10 November 2008
12:13 PM
The Adirondack chair beneath the maple, across from the library, Willamette, University, Salem, OR
So today as I was walking to the library I took note of the maple tree that always has an Adirondack chair sitting below it. I have made several observations on this tree, and each has been unique in different ways. Several time I have sat in this chair and observed the same things, but even within that moment of observing, everything seems to change, let alone observing them at different periods of time all together. Today as I sit in the Adirondack below the maple, I sit below an entirely skeletal tree except for the few leaves that still cling to the outskirts of the tree on the finest twigs as the branches thin out. The leaves that remain are gnarled and brown and probably only have a few more days left in them. As opposed to the other times I have come to make observations here, the ground is entirely bare, the blanket of leaves that usually covers the ground has been removed by some man made force or another. I wonder what the campus would be like if all the leaves were left behind to decompose and rot as they do in an actual nature setting, the grass may die out for the lack of sunlight and fresh air and earthworms and night crawlers would thrive in this situation. It seems as though instead of snow, leaves accumulate on the ground. When December rolls around, I think I’m going to really start to miss having the snow around. People who live here year round say that they love the rain and can not wait for this time of the year. I can’t even begin to imagine replacing snow with rain.
11 November 2008
10:34
Sidewalk near the Star Trees, Willamette University, Salem, OR
It seems as though ever since November began, so has the rain. Tonight my friend Hannah and I decided to go outside and save the night crawlers that had wandered onto the sidewalk by picking them up and placing them back in the grass. We had been doing this for about ten minutes and a group of people walked by, I cannot even begin describe how confused the people looked, one of them even muttered “what the hell?” as they walked by. It is definitely interesting to see how people react to the unusual.
12 November 2008
1-4PM
The Slough, Salem, OR
Today in bio lab we’re going on a field trip to a slough a couple miles away from school. During this lab we are to be measuring the density and richness of different species. My particular group was measuring and investigating mosses and lichens. Each time we set up the 10 by 10 area for measurement our group would throw rings at random for measurement, we would then gauge how many species were present within the ring and how much, percentage wise, the species collectively took up. During our first measurement we found absolutely nothing in each ring. Since we had extra time while everyone else was finishing up their observations I started looking around and found a small, round, hard object that was cream colored with reddish dots all over it. I handed it to the professor and he identified it as something we had already once seen in lab. A certain species of wasp can manipulate oak leaves to form a hard spherical case that holds its offspring. Our teacher opened the small case, expecting to find nothing, but was surprised to find a tiny wasp, alive and well. The walls were reinforced with what looked like pneumaticized bones. Later on we found several more of these wasp “eggs” of varying sizes, but when each was opened we found there to be nothing inside.
12 November 2008
1-4
The Slough, Salem, OR
During our lab we had to different stages to go through, at one point we were out in the grass lands, but during the second part we went into the forest to get a view of a different type of habitat. When we entered the forest it was immediately different, it cooled off and there was a definite air of moisture. It was quite clear that within the forest there was a much greater richness for diversity, for every tree was absolutely covered with different species of moss, rotting trees lay on the ground providing excellent microhabitats for thousands of different beetles and night crawlers. At one point we found a lichen that looked just like piece of seaweed with sand coating its leaves. On the top of this particular species there were white dots covering every inch of its top coat, but when flipped over, the bottom was riddled with tiny little dimples, each slightly different from the next. During our observations in the forest our professor came up to us with a rough skinned newt, the newt had a chocolate brown back and a vibrantly bright orange stomach. Our professor tried a couple times to aggravate the newt so that it would stick its tail in the air to show off its coloration, but it never did. This newt is apparently the most poisonous newt in the pacific northwest, so of course I wanted to hold it. So after holding the newt we were told that if we were to get the newts secretion anywhere near our mouths we could get very sick. Overall it was a pretty amazing trip.
13 November 2008
11:37PM
Jackson Plaza, Willamette University, Salem, OR
For a week or so now the Mill Stream has been so shallow that it has been little more than a couple puddles stashed here and there between the rocks. Tonight the stream is at the extreme opposite of the spectrum, instead of barely flowing the Mill Stream is winding and curving through campus at a high rate of speed. This came at a perfect time, for my friend Hannah’s Birthday is tonight and we are definitely planning on throwing her in. The leaves have finally been washed out of the way by the new surge of water just like someone clearing a gutter.