The Sounds of the Summer

Since the Windows Media Player to iTunes migration that inspired the previous blog entry (Burn It: 'Songs to Fall Asleep to') I've been listening to a lot of glorious and illegally downloaded music, from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, to Prince & the Revolution, Joss Stone and The Libertines, not of course performing together, but wouldn't that be a treat for the ears? Then, when a 'fatal exception' error message occurred - probably a reaction to the Joss Stone/Libertines pairing - I was forced to restart my computer and for a brief moment the juggernaut that is my MP3 collection came to a halt and I was left alone with only those sounds emanating through my open window; sounds inextricably bound to those few months in the middle of the year that this hemisphere calls summer.

Today that distant sound of the good people of the world mowing their lawns was but a few feet away, somewhat deafening and a bittersweet reminder that the smell of newly cut grass, once a calling card to the summer holidays of my youth, is now Kryptonite to the allergy sufferer that I have become. Nevertheless, through itchy eyes and running nose, I appreciated the familiar and harmonic sounds of man taming nature, albeit with a lowered rotating blade, and the great machines of flight, birds and aeroplanes, both of which can be heard chirping and humming through the white striped, blue skies.

Why is it that you hear more aeroplanes in the summertime? Is it because you just have more time/make more time to lay on the grass and stare up at the skies? Is it because the skies are clearer, and sound travels better? Or am I being stupid, and do people just take more trips in their planes in the summer?

By act of coincidence, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's 'Summertime' has shuffled its way to the top of my playlist and it's just occurred to me that none of these points are raised by the Philadelphia duo. In fact, my summers are rarely like that rendered by the song:

It's late in the day and I ain't been on the court yet
Hustle to the mall to get me a short set
Yeah I got on sneaks but I need a new pair
Cause basketball courts in the summer got girls there

And actually, that is a good point. I haven't been to the court yet. Well, I'm off. See you tomorrow.