The Storm that Never Came

This soundscape is a little sonic postcard from our latest family holiday. Like most summers, we seek out quiet places, far from everything, usually in the South of France. The picture in the background was taken during one of our short hikes, about an hour's walk from the bergerie where we were staying. This summer was brutal. A heatwave had settled over Europe for weeks, and everyone was simply waiting for the sky to finally break.

One evening, it felt close. You could feel it in the air before hearing anything. Then the wind woke up. Behind it came distant thunder, rolling in from somewhere beyond the hills. But it was dry thunder. The rain never came.

An old linden tree on the property has a remarkable voice when the wind moves through it. Nearby, a stand of poplars trembles in a way that sounds uncannily like rainfall, close enough to fool you if you close your eyes.

So, the storm itself never arrived. Just the ghost of a storm, carried by the wind, whispering through the linden and the poplars. A small memory from our family summer holiday, from me to you.

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