Entry #2: The Brook on Tollgate Rd. Manchester VT- 6/26/23

This Sunday Morning at my blog spot, I arrived at 9:30 AM. The weather was partly cloudy with the sun shining in and out behind the clouds. Over the course of my time there, darker clouds were moving in and the air felt humid indicating that it was almost time to rain.

Description of my site:

On the arrival at my site, trees trickled drops of water from the storm that we got the night before. Every gust of wind splattered me with fresh water. In fact, the whole floor of the area appeared to be coated with a light layer of water. I didn’t realize this at first but then I slipped while I was climbing up the rocks which forced me to pay better attention. After a brief, open-eyed meditation, I felt clear headed enough to start looking at things in better detail in comparison to my last visit here. The first thing I noticed next to where I was sitting were two new puddles that had formed next to the green algae puddles I observed last time. These puddles weren’t filled with algae or mosquito larva yet. Instead they were filled with brown leaves, sticks, and other forest litter that was probably swept down from the storm last night. I suspect that they will dry up or drain once we start getting less rain. I checked in on the green algae puddles that I observed last visit. This time they are more full of water and had far less mosquito larva swimming around in it.

When I climbed back down the rocks, I sat on a large boulder that views the water fall. While sitting there, I discovered that the rocks were layered different on either side of the water. On the left of the waterfall, the layers of rock look more fragile, thin, and flaky compared to the right side which has some distinct layering but was more of a smoothed down, solid mass. I don’t see the right side getting chipped apart as easily as the left might. I wonder if this has to do with the age of the rock.

Looking at the waterfall itself, I noticed that the flow of it is a lot more full and bustier compared to the flow of it last time. The white water is also showing yellow tints and a new flow of gushing water. The volume of the waterfall put into perspective how much a week of rain can do. Following my eyes away from the falling water and looking more closely at the water bed, I noticed the different patterns of rock deposits. Right after the falls, it is mostly smooth rock which then leads to a drop off. After the drop, there appears to be a line of sand and pebbles which then gradients into larger rocks. Lastly, it leads to the boulders that I’m sitting on.

The wall of greenery that I climb to get to the top of the rocks caught my eye this time. It appears to be filled with different plant species bursting out of the crevasses of the rock. It’s lined with mosses, liverworts, ferns, buttercups, vines, grasses and other plants I don’t recognize. The buttercups stand out to add some color other than green to the wall.

lastly, next to the wall was a pool of water where I noticed bugs striding across the water. I have seen these before, but don’t know the exact name. Their movements are quick and twitchy. It appears that they only move about an inch or two at a time. I counted three in the spot I was looking at.

Photos and drawings:

**Photo and drawing #1:** This is a type of grass I saw growing on the rocks. It might seem silly to chose to draw this but I think long blades of grass are much more beautiful and interesting than we may think. I am working at a farm right now which uses regenerative farming practices like rotational grazing. Proper rotation of livestock helps return nutrients to the soil which grows long, healthy blades of grass with thick root systems. This singular clump of grass I found caught my attention at my site for this reason. Mowed grass in our backyard really does not do the plant justice. I think it is quite beautiful.

**Photo and drawing #2:** This plant was found on the wall of greenery (referenced today in my site description). There were so many different plants on the wall, it was hard to decide which to draw. I ended up choosing this plant because its white puffy flowers caught my eye and I liked the shape of the leaves.

**Photo and drawing #3 and Identifying a Species From my Site:** This was a lucky find! This is a mushroom fungus that I spotted on an old log. I found it while wandering in the forest near my site. This species is *Laetiporus*. It’s also known as the Chicken of the Woods. It’s a type of edible mushroom which is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world! I didn’t want to take the risk in eating it but they are said to taste like chicken and have a meaty texture. They also are a type of polypore mushroom which means they disperse their pores under their caps. This was so exciting to find. I always wanted to find one for myself!

**Photo and drawing #4:** The last plant I chose to draw was also on the wall of greenery. It appeared to be a vine that grows green, shiny leaves in clumps of three. I wondered if this was poison ivy, so I didn’t risk touching it. Weather it is poison ivy or not, I could still appreciate its appearance, but from a safe distance.

Conclusion:

I think I payed closer attention to the details of my wonder blog site this time. I believe that my ten minute meditation helped keep my mind clear and focused for exploring and drawing. With a clear mind, I did not struggle to sit and draw for a long period of time. In fact, I stayed at my site for two hours this day just sketching and exploring. The process of drawing and exploring made me feel like a child again. I found myself looking closely and curiously on every thing my eyes could focus on. It’s funny, I have never looked at water bugs with such awe before. It felt healthy to appreciate everything. I am always told that practicing affirmations and gratitude is a healthy habit. Maybe a way I can practice this is by simply looking closely and curiously at more things.

Something I would like to check in on next time is the Chicken of the Woods mushroom I found. Will it grow larger? Will it start to rot? Maybe it will not change at all. Besides, I am considering harvesting it if I can find someone to identify if it is safe or not.

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