Sound of Silence

Reliving his scouting days, my husband has the kids making sound maps -- or "ear maps," as my son calls them. From a shade-covered bench, I watch the cross-legged figures spread out on a grassy field in our neighborhood park, clipboards and pencils in hand.

The usual family buzz has been replaced by the simple sounds of nature and neighborhood life. A bee buzzing. A crow cawing. A horn honking. In the far-off distance, the faint sound of a pick-up basketball game can be heard.

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