17 November 2008: Spiderweb

Rose Dickson

17 November 2008

2100 – 2120 hours

On the main stage of Kresge Theatre on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

42 degrees, clear

            All this week I have been staying up late having dance rehearsal in preparation for the dance recital coming up this weekend. We are working in the Kresge Theatre and the booming lights create indescribable heat that is almost unbearable. As I was waiting for my piece to begin I looked up onto the ceiling and noticed right next to one of the radiant lights was a spider on a spiders web. If I can barely stand the heat from this distance, how can a being so much smaller and more fragile than I handle that kind of heat? Is the spider even alive? How long has it been living up there, watching all the shows go in and out of production stage? The web looks new and perfectly in tact, not at all like an ancient cobweb so I assume the spider is alive and well. I wonder how it gets its food? Are there really that many bugs available in this kind of space? Will the spider die soon due to lack of food? I wonder if by performance time he will still be there, as an extra audience member! 

15 November 2008
all day
around the Willamette university campus
It has been sunny for the past two days. It is unexpected and weird. I no longer know hat to do with myself. This is Oregon, I have already dealt with the fact that the sun does no live here. I cannot reprocess something like this!! But I do love it, I can wear dresses for a few days and it is not trompy mud for a few days. Unfortunately humans cannot photosynthesize, that would be really nice and probably solve world hunger.

Tyler Starr: 11/16, UPS Arboretum

Tyler Starr

16 November 2008 from 1340-1355

Location: The Arboretum of the University of Puget Sound

Weather: 53 ̊ F, slightly hazy, partly cloudy skies, no wind

General: The Arboretum is very similar to the Quad, but with a greater diversity of trees, including coniferous and deciduous trees. All of the deciduous trees have changed colors, and many have lost most or all of their leaves. Leaves scatter the ground, and in many places have been raked up into large piles. It seems that the process of fall is farther along here than at Willamette. I wonder if the north-south difference between the two would actually cause a distinct difference in phenology between the two regions. There was a group of perhaps 5 crows cawing in a tree a little ways off. At one point, one took off, and all of the other crows in the tree followed. I wonder if they were frightened off for some reason, or if they all just choose to stick together. I can hear the twitters of what seem to be small birds, but other than that, wildlife is pretty scarce at this time. There is moss growing on many of the trees, and several of them have a white residue on them, but I do not know what it is or what it is from.

(Sorry it's posted after sunset. I had it typed up before sunset but I didn't have Internet all day because I was traveling)

9 November 2008
1600-1615
On the grass between the mill stream and the University Center.
Luckily these are our classes’ last nature observations. The mill stream looks the same as it always dose. Where there is water in it at least. To be honest it was not really that interesting after the first made second post. So there are rocks and the ducks that have not gone south yet. It is interesting, that these ducks are not in Mexico or something like that yet. Perhaps the just don’t want to or are helping along natural selection, I really don’t know. Anyway as usual there are a few people also on the bank of the mil stream with me. And all the trees around the mill stream are now completely leafless. It is quite sad and skeletal looking but there will be leaves in the spring so no real issues here.

November 11, 2008
1100-1200
All around the Willamette university campus.
The nicest part of my outdoor experience this week was yesterday night I tromped around in my rain boots for more time than most other people my age. It was absolutely fabulous. The ground was incredibly wet and sloppy from the two days or rain we just got. There was also and abundance of large puddles especially in the sparks parking lot. It was really nice to be around in that time of night just appreciating the aftermath of rain. Usually I do not wear rain boots, therefore the mud and puddle are usually just an obnoxious burden. But last evening it became a time of glorious mud trudging.

