things that go bump in the night…and day

every so often there is a slightly metallic thump coming from somewhere in the thick growth. the first night here, i couldn’t quite figure it out. my first guess was that someone in the neighborhood was collecting and recycling. the noise sounds similar to the crunch of aluminum cans i heard at night in berkeley as roaming scavengers poached recycling from the bins.
that was a guess prejudiced from prior experience. it turns out the thump is from branches, nuts, and fruits falling from the trees and landing on corrugated metal roofs.
in other metal roof news, last night was the first time it has rained while i was in the house. i awoke to the unfamiliar sound of a hard rain falling. it took me a moment to get my bearings and realize where this great white noise was coming from. once i knew it was the sound of thousands of drops drumming on the roof, i fell back into a deep sleep.