My style of country music

I have heard the sounds of country music all day long, but I find it heartening to hear that more and more folks are coming home to the pleasures of good ol’ country music, North Idaho style.

It’s not surprising to me that people should take a shine to such natural, wholesome sounds. I only wonder why it took so long to catch on. Why, just this morning I listened to three of my favorite songs, all big hits hereabouts:

“Tut, tsip-tsip-tsip, squee-squee-squee, chirr-chirr-chirr.”

“Conk-er-Eee.”

“Cooo-OOOO-woo-woo-woo.”

When folks ask me, “Who is your favorite country singer?” I’m quick to reply. It’s the fellow with the angel-like voice who sings “Tut, tsip-tsip-tsip, squee-squee-squee, chirr-chirr-chirr” — the American robin.

Everyone is quick to recognize this country star. He wears an orange-breasted shirt with a big black cap and black cape over his shoulders. He likes to strut on the lawn like it is center stage as he sings his songs. I find him out beside most lawns in the mornings crooning repeatedly.

Another country favorite is red-winged blackbird, an instrumentalist who plays the reedy “Conk-er-Eee” out among the marsh cattails. He’s a renegade type of country musician, hanging out with low-lifes like starlings, and cowbirds. There’s no excusing his lifestyle, but I still respect his music.

Among the country gals, I have a profound weakness for the sweet, clear voice of Mourning Dove. She doesn’t sing very often, but I’ve heard her “cooo-OOOO-woo-woo-woo” floating across the fields just before dawn on a summer’s morning and when her cousin the Eurasian Dove chimed in with “Koo-KOO-kook” it brought tears to my eyes.

There are lots of other country singers and songs that I listen to, of course, like the black capped chickadee's “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee” melody and Western Tanager’s “Pik-itik.” A flock of American goldfinches came through the other day and filled the trees with a medley of trills.

Our place, in fact, seems to have landed a spot on the country music concert circuit. Many evenings we get to hear the “Arooo-ahh-wooo-awooooooo!” of coyotes down by the Kootenai River or the deep-throated “Ker-r-r-r-rock” of frogs by the river and ponds. Crickets and beetles, whether you want them to or not, will add a line of percussion.

Not to be left out, a fox squirrel chimes in with his bushy tail wagging, foot stomping and his melodious chorus of “tsik-tsik-tsik-tsik, chrrrr, siew-siew-siew-siew.” And who could forget the ending chorus with the shrill cries and moans of “Kuks” and “guas” before the soft finish “muk-muk-muk!”

A black topped, blue coated Steller’s Jay flew by and landed in a tall Ponderosa pine and chimed in with his harsh nasal sound of “Shook-shook-shook-shook”. Not to be outdone by his cousin, a Blue Jay harmonized with his ear splitting “Jeer-jeer-jeer, thief-thief-thief, keeee-yuuuu.”

And not to be excelled by a family of corvids the magpie standing on a near-by fencepost reverberated with “Wock, wock, wock-a-wock, wock, pjur weer, weer.” Irritated, the crows just flew away with a “Caw, caw” and the Ravens followed with their “Kraa, kraa” still echoing in the air.

Not to be outdone we even have our own local amateur musicians, hoping for their big break on the country music scene. The neighbor’s hound, for instance, has been practicing night and day lately. He’s got that long, lonesome howl down real good, I must say. If he keeps it up I think I’ll buy him a one-way ticket to the “Grand Ole Opry.”