Sounds of Spring

Today I mowed our lawn and then sat outside for the first time this spring, enjoying the sunny weather.  Yes - that's Sunny on the left.  He's still with us.  He's had some good days recently and so we hold off on our decision knowing that the day will come soon enough.  Thank you all for your kind words on my Post about Sunny.  They meant much to this family.

As I sat in the sun I listened to the sounds of spring around me.  Gus and Sunny munching grass near the fence and the song of this one Robin who has graced us with (his/her?) music all day long now for many weeks.  This is one proud bird who sings from dawn to dusk with such great joy that one can only smile as they listen.

I also listened to my wind chimes as they blew lazily in the breeze.

This is the first wind chime I ever got. It's got to be twenty five years old if it's a day.  My Dad gave it to me years ago for Christmas.

Prior to moving here we lived close to the beach.  The sound of this wind chime brings back the smell of salt water and sound of softly flapping wings as sea gulls flew over our house at dawn and again at dusk.  Sometimes they would drop clam shells on our patio as they passed over.

On the other side of our yard hangs this wind chime.  It was given to our daughter who "donated it" to the yard.  We call this our rough weather chime.  It hangs protected from most breezes and only chimes when the winds are up, usually in the winter. When I hear it ring I know we are in for strong winds and stormy weather.  It makes me feel warm and cozy.

This is the most valuable wind chime I own.  I call it my Bim Chime.  It hangs in a place of honor outside my kitchen window.  It was given to me by my little brother, who we lost to Leukemia four years ago.  My brother's nickname was Bim, thus I call it my Bim Chime.

My little brother made this Bim Chime and gave it to me on my birthday.  It consists of old silverware and coins, heated, hammered flat and drilled with holes.  He strung the "chimes" with fishing line onto a branch off of a tree in his yard.  This all represents my brother so well.  He was an avid fisherman and well known Master Gardner.

Last December we had a wind storm with gusts over 100 mph.  My lovely Bim Chime was swinging sideways.  Afraid it would blow through the kitchen window, my husband risked life and limb, literally crawling through the high winds to take it down.  Some of the pieces of silverware had been torn off and were later found in our pasture.  My Bim Chime has sat outside in a tangled mess on the porch since that storm.

I've meant to untangle and hang it back up.  Our home hasn't sounded the same without the beautiful music it makes.  It's one of those things I keep meaning to do but then get distracted while it sits in a ball of fishing line, coins and silverware.

Today as I sat outside I untangled my Bim Chime, restrung the spoons and knives that had torn off and hung it back up in its place of honor.  It immediately started chiming in the breeze.  I've missed its song.  It brought back the memories of the best little brother one could ever have had and all the fun things we used to do together. 

There I sat, with my dog, Hank.  Smelling the sweet cut grass and listening to the symphony around my house that has arrived with the sounds of spring.