Morning Sounds

When we think of our time at Woodstock, there are many visual memories, and of course many smells as well. But today I was very conscious of the sounds.

As I awoke fairly early, I heard the song of the whistling thrush. I am not a bird expert (they usually move away too quickly for me to spot and identify them), but this sound is one that I especially associate with Mussoorie. I can remember monsoon mornings when the rain stopped for a while and the thrushes sang loudly. The song is difficult to describe -- it is quite long and goes up and down in pitch randomly. I found these two links on the internet from Kashmir and Bhutan. The one I hear isn't exactly like this, but it's quite close. The first has a picture and the second doesn't, but one may work better for you than another (I think the second is closer to the sound I hear).

About 7:45 a musical ensemble starts warming up and practicing in the quad area. Band and orchestra alternate. And now the practice rooms are also in the quad area, above the old "Drill Hall." Those sounds were all familiar when we were here in the 60s and 70s and sound the same today.

At 8:30 the elementary school bell rings -- yes, it is still a long steel bar struck multiple times to summon the kids. This morning they all sang "Jana Gana Mana" before proceeding into their classrooms. I don't think they do this every day.