds an opening reception for Joplin artist Patricia Moline. Titled “Cloudy,” the exhibit features oil on canvas painting of skyscapes that Moline observes throughout the Four States, and on trips to the Southwest and southern coastal waters. Admission is free. The show will continue through Oct. 26. n Saturday’s schedule includes the first two major events of the Maple Leaf Festival. The second annual Boots, Bands & BBQ country music concert opens at 5 p.m. at Royal Oaks Arena. Music begins at 7 p.m. with Kevin Perdomo, Carthage’s own “Saturday Night Idol,” and Nashville recording artist Mark Wills. Admission is $20 in advance. n The Maple Leaf Bike Ride kicks off Saturday morning from the Kellogg Lake Pavilion. Riders may choose loops of 15, 35, 50, 70 or 100 miles. Many riders are expected. By popular demand, more restrooms have been added this year. All proceeds will go to the Joplin Trails Coalition for the Frisco Greenway Trail and the Ruby Jack Trail, a 16-mile, multiuse trail that starts in Carthage and goes through Oronogo and Carl Junction, ending at the Kansas state line. I might be joining them if they had a five- or 10-mile ride. As it stands, I’ll probably watch the early riders from my bedroom window since the route goes right by my house. I just have one warning for them: Please don’t be too noisy. I possibly could still be sleeping. Oh, and watch out for falling walnuts. 
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