Monday, July 27, 2009

Remembering sound


The white coneflower and the Rudbeckia maxima right next to the beehive have never stood so tall. Is it the sound of buzzing coming from deep inside the hive that prompts them to grow so happily?



The first day that the hive was in the garden, I stood close to it and listened to the buzzing. I’d heard that buzz before – constant, insistent, low. I was transported back to my childhood – a foggy distant memory of Grandpa George and his beehives.
The hives were not in the small apple orchard that stood between our house and Grandpa and Grandma’s house. They were in the far-off orchard that was tucked back beyond the grape yard. The bees were there to pollinate the orchard and grapes, I suppose; I don’t remember any harvest of honey. I do remember the buzzing and the heat of a summer’s day and riding with Grandpa in his old pickup.

Memory is connected with our senses and I’m often taken back on the wings of scent – the smell of apple blossoms, of cinnamon and yeast, of muguet de bois and Coppertone and line-dried sheets.


But the sounds of memory -- harder for me to summon up. I'm mulling this one over.
What are your sounds of memory?



5 comments:

carol said...

One of the sounds of memory that strike a chord with me is the sound of the train whistle. As kids we would run to the hill by grandma's house and wave to the engineer and the caboose man. To this day, I love the sound of the train whistle.

Merci-Notes said...

ooo, my favorite memory sounds are of the shores of Lake Michigan on the west side of Michigan.
Soft sounds actually of people laughing, waves breaking on the shore, gulls over head~ heaven.

Hugs,
Mary

Unknown said...

It is so odd that you would write on the subject of scent taking us back in time because that happened to me yesterday. My daughter and I were designing the centerpieces for her wedding tables. She brought along some green spider mums, I took one wiff and was carted back to high school! It was our school flower and for every special occasion we got mums! It sure is amazing that a scent can transport you back in time! :D

Wendy said...

When I hear calves bellowing in the pasture, I'm taken back to my childhood. I love to hear the calves and their mamas answering back. I enjoy watching newly born calves "get their legs" and once they've found them, frolick.

5 orange potatoes said...

What a beautiful post. Someday I hope to have some beehives. I LOVE bees, all types of bees, but boy does that honeybee make us some beautiful things!

Lisa :)