We like having our windows open as much as we can, which means our sonic environment includes all the outdoor sounds. Welcome sounds consist mostly of birds and weather; most of the other sounds we hear are man-made, and range from unobtrusive to obnoxious. And because I work at home, I hear a lot of stuff that I would miss if I were elsewhere during the daytime.

Here's a pretty complete list of what I frequently hear:

• trash truck at 4:30am - 3-4 times a week
• lawnmowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers
• medevac helicopters - we're about a mile as the crow flies from a major hospital
• distant traffic - we're less than a mile from I-80, and half a mile from several major city streets
• trains - tracks about half a mile from us
• doors slamming, patio sliding doors, etc.
• cars: starting, motoring, doors slamming, beepers and horns, and the occasional alarm
• dogs barking
• golfers, carts, mowers on the adjacent golf course
• irrigation on the golf course, often in the evenings
• construction - hammers, saws, lift buckets
• garage ventilation fans
• distant airmovers on campus - there is a building with large cooling towers on it a mile from here
• air conditioner fans

Though I like where I'm living in Iowa City, I am also looking forward to being in places where the soundscape is all-natural. I like the peace.