(Arrived at Sit Spot 11/22/19 at 12:30)

Today was the first time I was outside with rain in my sit spot. I usually was outside when the weather was warm, like the beginning of the year, or cold, like sit spot number 5 was. It was cool but not enough to shiver or feel cold. The air also smelled like wet leaves from the fallen, dead leaves accumulating small pools of water. It was a true smell of fall. Overall, I don’t think I missed much last time. I made sure to take in all of my surroundings and accurately write them in my journal

My three things I followed; the stream, the large dead tree stump, and the newly cut down tree had subtle differences. The one I thought had changed more than the others was the stream. Looking at it, I could see the water level had drastically declined despite the rain/drizzle. If anything, I would guess it was a recent change because the grass on the bank was all laid down as if water had run over it, suggesting the water level was as high as the bank. There were also no animals about except the pond skaters who skated around especially slow today. From the large stump to my left, it and the small trees that grew from it were about dead. For the first time I noticed that the center of the stump was completely hollow. Could I not see it because of the trees growing over it? I wonder what animals made use of the wood? Did birds or deer use it? Or was it simply the bugs that lived within it carving out the bark? Lastly, the smaller stump was about the same, but moss had grown in it. With the recent moisture, I could say that the moss had an easy time growing onto the dead stump.

In closing my eyes for the first five minutes, I didn’t really hear anything besides the faint sounds of an occasional crow or two and the slow gurgling of the stream. There was also the faint wind and the sound of the drizzle as it touched down on the grass, leaves, and stream. Opening my eyes weren’t too much of a difference except the sound isn’t as intense because I was now using my sense of sight. The only difference was the various shades of brown I saw as leaves went through various stages of decomposition. There was also the dark green color of the grass.

For the square meter of habitat I chose to observe, there wasn’t much activity really. I chose to watch the inside of the dead stump, something I hadn’t noticed in the past. Besides the dead trees growing from the side of the bark sticking into my sides and hair, nothing really happened. I saw evidence of maybe ants burrowing through the bark from the evidence of the various holes and accumulation/clumps of wood pieces that looked similar to dirt. I also noticed how the wood on the inside of the stump was finely grounded up, as if it were dirt. Touching it after the time revealed it to be wood but it was interesting how rain and organisms played a great role in decomposition and in the making of a functioning ecosystem! `

(Left Sit Spot at 1:30)