Andrew Milton's Phenology Blog

There is but grey, there’s no more brown.

Thats one hell of an apple colored maple

Ever been to a place called Finstable?

Her branches skewed like a bent up staple

This looks a lot like a place called Finstable

These pines are bent and falling down

I showed up at my spot and stood up on top of one of the dead pine trees that ley across the path. The atmosphere seemed still and lifeless. It was cold, gray and quiet other than the creaking of bald trees being blown furiously. A few minutes had gone by, I was still standing there looking around and thinking what to write. The longer I stood there the more sounds I started to hear peeking out. Once the chipmunks and the squirrels were comfortable with my presence they came out and continues their work. I was glad that I was no longer keeping them from getting things done. I even heard some bird songs in the distance. A student walked by after I had been there for ten or so minutes and this once again brought the forest to a cold silence in her trail. A helicopter flew right above trees and filled the forest with sound. It was after that I decided to leave.

All the changes seen in this area are rather predictable. The excitement of the chipmunks and squirrels can no longer be detected as easily but they can still be seen out doing some last minute forging before they hide away for the winter. The air that once covered my face with sweat and mosquitoes is now chilled. The sugar maples have turned yellow with the occasional hint of red and the oak trees have turned yellowish brown. The birds that once filled the area with sound can no longer be heard. The canopy is still thick and has only lost about 30% of its leaves.

I chose this spot because it is very quiet and peaceful. It is rather deep within centennial woods as to escape the noise of highway 89. It is about a 5 to 10 minute walk inside of the woods and if fairly easy to find so long as you stay on the main trail. Two large dead pine trees which lay across the trail are the landmarks to my spot and offer a fantastic place to sit down and observe your surroundings. The forests floor is almost completely covered in ostrich ferns. The pine trees tower over other tree species but not by much. There are maples, beeches, and oaks also in the over story. Squirrels can almost always be heard living their day to day lives running up down and across all these trees.