My 15 minutes of focus felt different this time around. I went to my sit-spot later in the day (around 4 pm). At this time, the atmosphere is very still (if that makes any sense). It had rained before I came outside, so the air smelt damp. It also felt very dry, probably due to cold weather. The sun was making its way to bed, as the howling of dogs saying their farewells to each other filled the air. The temperature was beginning to drop; as chilled winds from the south started to pick up, pushing up against the standing hairs on my arm. I took a look at the ground; not many critters were crawling around, just a blanket of dead leaves, fallen twigs, broken branches, and leftover acorns. I looked up at the sky; not many birds were insight flying around either. I did hear a couple of birds chirping, but nothing compared to the chirps of the a.m. birds. The Cherrybark Oak is starting to visibly show that it is losing a lot of its leaves, though the leaves that are still attached are showing bright reds, yellows, browns, and oranges.
Jumping into the Cherrybark Oak, more of that green moss is starting to appear on its branches. The leaves that are still hanging on are in a downward dropping position, readying themselves for takeoff. The body of the tree also had strips of light and dark bark(this had me puzzled), I was thinking maybe this was due to the rain earlier, but I’m not quite sure. Also, the Virginia creeper that is on the body of the tree is still showing a vibrant green color. I think this is because it has a greater surface area connection to the tree, causing it to absorb a lot of its nutrients. At the trunk of the tree, I did notice the bark was a dark reddish/ orange color that I had seen before in the above-ground root. The bark was not leaking any sap, but it did look like the area was quite irritated.

(before)(after) <–strips on the tree

 <–tree trunk <–tree leaves

The tiny pine was still standing tall, with its branch pointed upward like before. I am starting to believe this is due to the plant leaning or moving towards sunlight. Within the thriving pines of the tree was a dried pine that was probably going to fall off soon. I also noticed; teeny tiny pinecones forming on the tree, it that was cool!

beforeafter
The wooden hive was still lying on the bed of Haircap moss, where I found it last. It looked around the same size as before, but there were more tiny holes and cracks in it. It also has a white ashy layer on it, that could be dirt, dust, or mold.

before after
Sky Focus
The sky was beautiful due to the setting of the sun. It created pretty hues of pastel blues, pinks, and oranges in the south of the sky. Also, in the south of the sky were a mixture of white and grey, what I believe to be altocumulus and altostratus clouds. They were moving at a pretty fast speed from the south -> southeast -> east. This was also the same direction that the wind was blowing in. I could conclude that the clouds were moving in this direction of the wind, and a storm could possibly be moving in.

IMG_5709

Eyes Closed
When my eyes were closed, I was able to hear the wind making contact with the leaves above and below me. The light chirping of birds from my southeast, east, and north. One super chatty bird from my north, it sounded as if the bird was singing its favorite song. I heard the dripping of water behind me; after each drip was a splat or a splash sound of the substance making contact with an object (I’m thinking a pile of leaves). The howling of a dog from the east and the engine of a car in the distance. The sound of the grew louder, so I was aware it was headed in my direction. After a couple of seconds, the sound faded back off into the distance. My attention shifted as I heard rustling in the leaves from my north. I was so excited but yet disappointed because there was finally a critter around, but my eyes were closed. Lastly, I felt the cold wind hitting up against my skin. I enjoy the experience that I get when closing my eyes because I can tune into my sit-spot in a non-traditional way. I also feel comfortable in this way because it almost feels like a meditation exercise. When you close your eyes from the many distractions of the world, you get to utilize your other senses to describe and bring about a different approach to the story that your sit spot is telling.

Overall, I love connecting with my sit-spot, I believe I have a good connection with my sit-spot, but I have noticed a difference as the temperatures are starting to change. As it is getting colder, I have noticed I get distracted more. I start thinking about how cold I am or how my hands are cramping up, and I can’t write because I’m too cold. That has been the overall downside with the temperature change. Regardless, I push through and still pursue a connection with my sit-spot, taking in everything it has to offer me the day I go and observe.