Have you ever noticed the quiet times of the year? Nature seems to be at ease, with little movement of birds and other wildlife. This is that time of year.

When I walked outside this morning, the first thing I noticed was the silence. No birds chirping, no rabbits in the yard, everything was so very still and quiet. This hush happens several times during the year out here in the country, but mostly I've noticed these times of stillness in the last month of summer, approaching fall.

A few birds did come to eat the grain I threw out this morning, and I heard a couple of sparrows chirping. As I walked up the driveway to collect my morning paper, a lone cottontail jumped out of the nearby bushes and ran for cover under the mesquites.

A spider, having spun its web on the porch, is now awaiting a meal to fall into the trap. I snapped a picture and watched it shake the web, protesting the disturbance. A warm, gentle breeze caresses my face. A beetle crawls along the sidewalk looking for a hideaway for the day. The fighter jets can be heard overhead as the Air Force goes about their training. I can hear the roar of distant traffic from the highway.

After the recent rains, the brown grass is once again green and I've had to mow the whole yard... a chore I welcome from the dry summer of no mowing. All too soon, winter will arrive with its cold wind blowing in from the north, and the grass will turn brown again.

Meanwhile I enjoy the quiet times, awaiting the return of the migrating birds, the sound of Sandhill Cranes circling above, moving to their winter location. I listen for the first ones each fall and again in the spring, watching through binoculars at their grace and beauty, loving the sound. But, that's another story.

This quiet time of year is like waiting in anticipation for something exciting to happen. Shhh... Everyone be quiet, listen... Listen to the peaceful silence.

Nature takes a brief break from "busyness" before beginning the rush to winter planning. So we take a break from everyday life to be at one with nature, a time to pause and reflect. This is the place to be -- at peace -- in the knowledge that this is yet another gift from God.