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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: NOISE (05/03/18)
“Are they mowing the lawns again?” I whimpered. “I can’t hear myself think.”

Looking out my lanai windows, I knew it was going to be another warm day in sunny Florida. I thought of my friends up North who were experiencing freezing cold days and multiple snowstorms called “Nor'easters”.

But we had escaped…we had become Snowbirds!

Our little community of 55+ seniors is quite comfortable-not elegant but comfortable. The lots are bigger than many other parks and trees are in abundance. Our park borders pastures on several sides where cattle roam freely. Other animals are known to traverse out there: wild boars, coyotes, fox and even a few bears…just to name a few.

All this activity gives cause for the cattlemen to bring out the guns! Some days we hear them blasting away as I imagine it sounded in the Wild West. I’m sure part of the din has to do with disposing of any threats to their herd. Yet I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere out there is a shooting range…just for fun.

During this season this park becomes very active. Traffic on the few roads that we have, now becomes a steady stream of cars and golf cart; trucks with loud exhaust systems; bikes and trikes; motorcycles and walkers.

Did I mention dogs? We are allowed to have our furry babies, 20 ponds or under. Sitting in their lanais, surveying their kingdom they seem to be compelled to comment on every truck, motorcycle or life form that passes by.

One morning I was awakened by a piercing screech. I went into my lanai with all it’s windows and searched the immediate area. I saw nothing to account for the noise. Again came the deafening sound…it sounded closer. One more time, only the tone was different, and not as powerful.

I continued to watch and listen.

Then I saw movement between the homes across the street. There they were; two large birds pecking at the ground strutting along. They had long legs and a body length of several feet. Every so often they’d stop, stretch out their necks, heads looking upward and let out that blasting screech.

It was then that I saw it ambling along, some distance behind them. Now it all made sense. There was a much smaller version of the two birds…a baby. Had these parents been anxiously calling their dawdling offspring to pick up the pace?

I wondered…

They crossed the quiet street and strutted through my yard, out to the wire fence and joined a few wandering steer in the pasture.
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This article has been read 543 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Rachel Rudd
05/10/18
You did a good job of describing all the sounds. It sounds very noisy! You use some of those ”salsa” words and phrases which make the writing more interesting (like “they seemed to compelled to comment”). It would have been great to have a stronger conclusion that “wrapped things up more.”Thank you for sharing and keep writing!
C D Swanson 
05/11/18
Well done, I enjoyed this.

Blessings~
Taryn Deets
05/11/18
I like this description of the dogs, makes them almost human-like (which every dog owner knows they are), "Sitting in their lanais, surveying their kingdom they seem to be compelled to comment on every truck, motorcycle or life form that passes by." Great use of descriptive language!
Cassandra Leighton
05/15/18
A great cacophany of noise! Well done. As we get older noise can seem quite annoying at times but you managed to inject a good note of curiosity and satisfaction with the wildlife noises, in particular. And I learnt a new word (our dialect differences!) I never knew what a lanai was until I looked it up. Thanks.