2:00 p.m. – Sat at sit-spot                                                                    Date: 10/12/19

2:30 p.m. – Journal entry

Temperature: 21⁰ C

Humidity: 60%

As I did my usual walk towards my sit-spot, I couldn’t help but notice how dramatically cooler it was from the last time I was here. Other times, by the time I sat down, I would be sweating a lot and annoyed at the heat that I would have to endure for the next hour or so. The weather was very comfortable that the time flew by before I knew it. I noticed the amount of dead leaves that were present on my first glance. There were a lot more than my last visit and as tried to look farther to my right (to the north), the ground was completely covered with dead leaves. The leaves that were turning red were now completely red and brown and it was beautiful to see. I was excited to see all these colors since this was my first autumn in the U.S; I’m really looking forward to the season of changing colors.  My dried-out water is still as dry as it was during my last visit, just covered with more leaves now. I wondered if a greater area has dried out or if somehow the little rain we got lately helped it out somehow. But I did notice that the white flower that was growing at the edge of this area has mostly dried out. The pink flower on the opposite side, which is to the right of me has completely dried out too. I was quite surprised by this because I thought the rain would help maintain it.

There were definitely more squirrels than last time, running around for food. As I approached my sit-spot at the beginning, I saw one and as I sat observing, I saw two more. One of them
looked at me straight ahead, turned around, searched for food and looked at me again.

It kept doing that as a way I think to determine if I was a threat so it could run away. The mosquitoes have decreased in number only two circling me this time, but they were the same tiger mosquitoes as last time. The spiders and ants are also still there but I did notice one spider which looked similar to the one I saw last time but was much bigger.  It was probably the same species. From my last research I know that a wolf spider’s diet includes ants, so I was surprised to see the ants and spiders passing by each other peacefully and I wandered why.

The sky was cloudy compared to the clear blue sky I observed during by 2 previous visits. It looked like it was going to rain actually because the clouds were grayish but there were no reports of rain from the weather reports I got earlier on my phone. I couldn’t never tell though with the unpredictable weather of Virginia. But it is definitely warmer than it was in the morning. Can the organisms around somehow sense the approaching rain? I could also hear a raven calling out nearby. The sound was coming from the north west direction and sounded really close, but I couldn’t see anything. It was soon joined by another raven call and the two sang their song for a while before flying off. The other sounds in the background were insects and other birds singing their own song.

My tree of focus had lost most of its leaves at the bottom and only a few remain on top. But what I found even more surprising was the tree next to it which has lost all its leaves and is empty. The cut tree trunk hasn’t changed at all from my last observation. During my last visit, out of curiosity, I had passed by it to see what it looked on top and found out that it had multiple holes/carved out patches within which a lot of tiny flying insects flew in and out. Now as I passed by and saw the top, it had only about 3 or 4 insects flying in and out. Did the weather play a part? My pine cone is also on the same spot with no noticeable changes except maybe for being a bit lighter in color, but I’m not so sure. I wish to follow it closely so I can notice changes better next time.

From the dried-up environment I could see how water played an important role in sustaining the lives of the aquatic organisms and plants around. Now that the water is gone, most of the plants are drying up at a fast rate. I kept thinking about how much energy they must need to control their stomata, so they don’t lose the water they obtain. Have they increased their root growth rate since last, to get water? I really hope they make it through the rough times. But I do see how the rain is so important to them now but somehow still not enough to keep them alive. It helps cool their environment and helps decrease their rate of transpiration.

I found a housefly sitting on a rock which I thought was rare around my area. I observed the fly for 5 minutes and during the entire time it didn’t move but sat at the same spot. It rubbed its two front legs together every few minutes and then proceeded to rub it over its body and head, the common “washing ritual” of a housefly. As I sat there watching it, I remembered the lessons I learned in high school bio about how whenever a fly does this it means it is cleaning its body. I found it funny how something we consider dirty cleans itself. I later googled and found out that it gets rid of physical and chemical detritus and clears up their smell receptors — all of which is important for flying, finding food, courting mates and just about everything that a fly does. As I approached it to take a picture, it didn’t fly away like other house flies do. It kept still as I got really close, making all the noises when I stepped on dry leaves; it eventually flew off much later. Could this immobility be due to the cold weather or old age?

My focus has improved each time I do my sit spot. I can now easily get into zone without having to struggle like the first time I did. I have found out that my appreciation for the nature around me has also increased. I find my time during these sit-spots a form of meditations where I can clear up my head and silence the inner voices just for a while, basking in the quiet peace. I didn’t have the urge to pull out my phone, except when I wanted to take pictures of something I’m observing. I did initially struggle with thoughts of unfinished tasks plaguing my mind, but they all disappeared as I focused on my surround. It was a much-needed break!

Time I left sit-spot: 3:30 p.m.

Comparison between now and the last visit with the white flower I saw.