My site lies at a small muddy clearing in Centennial Brook, just off of the bridge footpath. In order to reach the site, I walk through the entrance to Centennial Woods and take a right at the first fork in the woods, continuing on until the built footbridge ends, about a quarter of a mile from the entrance. There, on the left side of the path, is a muddy area overlooking the brook. The specific area which I look at requires a few steps through the brook until I reach a small patch of soil surrounded by streamwater. This surrounding environment is quite wet and muddy, with densely packed soil below my feet. At my site, I can see a littering of yellow toned leaves scattered among the pebbles and rocks which create dam-like structures in the shallow water, only a few centimeters deep in some areas. I know I am in my location when I see three fallen trees barricading the brook, a rotting log laying in its center. The fallen trees and branches serve as quite a stark contrast between the living and the decomposing, as they lay atop green grass and flowing water. There is a small Red Oak at the outer edge of my bank which is beginning to change color, pine needles collecting near the log, and several Ash trees surrounding the area. As I sit, I can hear the wind moving through the branches and leaves and the water moving around the rocks and pebbles which haphazardly block the path of the stream. As I look towards the edges of the water, I can see that they display the roots of grass and I am able to get a sense that the shape of this brook changes often, as the soil looks very unstable and slick. All around, the leaves are beginning to fall off of the trees surrounding the brook, a painting of yellow and brown on the ground, while above, some green and red-colored leaves hold onto their stems for just a little while longer. Soon I’m sure, more of these leaves will be covering the ground, collecting against the rotting log and other blockades to the waters flow.
