Blog # 6

12-5-19

Start time: 10:40 am

End time: 11:25 am

Weather: 44º F, sunny, clear skies

As I sat with the warm sun on my face I looked around at my spot. Many things had changed making it look very different. First, I noticed that the great warrior trees in front of me were very bare and the smaller ones were knocked over. What battle have these soldiers been in? Did the wind push them over? Behind its protectors the stream trickled along. I was surprised how much water was in it since during my last visit it only contained a very small amount. Across the stream I could see the other side of trees as they moved and cracked in the breeze. There were several squirrels crunching in the leaves across from me as they searched for food. After noticing the amount of leaves on the other side I looked down around me and saw the multitude under my feet. Only this time there were several sprouts of grass hair and wild onion coming through the leaves. They joined the trees when the wind blew and swayed in unison. I looked to where the beautiful green leaves were last time and realized they were no where to be found. All of the fresh bright green leaves had shriveled up and become victims of the wind as well. Along with the leaves, I saw many pieces of tree bark on the ground. “This is so peaceful”, I think as I close my eyes and embrace the warmth of the sun beams and inhale the freshness of the breeze. Its always good to be back at my spot.

My three objects were awaiting my attention, so I traveled over to take a closer look at each one. The “blood splattered” plant sat bare, with no leaves as I had left it last time. I saw that it had grown more small branches which I found exciting. While walking over to my baby bamboo plant I gazed up at the very plain tree canopy. It was scrawny and dull but still somehow had a few leaves hanging on. The once full and colorful canopy is now brown and made of a network of limbs. The way the limbs are curved and intertwined reminded me of the nerve system in the human body. Lastly, my baby bamboo plant stood full and green. Its stalk was the same height, but its leaves and branches stretched high. It also looked fuller with more branches but continues to have white places on its leaves.

Sadly, when it came to the sky observation I had yet to realize that the sky was perfectly blue on this day. After watching the videos, I was ready to identify the clouds and their movement, but as I looked at the baby blue sky, I couldn’t find any clouds. It was a continuous stretch of solid coloring. I felt the breeze and analyzed with the help of a wild onion that the breeze was blowing North to South. I do wish I had been able to see some clouds, but my schedule only permitted this day for my sit spot.

I was wasn’t sure what I would hear during my 10 minutes of tuning in. I had not heard any birds chirping that day which was very unusual for my spot. As I closed my eyes and listened, I could hear the roaring of the highway in the distance (as usual) and the squirrels as they continue to scavenge. After a few moments the crunching of the leaves was gone, and I wasn’t sure why the squirrels left. The breeze had picked up slightly and it collided with the leftover leaves on the trees and pushed the branches to click together like skeleton bones. After the squirrels ended their searching and the breeze subsided, I was left with silence. It felt like a few minutes had passed before I heard a squirrel scraping its teeth on a nut and a few leaves rustle. I enjoyed the quiet listening as I normally do but this time it was much calmer than my past experiences.

As I sat in my spot for the last few minutes of my time, I looked around at the little ecosystem and the roles each organism plays. I thought of the life that the stream brings and the home that the trees give to many. I wondered why I felt like I belonged here even though I didn’t really give anything to this space.

My spot has changed so much along with the seasons and it has been an amazing experience to watch. I look forward to checking on my objects throughout the next semester and saying hello to my squirrel friends. It is sad to say this is my last blog, but I know that I will find my way back to my spot, even if it is just for a moment.