Botanical Garden

10 September 2008
1700-1717
Location: Botanical Garden, Willamette University, Salem, OR

The weather is warm and sunny about 78 degrees, although since i am in the shade it feels a bit cooler than that. I am sitting on a rootless tree stump in between 2 others. Directly in front of me there are two rocks protruding above the rough current of the mill stream. One rock, which is slightly larger is covered in moss and has a few grass-like protrusions. Directly next to me there are two douglas firs and a bit beyond these two is another type of evergreen with reddish almost rust colored bark. it is amazing to me to see how many different species can live together. On my right side there is another species of evergreen with longer more protrusive needles, the cones on this tree are slightly smaller and the bark seems to be a rust color. The bush to my front/right is a tangle of branches and there are very few leaves on it in proportion to the branch space. The walls/sides of the mill stream are almost lined with a cement wall. In places this wall seems to have come under disreppair. Jutting out of the ground at various places are small purple flowers. Their color is most inense near the stigma then fades to a very light purple, they have no leaves.