Cacophony

 Our quiet, out of the way house, lies down a small private road, bridleway, footpath (that is how it is signposted) and you cannot get out of the other end unless you have a Fireman's key to get through the gate.  That part is more a green lane than a road.  Our lane has passing places only.  In terms of noise and rush hour we have a 7 to 8:20 am and 4 to 6 pm busy time, by that I mean that you can suddenly get three or four cars together going in or out of work for down past us is a farming contractors with tractors, trailers, logging, lawn mowing equipment etc.  During te rest of the day you'll be lucky to see a delivery van or the locals coming and going.  Sure we have some loud pricks, mainly the teenage boys impressing the girls (and not their parents) with the latest noisy exhaust or deafening stereo or whatever they have these days.  An occasional motorbike and that's about your lot.

Every now and then of course you'll hear work being undertaken by gardeners and odd job men but that's about it.  The Sheep are generally a bit bleaty but not overly so.  So why, dear reader am I telling you this?

Well the weekend was chaotic.  Whatever set the sheep off caused them to be bleating for hours at a time and almost non stop.  It happens of course, then the next door neighbour had someone in mowing their paddock, again not a problem but it was quite loud as it was a warm weekend the windows were open and so it just seemed a little more noisy than it has in the past.  However, the prize goes to our Combine Harvester(s) who were harvesting the corn fields at the back and to the side of us.  They don't hang about when the weather is good and the corn is ready and so Saturday and Saturday night, Sunday and Sunday night you could hear the whirr of farm machinery and of course, the dust they kick out deposits itself on the cars and got us all sneezing too.   I was trying to see the Perseids last night gone 10 O'clock and they were still at it, their headlights lighting up the sky a few fields away.  

Today we are back to blissful quiet, everyone has settled down and it is so hot the Sheep are probably just sitting in the shade as we are, I've barely heard them today.  

I imagine it will be the same next year as it was this and last.

I also have to remember that we will hear them when they plough and plant the fields next.  It's nice living here and you too quickly forget how peaceful it can be.