Phenology site post #2
Fifteen minutes of quiet: Sitting in my spot for 15 minutes was an interesting experience for me. I didn’t try to stop my mind from wandering and let any thoughts drift in and out of my consciousness. My attention drifted between objects in the rushing water and the changed flora surrounding me. I honestly can’t remember the last time I spent 15 minutes doing absolutely nothing. Any time I’m bored I always have my phone, and within 5 minutes I felt myself resisting the urge to check it. My gaze also kept wandering to the water fall at the dam which all of the rain water accumulated from the last two days shot over.
Since last time: There were many big differences in my phenology site since I had last visited. All the trees had lost their leaves or turned to a yellow color. The short bushes around were the same, all either bare of yellow. I was very surprised not to see any colors of red or orange. The grass around had also dried up and turned yellow. The biggest change since the last time I had came was the water level. The past two days before I visited It had rained and the water level had risen substantially. The peninsula that jetted out into the river had turned into a island and was inaccessible. My log I had sat on was 3 feet from the water opposed to 15 like last time. The water was also had sped up and was full of foam as result of this. Many logs and sticks had washed up on the shore and created a place to walk on and keep my shoes dry. It was physically colder as well, (my phone read 54 degrees) and the birds I had observed last time were no where to be seen. The sky was clear and full of fluffy clouds. Overall I really enjoyed my trip today.
