The vuvuzelas have gone silent,
But still he yells and squawks …
At all hours of the day and night.
But then …
One morning, I sat – at dawn – and listened to the Imam at the nearby mosque chanting the morning call to prayer.
So peaceful.
And it struck me:
No rooster noise.
Oh, how I worried.
All was well, he woke at midday.
I guess I’ll miss him when he’s gone.
I believe it’s possible for roosters to live for upwards of thirty years.
Photograph by my neighbour Hedwig Barry
RELATED POST:
http://theonlycin.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/fifa-2010-the-madness-begins/
As always, sharp, insightful, evocative.
I’m getting quite attached to him
Waiting alone in the dark at 6am for a bus, nervously scanning the street and having one squawk raucously from the house behind me does not endear them to me at all!
Mind you, by the time my heart settles down into it’s regular rhythm again, I’m wide awake and bushy-tailed!
Morning Cin.
Morning Shorty!
I grew to love the early morning crowing of the roosters and would love to live within earshot of one again! Lucky you, Cin.
Yes, lucky me
I have been living here in Australia for the last 10 years and since I left Somerset West….I have not heard ONE rooster!!!…can’t wait for October!! Your mind and writing’s captivating and always so very interesting!! Enjoy your Sunday my dearest friend xx
October … woot woot, bring it on
Enjoy your evening, it’s a glorious day; perfect for a snoek braai.
Sleep tight
Grrrrr…bugger…where’s mine???? Toemaar…een van die dae…kannie wag nie!! xx
Ek ook nie
He’s such a fine looking rooster too.
Yes, handsome little devil
What a beautiful bird!
With the early morning hours you keep, I’m surprised it’s not YOU waking HIM, rather than vice versa! : )
I have thought of sneaking up on him while he’s sleeping
we had one of them in the downstairs apartment, one of the two-legged kind – I mean, the other two-leggeds… forever crowing about his pet rats, he was, and the wild one running around out there, the alpha male; always sounded envious when he talked about the alpha male… I have to stop, I’m confusing myself
Had to look up vuvuzelas, had a listen on wiki… I can see that it would get a bit much at a soccer match with – how many of those, um, instruments? Makes me appreciate roosters more too, at least they have a bit of a repertoire.
The noise of the vuvuzelas en masse is quite something!
Dignified, vigilant and 98% reliable.
It’s that little 2% though …
For years I woke to a rooster on one of the adjoing properties…but alas I believe the coyotes finally tracked him down…enjoyed your post.
mmm … no coyotes around here …
My daughter had a rooster …. that was up until about two months ago … a neighbour complained to the Metro Poice and we got a call from them one night complete with official police complaint letter. That Friday we took him to my sister’s maid who welcomed him with open arms. It took three of us to catch him
Fortunately, we still have the chickens.
Oh my word Sue, as if the police don’t have enough on their plate; what a mean neighbour
Reminded me of the song “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”..
Sometimes the most annoying of noises/sounds/events become so much a part of life, that you almost fear missing them… Funny are the ways of life… no?
I’m with Kavita on this one …