13 November 2008
1130-1145
Lawn by the chicken fountain.
On the way to my French class today I got very distracted and ended up being about fifteen minutes late. Anyway the reason I became distracted in the first place was there were all these fallen leaves in the grass. First I notice one that had five arms of all different lengths. But what was most interesting was how this particular leaf did not completely change from green to red. Instead it got caught up in the transition and ended up somewhere in the middle with some of it still solidly green while other parts were glowing ember colored. The other nice leaf I found was of the same shape so perhaps the same tree, but this one had three red prong arms, while the other two were still yellow. What made this leaf super interesting was its abrupt change from red to yellow, it was like there was a curvy line defining the two part of the leaf. My final find was a smaller had three arms but had many jagged fingers coming off. It was pure red but I you look closer there was a darker red border all around it.

Foggy day

H.Waller
Date: 16 November 2008
Time: 1130
Location: All of Salem, OR
Weather: FOGGY, 52 degrees

Today I awoke to a sky that was entirely white. Upon further inspection I noticed that it was not only the sky that was this color, but everything was cloaked in a sheet of translucent white. In Montana, this would mean that it was snowing and likely blizzarding or close to it, so I bundled myself up in layer upon layer, including a scarf and mittens before heading off to brunch in the late morning. However, when we stepped outside I realized that though it looked freezing compared to the last two sunny days we have had, it was really about the same temperature, and I was way overdressed. The fog stayed all day long, and now at 2036 it is still just as foggy. Walking back from sectional an hour ago was creepy because all you can see of the people ahead is their silouette and it's even hard to tell if they are coming or going. I also think the fogginess makes people move slower. I wonder if it has any effect on other animal life?
Photo courtesy of Google Images

Moss

H.Waller
Date: 15 November 2008
Time: 1700
Location: In front of the TIUA entrance in the parking lot
Weather: Cool, sunny, 50 degrees

As I was walking back from working on a project in Gatke I decided to mix things up and run across the street rather than take the sky bridge home like usual. It was strange going a different way that I normally do from the building, and everything looked different from this new angle. When I got to the parking lot in front of TIUA I noticed on the concrete several patches of bright green moss growing up through the blacktop next to where the sidewalk creates a ledge. How peculiar it is for there to be life growing up out of such a man made and synthetic surrounding. There are plenty of trees nearby that it could be on instead, but it is here. I can't imagine how it gets its nutrients from this location, or how it got there in the first place.
Photo courtesy of Google Images

10/15/08

Location:Mill Stream
Date: 10/15/08
Time: 1600 hours
Weather: Cold and foggy

The mill stream is really quite dirty. I'd expected that with the increase in running water it would wash some of the dirt that accumulated during the shallow "season" to get picked up and carried downstream. I thought that it would have at least settled to the bottom anyways. However, I was wrong. The water is brown and murky and you can barely see the bottom. But the ducks were back earlier this week and that's always a good thing in my opinion. They did increase the water flow which is what I assume made them come on back but I can't be certain. Maybe they were just stopping by before their long journey. I want the mill stream to be back to what it was when I first got here and how pretty it used to be.

H.Waller
Date: 14 November 2008
Time: 1600
Location: bush park
Weather: chilly, but sunny, 52 degrees

I forgot how much I love to run. Today a friend asked me if I wanted to go running around Bush park, and though I was somewhat reluctant at first, I agreed to go and ended up loving it. There is something about getting a good workout while being immersed in nature itself that gives me a sense of satisfaction I haven't found elsewhere. We ran about a 5 mile loop and during much of the run my feet were crunching upon trails covered fully in leaves of red, orange and yellow. Up higher into the park is where all the humungous leaves are that are now dried up and more shades of dark green and brown and have curled up their edges forming bowls to hold the rain that has fallen here recently. I also spotted a squirrel that struck me as unique because he was the same size and color as all the other tons of squirrels around, except that this little guy had right red-orange coloring on the end of his tail and the top of his head.

10/14/08

Location: Capitol Grounds
Date: 10/14/08
Time: 1300 hours
Weather: Sunny and brisk

On our way to view the protest going on at the capitol building and then to the speech thereafter, Dave spotted a sight that I was waiting to see. A peregrine falcon had perched itself upon the top of the building itself and was scoping out the terratory around it. From where I was the bird still looked magnificient. All I could see was its back but I could easily see its shape and deep gray feathers against the contour of the white walls of the building. I wanted to see it in action so badly but alas, it merely sat there, almost pondering the reason as to why so many had gathered. Maybe even annoyed that so many would scare off the food. Or perhaps delighted that more people would entice more food to arrive.

