On spring nights at our house in Fleming, south of Auburn, we can hear lots of peepers from our back deck. For me, that's one of the best sounds in nature.

They also have an emotional resonance for me, because they mean a lot to my wife. She grew up in a rural area of New York, and peepers were important to her. Sometimes, when there's lots of them, it sounds like rhythmical chanting. That and the ambience of a spring night, the feeling of what lies ahead for the season—it's a wonderful experience.

The earth's nakedness at those moments evokes a kind of sensual feeling—almost sexual. It's the sense of the earth as a living beautiful thing. You can get the same feeling in other seasons, but for me, spring's the best.