Sound report: June 22

This evening I was supposed to go Peggy’s to watch Brecken and Jeramy do some slaying at Trivia Night, but right out my door it seemed like a night for something more contemplative. With the sun lighting up the town and heavy brooding clouds threatening to the South East, Trivia Night and tonic water seemed the lesser option. Approaching Peggy's and hearing a question about personal income tax, I peeked in but seeing the joint full, took the opportunity to wheel a quick 45 degrees and amble down to the riverbank.

By the time I found a log end to squat on, the evening light had turned grey-blue from the towering clouds traveling north up the valley. With three days left I’m feeling the pressure to catalogue those things I can’t take with me. Accordingly, here’s my list of sounds from the Confluence of The Klondike and Yukon Rivers at 2245 on June 22.

• The Shallows of the confluence downriver
• Waves lapping on the pebbles
• That previously mentioned songbird
• A squawking gull harassing a Bald Eagle (a coup to watch)
• The distant talk of four teenagers upriver
• An ATV on the edge of town
• The ferry, just barely audible

This is a pretty ideal ratio on the down side of the levee. The town, out of view is almost out of mind. The human noises are tertiary at best and the river’s life takes over. The clouds maintain their quiet drama while the green of the Klondike slices sharply into the muddiness of The Yukon.