It is really quiet

The weather has been pretty good, with only occasional rain, and mild
temperatures. One note regarding the weather -- we have rarely noticed any
wind.

Another environmental note, about sound. It is quiet. I mean, quiet.
Outside, the forest muffles sound -- perhaps especially while it is so wet
-- and yet we do hear the horns of the occasional cars approaching the several blind curves on the road above our house, and we do hear the kids on the dorm basketball court 200 meters away. But otherwise, there is so
little noise at night. And inside our stone house, the quiet is amazing.
For the first time in the four years I've owned my iPod, I can hear its
hard-drive spin when it starts. And my nifty noise-suppressing headphones: in
our house, when I turn on the noise-suppression circuit, it produces a noticeable hissing sound!

Here's the view from the road down to our house