Emmaline’s blog 5 – 11/4/2020, 4:18-5:05 pm  (Dusk)

For sit-spot #4 I observed from 10:01-11:03am (Day-Time)

I decided to come to my sit-spot at this time of day because of simple yearning and the time to do so. When I arrived around 4pm, the sun had started it’s descent and was due to set around 5pm. I had not come this time of day before, because I do believe I feared my sit-spot being so near foot traffic, mixed with the large percent of night owl tendency inclined college students, would not work all too well. However, I am more than glad I decided to come this time of day (dusk) on the whim of having enough time and it being almost exactly an hour before sunset. I am most definitely an early bird, but I now understand the owl’s love of evening and night.

Green Liquid Gold

The weather today while at my sit-spot had me so utterly at peace and relaxed, I felt for once, I never wanted to leave. I felt I could cry. Why? I am not too sure. I think it now, like something being so wound up, so tight, nothing can come in nor out. But when that finally starts to loosen up, even juts a little, everything that was built-up is released. For the first time since coming here, I did not have this unease, while being still. I found an old part of myself I felt I lost nearly four months ago. But onto the actual weather, I suppose. There was slight breeze that kissed my face gently, chasing away the loneliness that creeps in at times of stillness. It felt cooling and kind against the warm sky. Of the sky, there was not a cloud in sight, and the colors, a thousand shades of blue, I couldn’t name. The breeze that picked up here and there made itself known in shushing leaves that rattled a bit, due to the dying season.

A Great Balding Tree ;(

Of the little creatures I spot and hear, here and there, this sit-spot session was most definitely different than coming in, in the morning. As I had gotten to my sit-spot with the setting sun, I witnessed a most large flock of small black birds west of me, that moved as one with the wind, in an intricate dance I could not hope to follow as they swooped, separated, regrouped, and swooped again. There was also an abundance more of bird calls I could not name now, as I heard the many different calls when I was settling in to my senses, like a dog shaking off a coat of fur in spring. An interesting observation, is when I first got to my spot, there were many sounds and all was lively, but, by 4:50pm I heard not a peep, but from the lone cricket and the always persistent rumble of cars. This must be due to approaching night and the threat of predators emerging from their sunlit sleep.

A Pure Evening

Some changes in my sit-spot from the last time, nearly a week ago, was oddly great in amount. Most everything was now dead, or nearly dead, as well as the crumbly, clay like dirt was showing much more, making me feel I was sitting on frost. The tree is still slowly balding, and it is noticeable I fear. My poor ever-talked-about canopy no longer does much for me, besides providing a slight music and a bit of shade.

My Ever-Changing Place

Comparing this sit-spot to the last, I feel unfair, as this sit-spot is incomparable to any other, I’m afraid. In my journal, I wrote, “Even now as I write, my hand is glimmering in pure gold that free’s my soul and brings peace inside and out; I feel restored.” This session made me feel blessed to be alive and thank the Lord for the beauty I was witness to. Something from this session I did not expect was the large flock of birds as well as the joy that came along with it. I’ve known, I tend to be more anxious in the mornings here, so to be able to sit still and not feel a creeping unease and misplaced guilt was wondrous; truly. This experience made me thankful for the sit-spot assignment, especially where I felt I had the time to do it. Some changes, are, indeed good.