Sarah Barnett

Blog #3

10-13-19

Start time: 4:40pm

End time: 5:25 pm

Bundled up in a warm jacket I crunched over the Autumn leaves as I approached my sit spot that was much colder than last time I left it. The sky was mostly clear with a few strands of clouds spread across it. The temperature was about 63º F and the wind was blowing through my hair and into the trees. As I sat and listened there were many sounds, I could make out. The first of them was the familiar sound of the crickets, however they seemed to be creating a hum with their chirps. They sounded like a multitude, but I was unable to locate any of them. Each time I am in my sit spot I play my own little game called “let’s see if I can find a cricket”, but the usual result is failure and so it was this time as well. The ghost crickets remained in their hiding places where I’m sure they are content. Following the crickets, I heard the crows in the tree who made it hard to ignore their caws. They cawed several times and were gone, traveling to their next destination. I then heard a woodpecker in the distance. I wondered if it was the same one from my last journal entry? I only heard the woodpecker a few times throughout my time, but it was still a nice sound to hear. As the leaves rustled and swayed in the wind, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the cold air, my mind was finally relaxed.

I decided to face my original direction as my first entry (facing East), because it gives me a better view of my three objects that will be observing in each journaling. To my left (Northeast) I see the small bamboo stalk that seemed to be taller than the last time I saw it. In my last visit it had reached up to my mid-thigh but now stretched to the waistline of my pants. The stalk like the many others in my spot, seemed unaffected by the dryness of my sit spot and was still a beautiful shade of green. Next, to my right (Southeast), sat the small tree sprout that had “blood splattered” leaves. The plant looked sad, it only had a handful of leaves left and the trunk of it was completely bare. The red spots had not consumed the leaves as I had predicted but looked the same as before. I researched these spots and found that it is a disease in plants called black rot. Black rot is a fungal infection that causes the plant to decay and eventually die. It is mostly common in fruit trees such as apple trees and will cause the plant’s fruit to shrivel up after entering its pores. This brought me sadness because I now know that the young tree has a low chance of thriving through the winter. Lastly, I look up and see the comforting cover of the tree canopy. It looks just as full as last time; however, the leaves are green with shades of red, orange, and yellow splotches. I see the broad limb of the sycamore tree, its bark peeling and shedding. The canopy sways in the breeze showing me its new color scheme.  I decided to add a fourth observance as I looked down to the ground. It was covered in leaves, more so than last time. I’m going to watch the ground and these leaves and see how they are manipulated by the weather and natural decomposition.

While writing in my journal I notice a small black spot traveling on one of the pages. As I looked closely, I saw that it was a small black beetle. At first glance I thought it was a flea but now I am unsure what it was. It had six legs and an ovular body similar to a stink bug. I tried doing research to find out what it was but was unsuccessful. Now while I enjoy seeing insects and bugs, I am not a fan of them being on me. So, after snapping a picture of Mr. Beetle I sent him on his way with a small tap-tap of my journal against the ground. Not long after this visit a moth fluttered past me and landed in a bunch of branches and debris. It was small and white but had a simple elegance to it. After disappearing in the debris and resting there for a moment it floated away behind me. It would be so interesting to me to see the world from the perspective of something so small like the beetle or moth.

After seeing the debris of the tree branches and leaves that the moth landed in I noticed how dry the trees around me appeared. The brown grass was crunchy and dry from the lack of rain. I wondered if the small stream that ran through my sit spot was still plentiful with water. I decided to walk over to it only to find that it is completely dried up. I wondered how this affected the wildlife in this area and the organisms that once lived in it.

Walking back over to my seat I sat for a few more minutes before my timer went off. I must say at the beginning of this journal entry I struggled to calm my mind as I found myself thinking about all the many things I had to do and the homework waiting for me back in my room, but after immersing myself in my sit spot my mind was calmed and I was able to enjoy this spot that was become a frequently visited and personal area.