Sep. 29-Oct. 5

Observer: Kaitlyn Rice
Date: 30 September 2008
Time: 1350 hours
Location: By the Mill Stream
Weather: Warm, but overcast
Not Another Mill Stream Journal Entry
In an effort to kill some time before I had to work on Tuesday, I decided to find a spot to make a nature observation. The problem that I am having now though is that I do not know where to go that is semi-original. For this entry, I ended up next to the Mill Stream, but with my back to it and, instead, I observed some of the flowers up close. Above me, birds can be heard chirping. It is a high-pitched sound that brings back memories of my cockatiel, Scooter.
The flowers that are on the bushes in front of me are red and like bells in their shape. Inside of the flowers, the pistols can be found, long and slender. Everything about the flower seems to be perfectly symmetrical. The flowers all grow in bunches at the tops of the stems of the plant. Where the flowers grow from, the stem turns from green to a redish-purple color. On a couple of stems, there are buds. As I examine them closer, they remind me of a Dr. Seuss character: there is it’s pointy collar that is placed around its egg-shaped head that has one curly hair growing out from the top. The leaves of the plant spread from the top to the bottom of the branch. Each leaf is very slender and long. To my right, the same plant grows, except the flowers of this one are purple instead of pink. The bushes themselves are shaded by a young tree and the little bit of sun that makes it through the clouds must also, to be seen by me, shine through the tree branches. Behind me, I hear a commotion in the Mill Stream. I turn around to notice that a group of about 15 ducks have swam up the stream. What made all of the ruckus is a male duck that is chasing a female away and it makes me wonder why? Then I think about how funny and interesting it would be to be a duck.

Date: 1 October 2008
Time: 1726 hours
Location: On the sidewalk between the Chicken Fountain and the library
Weather: Again, it is warm, but overcast
First Signs of Fall
On this Wednesday evening, I was walking to dinner at Goudy and was not really thinking about anything in particular. When I passed the hedges just after the Chicken Fountain, something on the ground caught my eye. It was nothing spectacular upon first glance—only a leaf that had fallen off of the tree towering above. However, I picked it up and examined it. It had red on it and this is what first attracted me to it. There was nothing especially interesting about its size for it only spanned the width of my palm. I was still intrigued by this leaf. It was one of those moments where you decide to take some time and “smell the roses”, or appreciate the small things. I took this leaf with me to dinner and still have it with me in my room. Its stem is brown and hard now. I know now though that at one point, this leaf had grown from a tiny bud and its stem had been green, strong, and flexible, the link for the leaf to the tree. This stem grows up into the leaf and spreads into three main different directions—the veins for the leaf. Those three veins then split into many smaller ones and so on and so forth. The color is the best part about the leaf though. It is green around the “veins”, but then, it turns into a red color, with splotches of yellow, where it would have eventually turned into a brown.

Date: 3 October 2008
Time: 1430 hours
Location: Sky above Idaho
Weather: Partly cloudy, warm
Bird’s Eye View
Well, my flight was not too long, which is always a good thing. I am always scared to fly unless the weather is perfect, but I survived and now that we are over Idaho, the sky is starting to clear up. I know that we are over Idaho because I know this part of the state all too well. Right now, we are flying over Emmett, a town that I used to live in about 3 years ago. I looked down to find Interstate 84 to first realize we were getting close. Then I saw Squaw Butte, a Butte that is the symbol for the town of Emmett. Just to clarify, I made sure that I could find the town’s high school. It is always obvious because the school is constructed of two large, white domes. Once spotted in the middle of the valley, I knew that we would only be in the air for a few more minutes. The two women sitting behind me comment on how brown everything is. I suppose that I am used to it, but now that I compare it to Oregon, the foothills are all very brown. Bogus Mountain comes to view out of my window and, because it is covered in Pine trees, it appears a dark green/blue. The city of Boise is nestled below it and all that I can see is tons of neighborhoods and treetops. There is a high school, but we pass over it too quickly for me to figure out which one it is. Over the top of Eagle Road, it is all coming back to me. I feel like I never even left.

Date: 4 October 2008
Time: 1125 Hours
Location: Idaho Horse Park, Nampa, Idaho
Weather: It is sunny but chilly now, but won’t be for long
My Friend Peter
For this weekend, I have returned home to Idaho, mainly because it is the weekend of the Region 6 Dressage Championships. It is the biggest horse show of the season and I have come to cheer on my barn. Unfortunately, it is located this year in Nampa, Idaho, where they have a nice barn, but it is not the most desirable location. It is usually windy out here, though today it has been on and off thunderstorms—even better. Anyway, I was walking out to the outdoor arenas, on top of the grassy hill where the grass has been flattened by a combination of the rain and the golf carts driving back and forth on it. I came to a stop at a spot behind a short, cement wall. Examining the spot before I sat down on it, I noticed a small bug. At first, I thought that it might be a young ladybug and I, in my insect knowledge, decided that because of the way that it was circling around like it owned the wall, figured it was a male insect and I called him Peter. What made me think that Peter was a young ladybug was because he was a yellow-gold color. He also had several small, black spots on his exoskeleton. Upon closer inspection though, I eliminated the idea that Peter was any type of a ladybug. His body was too square in shape. I enjoyed watching him. Peter was not like some other insects that can be intimidating to see. Those with horns, or large, round, black bodies can often be frightening for me to get too close to. Peter had no apparent destination in mind, as he mostly just circled around. I think that he sensed me though because he flew away after not too long. I hope that he found a good place to hide out because as I turned around, I noticed the enormous, black clouds that were making their way to pour down their fury upon those of us, and anyone else, who was outside.

Date: 5 October 2008
Time: 0915 hours
Location: My front lawn, Eagle, Idaho
Weather: Partly cloudy, cool, about 40 degrees



I Don’t Remember Leaving It Like This
Whenever I was driving back home from the airport, one of the first things that I noticed was that most all of the trees at home were already turning their fall colors and some were even losing their leaves. I was surprised by this because I do not remember having the trees turn this quickly. Perhaps it is that pesky global warming. Anyway, on Sunday morning, I stepped out onto my porch and took in some of the details of the large tree in our front lawn. When I first pulled up on Friday evening, I commented on how I might have to do some raking while I was home. My father was quick to inform me that he had just mown the lawn 2 days ago and the leaves had not been there then. Who knew that that many leaves could fall off of a tree so quickly? At 9 in the morning in a large neighborhood, there is not much wildlife out and about. However, from around the corner of the garage slinks the neighbor’s cat, watching me closely and quick to pass me. I guess he had been pet and adored over one too many times. From the tree there is a rustling sound and I look up in the branches to see if it is another type of animal. Instead though, it is another leaf making its way down to the ground. My eyes ran over the flowerbed in front of the porch and I noticed that the large, bush-shaped flower had gone through quite the change since I had been gone. Its flowers that had once been a vibrant pink were now a pale purple, almost brown color. Now, however, it is time to go. Farewell yard! Next time I see you, maybe you will be covered in snow.