Date: 18 September 2008
Location: Southwest of Olin, directly outside of entrance
Time: 1656-1714
Weather: Still overcast, slight sunshine, 63˚F
I was heading toward the Transit Mall when I saw an oddity I the trees. Deciduous trees about 50-foot tall to the southwest all had vibrant green hues and few, if any had lost their l
eaves. However, to the west, a single tree in front of Olin’s had all of its leaves shriveled and dried. Even more curious, the leaves were still attached to the branches and none had fallen. The light brown trunk was long and slender with slight furrows. Weeds grew furiously in the mulch. Perhaps the tree is slowly dying? Or maybe it has felt the affects of Autumn sooner than most. To the east, a short maple, with branching trunks at the ground level, had a few reddish leaves, yet the majority was still verdant. The north side had the greatest concentration of reds. The south had a mass of red seeds with wings on them. Each wing drooped downward lifelessly, but I could only imagine how they would look in a strong gust of wind! They’d be cast off and glide gracefully down in a helicopter fashion. I think the anomaly may be due to the sunlight. Those areas that get the most sun, the north, have leaves that reddens sooner than the rest of the plant. A squirrel with an auburn coat, 
a dark undercoat, a white belly, and white ring around the eyes, carried what looks like a corn nut. After digging shallow holes three, four times at the base of the maple, it finally settled on a location and dug passionately into the ground. A moment later, it covered it up with its front paws, patting the ground tenderly, before commencing with sniffing at the ground and running off into the underbrush.
eaves. However, to the west, a single tree in front of Olin’s had all of its leaves shriveled and dried. Even more curious, the leaves were still attached to the branches and none had fallen. The light brown trunk was long and slender with slight furrows. Weeds grew furiously in the mulch. Perhaps the tree is slowly dying? Or maybe it has felt the affects of Autumn sooner than most. To the east, a short maple, with branching trunks at the ground level, had a few reddish leaves, yet the majority was still verdant. The north side had the greatest concentration of reds. The south had a mass of red seeds with wings on them. Each wing drooped downward lifelessly, but I could only imagine how they would look in a strong gust of wind! They’d be cast off and glide gracefully down in a helicopter fashion. I think the anomaly may be due to the sunlight. Those areas that get the most sun, the north, have leaves that reddens sooner than the rest of the plant. A squirrel with an auburn coat, 
a dark undercoat, a white belly, and white ring around the eyes, carried what looks like a corn nut. After digging shallow holes three, four times at the base of the maple, it finally settled on a location and dug passionately into the ground. A moment later, it covered it up with its front paws, patting the ground tenderly, before commencing with sniffing at the ground and running off into the underbrush.
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