A Moment's Lull

I was outdoors today, puttering mostly.  At one point I was inside the garage, staring out the garage door... Lost in thought apparently.  It suddenly dawned on me:

There were no sounds.

The usual dogs barking, cars, birds... Everything was absent.  It was eerily quiet.  I probably could have heard a pin drop out front in the street.  This is very unusual in our neighborhood.  Usually, there is a cacophony of canines adding their voices to the already-present planes, cars, and birds that are making themselves heard.

When it occurred to me, I stood there and noted it.  Reveled in it.  Then I walked out into the yard and turned my head around like a sound-seeking radar.  I didn't count, but I'd say for about 15 or 20 seconds it was still.

It was weird.  This was a level of quiet that is seldom achieved even in the wee hours of the morning here.  There's almost always some sort of sound.  Usually it's a dog or a car.  It was about 2pm--usually a very non-quiet time of day in almost every neighborhood.  Even out in a very rural area there is the sound of a bird somewhere, or crickets, or something. 

Then slowly, the sounds of urbanhood begin to taper back in.

A small airplane in the distance tapered in first--faintly from far away.  Then I heard the muffled tones of the neighbors next door talking in their back yard.  I think it was a bird or two next.  Little by little, the neighborhood returned to its usual midday recording session.

It was cool, but yet insignificant moment that I felt I had to share.

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