Date: 11/20/19

Temperature: 11 degree Celsius

Humidity: 56%

As I walked towards my sit spot like I always do I tried to make notice of the changes in the trees since the last time. I had already viewed the previous pictures I had on my phone and looking at everything now, I see a dramatic change. Almost all the trees are empty. I say almost because of those rare leaves still hanging on, waiting to be blown by the wind. Another thing I notice as I approached my sit-spot was the absence of the flowing stream that I heard last time. Scared that the water may be dry again, I walked quickly to see that it was there, but it is more like a pond now because it is not flowing. No wonder it was quiet! The grasses next to the stream looked drier than the last visit. As I approached the rock I usually sit on, I was able to notice the entire stream floor covered in litter.  While focusing on this and my object of focus I missed the still green plant on my right which was standing out among the dead trees around it; it was fascinating how green it still was. I then continued observing my tree of focus and then noticed the tree next to it as well. I almost missed it at first but the more I looked at it the more I realized that it somehow looked smaller. Soon, I notice the fallen branches on the ground around it; no wonder it looked smaller. Finally, I looked up to the sky and noticed that it was cloudy with white and Gray clouds spread across.

My tree of focus has not changed from last observation. But looking at the pictures I took during the summer, I can see changes in the lower branches as it has less leaves now.  Looking at the trunk, it looks unchanged from afar but when I got close and observed it, I saw that it was filled with soil and fallen leaves and still had no insects buzzing around it but I wondered where the soil came from. I then guessed it could be due to the leaf litters decomposing within it, so I found that interesting. My other tree of focus, the one to my left, which I previously described as the one with leaves hanging on, hasn’t changed that much either; however, lower branches have lost their leaves but the top ones still remain. Looking at the surrounding after viewing the pictures made me realize how much has changed through the seasons. The once bright and sunny environment is now turning dark and lifeless.

I listened to my surrounding with my eyes opened. First, I could hear birds chirping in the far distance and then the low whistle of the wind. Keeping my eyes open proved to be more distracting for me because I found myself focusing on the activities going on around me. I focused on the leaves as they fall to the ground and focused on the stream as the surface keeps rippling. Then I tried listening with my eyes closed for 5 minutes and found it much easier to concentrate. I couldn’t hear insects or sounds of the streams since it was no longer flowing. I could not hear the leaves rustling as the wind blows since almost all the leaves are now gone, but I could hear the birds. I heard 3 different bird sounds difficult to explain in words how they sound, but I don’t know what birds they belong to. Maybe soon I will be able to identify birds based on their sounds.

My chosen spot for observing for the next 10 minutes was the stream in front of me I can see the clear water over the layers of leaves inside. Some floating, some stuck to the edges or the rocks at the bottom, each different colors and different species.  They’re decomposing, each at its own rate.  I saw ripples on the surface but couldn’t see any water striders.  Then I thought it could be due to raindrops or even something small dropping, but the ripples had a path as if something was traveling or moving across them. I got closer to see what was moving but still couldn’t see anything. I wondered if it could be microscopic, but then would it cause a ripple this visible? I found it odd! As I got closer though, I did notice algae starting to grow on the rocks underwater causing a green murky look. I didn’t understand that it was algae at first because it was a translucent green floating substance near the rock. This was different from what I was used to. I also noticed thin film of oil looking things floating near the leaves of some. I wonder what they are. I am still unable to predict what they are but assumed that it could be the waxy substances of the leaves. Among the leaf letters that have covered this stream ground, I tried to look for the Sweetgum fruit that I had seen last time. I was finally able to spot it under one of the leaves still green as it was last time. I found that it had not decomposed yet and that was a bit surprising because I expected it to be like the other Sweetgum fruit on the ground, already turned Brown and lifeless, but this was still thriving. Above the stream are some dried grass that ran along on either side. There are also dried stems of the plants that used to exist. I also wanted to know if insects started appearing in the stream since there were none last night so I got as close as I could and so that there were indeed some insects now near the rocks that were submerged. I couldn’t get a clear view to identify them, but they were small.

As I sat and took everything in, I appreciated the ever changing nature I found around me. I always have something to discover here and find a place to just clear my mind no matter what. As I listened to the squirrels, i remembered the times they i saw them running around for food, oblivious to my presence. It’s always amusing to watch them to what they do. My appreciation for nature has increased tremendously since coming here. I have been really good at silencing my mind and looking for the little things.  And I believe this meticulousness will be helpful in other areas of my life. I can’t wait to see my sit spot once it is covered with snow and everything is white.

Time, I left sit spot 4:32 PM