Chestnuts!

Time: 1807-1825

Date: 15 November 2008

Climate: Not too cold out, brisk and refreshing

Location: Walking around campus and towards Salem City Center

As I walk around campus and towards the Salem City Center with friends we are walking under a good amount of Chestnut Trees.  The chestnuts are falling off of them still and this is shocking to me.  They seem to have been falling for forever now.  One dropped right behind me and came so close that I could feel the vibration on the sidewalk in my shoes when it hit the ground.  It is slightly unnerving to walk under them because I always fear that they are going to fall on me.  There are so many chestnut trees around and so many chestnuts on the ground.  I definitely thought that they would not be falling as much anymore but lately I’ve been noticing it more that ever.  Maybe it is just me finally realizing it but I do think more have been falling that were before.  

http://www.kitchengardeners.org/pics/chestnut12.19.05.JPG

ducks

Time: 1135-1155

Date: 14 November 2008

Climate: Sunny, cool air, a bit breezy

Location: Mill Stream next to the Botanical Garden

So I love sitting at this one spot by the Mill Stream.  It is on a tree stump with a little bridge to my left and the Botanical Garden behind me.  Once again I am facing Matthews Hall and Belknap.  The water is up to its normal level again and I see ducks! I rarely see ducks here especially when there is a normal amount of water.  The water flows a bit faster here, and it is a bit noisier as a result.  I don’t usually see ducks here and I thought it was because there us faster louder water but today was different.  They were just relaxing and hanging out on the side of the stream.  They didn’t move much or make much noise.  After about 10 minutes they left their little area and flowed down the rover with the water.  They had been in the same spot for what seemed like a long time but then they left like it was nothing.  It was like they just let go of where they had been staying and just moved with the water.   

Star Trees

Time: 2308-2335

Date: 13 November 2008

Climate: Very Chilly, Overcast, windy

Location: Star trees, Willamette University campus

I decided to take another late night walk around campus.  I wandered all over past the library, across the quad, through the Japanese garden and some other places ultimately ending up under the star trees.  I sat down and the ground was damp and soft.  I looked up and saw the star made by the trees but what caught my eye first was the sky.  The clouds were moving so fast that I couldn’t keep my eye on a single part of the sky.  The moon is showing through the tree closest to cone chapel, which is diagonally to the left of me.  The star trees are really nice to sit under because there is nobody around me right now and I am alone but I feel safe.  Something about these trees allow me feel comfortable because they are so big and relaxing.  It is something that I can’t really explain, but for some odd reason they are captivating.  I get up and realize that my pants are all wet from the ground and have thin pine type sticks stuck to them and dead leaves.  I pick them off and I look up again.  They sky looks completely different from when I first got here.  I spin around and closed my eyes and I had no idea what direction I was facing when I opened my eyes.  It was such a strange feeling because the star trees look so much alike at the tops.  I began to walk back to my dorm and the grass was much sloppier than the ground under the star trees.  This was surprising to me because the star trees are shaded so I would expect the ground to be wetter but it was not.  As I walked back to my dorm I walked through the Japanese Garden again and down Winter St.  There were no students out and barely any cars on the road.  For some reason campus was particularly dead tonight, and seemed almost empty.  The trees are beginning to become bare and the sidewalks and roads were empty.  But it didn’t feel that way under the star trees.  

http://www.2librarians.com/family/willamette/StarTrees.jpg

High Mill Stream

Time: 1304-1325

Date: 13 November 2008

Climate: Chilly, slightly windy

Location: Mill Stream as a whole, no particular point

Today the Mill Stream is back to its original level! This makes me happy because it was SO low and so gross looking.  It was almost painful to look at.  The Mill Stream doesn’t look completely back to normal because it is so dirty still but at least the water level is back to normal and it is moving along nicely again.  It was just so shallow and dead before that it wasn’t doing anything.  I am happy to see it back to almost normal and I am eager to see when tit will not be as dirty as it is now.  

