Earlier today, I returned to the grove to pay the area another visit. I hadn’t been back to my site since my last post from about two weeks ago and I was immediately struck by how much has changed. The grove no longer has the same ethereal golden glow. The leaves which were previously an almost iridescent shade of yellow now almost all are lying browned and crispy on the ground. The Jewelweed which had grown like wildfire all around the area has almost completely died back, and the Asters are completely gone and have hardly left a trace save for some stubborn dying stems which can be spotted only if you really search. Although it was nearly 65 degrees during my visit, it is clear that winter is approaching fast.
I was able to spend some time sitting on the stump of one of the silver maple trees in the grove today, reading a book and listening to the sounds which surrounded me. In the quiet, I could hear the rustling of leaves as squirrels made their ways through the area. The cries of Ravens were particularly prominent as well, and at one point I looked toward the sky to notice a pair of birds, likely a Raven and a Red-Tailed Hawk flying together in unison.
