Sunday, April 10, 2011

I'm coming!  It's coming!  I will see you soon, my favorite summertime "home"!


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Day I Heard the Angels Sing

I had a WOW moment today.  I don't even know how to describe it so you will understand.  But here goes.


So - I LOVE Spring Peepers.  You know - those little teeny frogs that make BIG noise?  How icky are they?  (SEE BELOW!!! ewwwww)


 Size relative to a paperclip
Illustration: Spring peeper compared with paper clip

In my life - the first peep signifies winter is OVER.  That peep says, "spring may not be here, but winter is over."  Apparently, my friends now know that I listen for that first peep starting in early March and I get reports from all over town!  It's so funny and so endearing that they actually seek me out on facebook to tell me.  I LOVE that!


Better still, every year I have a conversation with my BFF about THE PEEPERS.  For years, she has been tracking the date she first hears them, in a journal.  I swear I call her every year and say, "This HAS to be the earliest!"  And she knows exactly what I mean.  But it never is.  This year, the first facebook message came in around the 15th of March and I emailed her, "This HAS to be the earliest!!!"  "Nope!"  (Actually - it's March 9th but do you think my simple mind can remember that each year???  I mean come on!  March 9th is still veryyyyyy winter!)


Oddly enough, this year I never heard the peepers.  I think because I have no memory left I have just been so busy and so pre-occupied that when the messages came in, I planned to go out and listen and it never happened.  It's UNPRECEDENTED!  Sniff.


Well - today, it didn't matter anymore.  Because today, I got a concert of peepers like no other on earth!!!!!  So loud that I could not hear myself talk.  It was UNBELIEVABLE!  It was Goose bumping.  Smile spreading.  Earth shattering.  Mood altering.  Breath taking.  Heart thumping.  Soul wrenching.  Ok, well maybe not sooo much.  But close!!!!  


I was trail running in the state forest with my friend Kay and as we approached a HUGE swamp area, I started to hear them and I commented, "Ohhhhhh - the peepers!  This is the first time I've heard them this year!"  As we got closer to the swamp, it got louder and Louder and LOuder and LOUder and LOUDEr and LOUDER and LOUDERRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  O-M-G!!!!!!!!!!


I was literally shouting to Kay and couldn't even hear myself.  It took my breath away (and that is not a good thing when you are running!!!!) It resonated through my body like no rock band has ever done.  The power just blew me away.  My ears were bleeding!!! (Well, not really - but you catch my drift!)  And I just had this big ole smile on my face - because surely - I was in peeper heaven...


Ok, well - if I'm not getting this across to you, check below.  Put it on your highest volume and then triple it in your mind.  It's the best I can do.




Joy?  Oh yea - indescribable, unbelievable, surreal, near spiritual, JOY.