I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles. – Anne Frank, German diarist (1929-1945)

There’s no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection. – Ralph Smart, Psychologist (1986- )

Last week the first of the week was busy, but by Wednesday I created an “open” day. The fisherman left before sunrise while I tucked in and slept until time to start the coffee and move to the front porch. Wilhelmina followed. I scratched her back and her ears until she moseyed along checking out the morning for herself. When she was ready, she returned and settled into the chair beside me. It was a beautiful morning; the trees swayed; flowers were in bloom that were not there the day before. My leggy nasturtiums showed off orange blooms practically overnight. It was a quiet morning. There’s a big difference in quiet and noise. There was the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpecker on the silver maple tree; it was a welcomed quiet. It was not noisy or abrasive. A few moments later he chirped his song “Sounds of Morning.”

The bluebird went in and out of his birdhouse presumably to feed the little ones. It is taking a long time for the hatchlings to appear, but maybe I’m just anxious to see them and they are not ready. On the back porch the American Goldfinch made its nest in the glass lantern. From the kitchen window we observe the movements of an adult bird. The lantern hangs three or four feet from the back door. Just outside against the wall is the recycling material and the composter. Our goldfinch doesn’t seem concerned about our goings in and out. American Goldfinches are known to be friendly to humans or at least not bothered by them. They also feed on seeds offered by bird feeders, grass seed and thistle. We can fill the bill. 

Lately we’ve had an old possum cruising the garbage can at the end of the driveway. He was making quite a mess. It’s unusual for a critter to check out garbage for food stuff since we recycle, compost, and leave other edible items at the lake or in the woods. A possum is a quiet fellow. Possum traps were baited with cat food and left by the garbage bin. In the cool of the morning, I walked the driveway to the traps which had only been visited by ants.

A while later the garbage truck came by. The big truck is noisy and kicks up a cloud of dust from the gravel road but we’re not complaining. They do us a great service come rain, heat, or cold. I left the traps where they were and pulled the empty garbage can back to the bin. Four hours later the morning was still on the porch with the cool and quiet.

Here’s a little “AI” information on quiet and the brain: Silence reduces stress by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels. Silence may stimulate brain growth including the region of the brain related to memory, emotions and learning. In the same way noise causes tension and stress, silence and nature release it.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].