To sit on my deck in an August evening is to hear a symphony of strange and wonderful sounds; crickets and cicadas and the late cardinal. A handful of unknowns that one moment sound right next to you and the next, miles away; only a distant conversation.
My deck is screened eight feet up the sides, but there is no roof so that we can look up into the giant Sycamore branches and through to the sky. At night, if there is a full moon, the leaves cast intimate shadows that waltz when the wind moves through them. It has become too dark to read and, because our beloved cat isn’t ready to come in yet, my husband and I sit under the pale light surrounded by a ruckus of chatter. I wish I had a fairy to introduce me to this nightly cast of creatures with such powerful voices. Instead, I simply have to imagine who is making the “kah, kah, kah, …” and the spinning sounds like a baseball card on a bike wheel.
If I close my eyes (and get past the idea that a spider is going to land on me!) I can meet these creatures one by one in my imagination. Clicking and humming and reminding us that nighttime is just as alive as the day.
Here are a few imaginary little fellows; maybe you could do better….
