Sounds of the night

Since the big storm the other day the weather has been much cooler. It has been cool enough for sleeping without having the window fans running, but still nice enough to keep the windows open. I love it. I can once again hear something besides the sound of fan motors. Of course the traffic going by on the road is not an attractive sound, but as the night gets late there is much less of it. The crickets are chirping. Moths, attracted to my light, beat their wings against the screens. And occasionally a smart bat will come along and pluck a moth from the screen. The sound of their tiny feet being plucked from the fine mesh is slightly different from the sound of their wings hitting against it. Once in a while I can hear Tiggy, declaring his territory to the neighborhood. And just a few minutes ago I heard the local coyote pack yipping and yowling to each other. They sounded pretty close tonight. Glad we keep the sheep in the barn at night. Sometimes I can hear a lamb bleating for its mother. Most of the ewes are weaning or have already weaned their lambs, so the lamb might be calling for a while before she answers or the lamb decides to give it up and go back to sleep. Occasionally I will hear a bird twitter in alarm when something disturbs its sleep. Owls in the woods calling. Raccoons wooing. Frogs garrumping in the pond over the hill. I love it!