The continuous, changing soundtrack of our life can be heard in the present.

SOUNDSCAPES are short – usually about 30 seconds – audio recordings of different experiences along our journey. Not only are these recordings easier to make and to upload than video, but the sound-only experience I find to be more visceral, evocative and, surprisingly, more intimate than video. This page offers an additional – if somewhat quirky – way to share our trip with others. Just click on the links below.

LAKE SUPERIOR
The gentle lapping waves of the giant lake. I was sitting near the water’s edge on the beautifully pebbled shore, gazing out to the horizon of this ocean of a lake. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, UP, MI.
http://carlabrennan.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/lake-superior.mov

KAYAKING ON LAKE KINGSTON, MI
What is the sound of one paddle slapping? I was kayaking alone on a clear sunny day across Lake Kingston, Superior State Forest, UP, MI
http://carlabrennan.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/kayaking-lake-kingston.mov

RAIN POUNDING THE CAMPER
Try sleeping to this! Several days of downpours, some light, and others – like this recording – hammering the metal shell of the camper. Fort Wilkins State Park, Copper Harbor, UP, MI.
http://carlabrennan.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/rain-on-camper.mov

THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER
A dramatic wild river with cliffs, islands and boulders, with surf and boils, waves and eddies, foam and froth. We could hear its roar 1/2 mile away in the campground. I added a little narrative.
ST. LOUIS RIVER 2

HERMIT THRUSH
The song of the hermit thrush is one of my favorite sounds of nature. A haunting melody coming from the deep silence of the forest. This thrush was nearby as I hiked a trail in Jay Cooke State Park, MN.
HERMIT THRUSH

CAMP FIRE
Who can resist the warmth, glow, and crackle of a camp fire? Chris and I sat by the fire in silence as the darkness around us deepened. Stars and fireflies lit the sky.  Jay Cooke State Park, MN
CAMP FIRE

NORTHERN PACIFIC TRAIN
We stayed at a motel across the street from grain elevators and the Northern Pacific Railway in Dickinson, ND. Numerous trains came by each day. (At the end of the recording you can hear our motel room door closing.)
TRAIN

GET ALONG LITTLE DOGIES
No, we weren’t on a cattle drive but it sounded like it. In South Dakota at Bear Butte State Park we were camped near cattle pastureland. Everyday the herd would walk by mooing, bellowing, lowing and making other weird sounds. I am amused every time I listen to them.
Cows

RED SQUIRREL HAS A MELT DOWN
This red squirrel at the Amphitheater Campground near Ouray, CO was loudly insistent that I not pass his tree even though I had to pass it on way to the bathroom. Red squirrels will come close and chatter excitedly when they think you are where you shouldn’t be. I hope his blood pressure didn’t get too high.
RED SQUIRREL

BUBBLING BROOK
What could be more soothing than the sound of a small, clear mountain stream? This little brook was near our campsite at 10,500 feet in the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming. Its shores were covered with lush green growth and many wildflowers.
BROOK

EVENING CRICKETS, GENTLE RAIN
As the sun lowered in the sky, the sound of crickets grew louder. Just as I started recording a soft rain began. We were in a pinyon-juniper forest on the north rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
CRICKETS-RAIN