Tulip!

Time: throughout the week

Date: 10 November 2008- 16 November 2008

Climate: Room Temperature

Location: My dorm room, Shepherd House

A Tulip was left on my door the other day.  It was put on my corkboard on my door with pushpins but carefully so that they did not hurt the stem.  I left it out of water and after about a day it began to wilt a bit.  The stem and petals became soft and droopy. I soon put in a glass of water.  When I woke up the next morning the flower had become turgid again! I was glad because I was worried that I had perhaps killed it by not putting it in water early enough.  I kept it in water for a few days and then took it out because I was afraid it would die from too much water.  I went and alternated for a bit.  Then I decided to change the water and when I picked up the tulip, all of the petals fell off!  I barely even touched them and they fell off.  I was shocked and sad because it was such a pretty flower.  The petals were orange and then going towards the center it was green and then turned yellow.  But it was perfect.  It looked like there were no marks or anything on it.  It almost looked unreal but it wasn’t.  

Tulip!

Time: throughout the week

Date: 10 November 2008- 16 November 2008

Climate: Room Temperature

Location: My dorm room, Shepherd House

A Tulip was left on my door the other day.  It was put on my corkboard on my door with pushpins but carefully so that they did not hurt the stem.  I left it out of water and after about a day it began to wilt a bit.  The stem and petals became soft and droopy. I soon put in a glass of water.  When I woke up the next morning the flower had become turgid again! I was glad because I was worried that I had perhaps killed it by not putting it in water early enough.  I kept it in water for a few days and then took it out because I was afraid it would die from too much water.  I went and alternated for a bit.  Then I decided to change the water and when I picked up the tulip, all of the petals fell off!  I barely even touched them and they fell off.  I was shocked and sad because it was such a pretty flower.  The petals were orange and then going towards the center it was green and then turned yellow.  But it was perfect.  It looked like there were no marks or anything on it.  It almost looked unreal but it wasn’t.  

10/12/08

Location: Fine Arts West front steps
Date: 10/12/08
Time: 1230 hours
Weather: Sunny!

Just as I thought! The crows are out and about having the time of their lives picking up the worms like there's no tomorrow! They're rather interesting to watch actually. The strut around moving leaves and grass and just *Pick! Pick! Pick* their way through all the mess. I counted fifteen seconds off and one crow had eaten almost 8 worms. I didn't even know there were that many in the grass! It's rather excited actually to see how this little game is getting played out. What an easier time in these crow's life this must be. Time to get cozy for the winter though I guess.

10/11/08

Location: Fine Arts West front steps
Date: 10/11/08
Time: 1130 hours
Weather: Cold and rainy

I was walking out of my class when I came upon a rather familiar sight. The rain had lured out some aliens of the open air. The earthworms were upon us. Although I only saw a few, I'm sure that all over campus the worms were popping up. The rain would certainly make them wake up a little. The poor little buggars would drown and all that banging might stir up quite the ruckus downstairs. The birds are going to have a field day with this one. The worms look so helpless. Just blindly squiggling around not know which way to go. I do feel almost sorry for them.

10/10/08

Location: Baxter Hall
Date: 10/10/08
Time: 1000 hours
Weather: Cold and Rainy

I awoke this morning drowsy as usual but with a slightly more painful surprise. I had received during the night a visit from a certain spider that gave me a "pleasant" reminder that we aren't alone in the world. I only assume it was spider bite of course because of the two very closely spaced puncture marks, the redness and swelling, and the undoubtable pain that pulsed from the epicenter of my problem. While I sleep the visitors may enter through my window. They feel the warmth and must be drawn to it. I would be too. So alas, either I close my window, or learn to face the wrath of my intruders.