On my return to my phenology location, I found the area I knew but with a few changes over my absence. Few deciduous leaves still clung to their trees and the ground was now covered by a patchwork of shades ranging from yellow to orange to brown. Coniferous trees had become more visible, their ever-green nature allowed their bright colors to shine through the newly empty canopy. Ferns remained a prominent feature along the ground, their bright green shone through the faded leaves that had attempted to hide it.
After I arrived I took the time to refresh my memory on the layout of the location and constructed an overhead map which is shown here:
I tried to only include the most relevant details in order to make the map more digestible as I would be remiss to call myself an artist.
I then took the time to sit quietly for fifteen minutes and observed that the quiet hum of cars on the distant highway is always in the background but stays, for the most part, unobtrusive. The stillness of the forest was remarkable, as only the last of the deciduous leaves dared to move, dipping occasionally in the wind. The only non-human sounds that could be heard were uttered from the beaks of birds up above as they chirped to one another. It began to drizzle as I took my leave with the pitter-patter of raindrops following close behind.
Now for the song of the day: