Sit Spot in the Dark
Rebekah’s Private Cove: Sit-Spot #5
Time to share about my fifth expedition at my sit-spot! This time, I came at a time I had never been to before: the night time. I chose this time because I am typically too tired to get up early in the morning, yet I am extremely busy during the evening with my activities and homework. Not only this, I decided I also wanted to choose a time that would challenge me, yet not be too overwhelming depending on my schedule. However, on this particular evening, I had finished all of my homework early and decided this would be the perfect time to visit my private cove, despite the cold and darkness.
During the time at my sit spot, I found it to be a very different experience than my previous visits. This time, I had to bundle up, bring a head lamp, and make sure I had something soft to sit on. Without these things, I would not have been able to complete my sit-spot! The weather was fairly cold, it felt as if the air was stagnant and chilled. Also, the nighttime sky was clear with no clouds in sight, yet the stars were not visible unfortunately. Upon my arrival, I noticed one very large change; the decayed log was gone!
New Location of the Decayed Log
I had assumed it was washed down the creek during the intense rain, and all that was left was the indentation of where the log had been, leaving a muddy crater. The next day, I decided to go downstream until I found it, and it had ended up about a tenth of a mile downstream, mainly on the west bank. I was amazed by how far it went.
Former Place of Decayed Log
Another change was the foliage on the ground. Instead of being colorful, the majority of the leaves were now brown and crunchy, more frequently littering the ground. Overall, the tree limbs were more barren, with many hanging limply. Also, from the rain, the creek water level was increased, as the edges of the rocks beds were submerged underwater. In relation to wildlife activity, I did not encounter any animals although I did hear crickets in the background.
This session differed from my previous sessions in multiple ways! Other than it obviously being at night, there were distinct differences that I had not experienced before. First, I noticed the grass had small dew droplets that formed at the top of the blades, and I could see them increase in size as my journaling continued. They were sparkled when my light hit the drops!
Grass with Dew
Also, the ground was very hard and stiff to sit on, so I was thankful to bring a blanket! In comparison to my last session, I was definitely colder and did not observe as much as I did during the day. During this session, I did not experience any wildlife activity, which I believe was due to it being nighttime, because many of my typical species are diurnal. This may also be because the weather is significantly colder than my previous sit-spot, which means they are less active overall. Both times, I heard crickets, but this time, the cricket’s chirps were definitely more dulled.
This sit spot was definitely a new experience for me, mainly because it was a complete opposite time of day. While my upper body was bundled up, my toes started becoming numb from the cold as the night continued. I could even see my breath escape from the top of my mask! Even with my headlamp and after my eyes adjusted to the dark, I still had trouble making out exact details of my sit-spot, which made it a bit more difficult than usual to journal. Although it was a good experience to move me out of my comfort zone, I am not sure I would choose this time again due to the cold and sitting in the dark woods alone.
Do you think you would do this again at night at a different location that wasn’t so cold or the in woods?
This is actually really creepy to me but also really cool because I know this is the time where a lot of animals and insects are still active, we just can’t see them. Great job being able to focus in the dark, I know I struggle with that. Great photos!
Hi Rebekah! I loved reading about your experience at your sit-spot session. I found it fascinating how you were able to focus and look at specific details when it was so cold around you. I enjoyed learning about the changes you found within your sit-spot including the creek level, the decayed log, the water droplets on the blades of the grass, and the leaves you saw. I think it’s really interesting how much a sit-spot experience can change based on the time of day you arrive. I liked your photos and how clearly you described them. Overall, I found it amazing that you were able to stay at your sit-spot for some time and notice differences in your surrounding environment.
I find it interesting that even in your spot, you didn’t spot many animals, which was the case with my 4th session as well. However, I did not hear any insects when I visited during the night. It would be interesting to see if the lack of animals was due to the weather or not.