In 1962 Rachel Carson published her seminal book “Silent Spring.” It was a sounding alarm that with our spraying of DDT we were unwittingly depopulating the earth of birds and other essential fauna. I was reminded this summer when I realized how very few butterflies I see. As for fireflies they are so rare I call people in the house to come and see when one lights up our yard. As a child I would fill a Mason jar in the evenings and watch them in the darkness of my room when I went to bed. I never did enjoy how my hand smelled after such an adventure.
This summer our nights in Massachusetts have been very quiet. Where are the night sounds? Finally this past Wednesday about 4 AM when I let the dog outside I thrilled to hear a chorus of tree frogs filling the darkness with their wooing of the ladies. Last night other creatures joined them. It is a wonderful sound rivaling any human choir. I did not hurry back to bed but sat on the porch reveling in the symphonic beauty. I wish you could have been with me. One needs to share beauty.
Last summer we visited Longwood Gardens. It is a taste of Eden. It is a place one must never go alone. It has to be shared so we can say, “Oh, look there and there and there.” It is why you must come to heaven with loved ones. As grand as it will be, it will be better if we can say, “Oh, look there and there and there.”
We had to pay to enter Longwood Gardens. Heaven is free and so much better. The night sounds will be incredible. (Yes, I said, “Night.”)
Written by Roger Bothell on August 21, 2017
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