The music of maple seeds

October 1: On this perfect Sunday afternoon I was sitting on my stone patio reading but became aware of wondrous gentle sounds all around me. Pings and ticks of maple seeds being blown against all surfaces–the patio rocks, the metal standing seam roof, the fabric of the patio umbrella, the plastic cover on our greenhouse, the metal seats of our patio chairs, the ceramic surface of a green frog statue. I put down my book, closed my eyes, and simply listened. The breeze pushing through vegetation created an undulating chord of sound and in the distance, a neighbor’s mower provided a base note. Each maple seed with its wing twirled and danced as it played its part in the symphony.