The circle of life

Throughout the semester, I have become connected to my place at Oak Ledge in more ways than I imagined. I came in February expected to find a place that I would go to every once in a while, take a few notes, and go on my merry way. What I didn't expect, however, was to feel connected to this place in a way that I actually felt like a part of the place.

Oak Ledge is like a system in so many ways. Everything about the place works together in constant harmony. Without one part of the puzzle, it would be incomplete. The trees rely on the ground, the ground relies on the lake, the lake relies on the birds, the birds rely on the trees. All of this alone is cool, but together, a masterpiece is created. Even more exciting is the fact that I am a part of this system. While all parts of nature rely on each other, I rely on them as well. Without this system, I couldn't survive. I need the trees and the birds and the water and the ground.

I like the think in some ways, nature needs me too. It needs me to be both a steward and enjoyer of the land. As the landscape has changed over time, I have changed right along with it. As the snow sheds from the rocks and melts back into the water, I shed off my own layers of jackets and hats. It has been so eye-opening to participate in the changes throughout the semester. I can't wait to go back to my spot and visit, to see how it (and I) have changed.

April showers bring May buds!

I could barely get to my spot this week because of all the water! I trudged through the puddles and mud to find my spot completely submerged. The rocks I usually sit on were underwater. I walked around a little and tried to spot the buds on the trees! I definitely found some, which was cool to see the transformation from when I looked at the trees earlier in the semester until now. I forgot my camera so I couldn't take any photos, but I found some pictures on the wondrous internet to help visualize what I saw! 

I found a red maple and the buds were swelling! They weren't as red as this yet, but here is the general idea of what it looked like.

The Cedar trees also had some buds on them. 

The American Elm buds were starting to sprout. 

The red pine and white pine didn't have buds, but they had the start of what I assume will eventually be pinecones! It is very cool to see this transformation over time. I will miss going to my spot when the semester ends, but I know I'll still visit every once in a while!

:-)

Why I'm here

I wrote this poem at my spot this week. It was inspired by the easter egg hunt that was going on while I was there. A little boy really said this to me... it was funny! And also good inspiration! I don't consider myself a poet but I gave it my best shot with this one. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

"Mommy, that girl is running!
She's gonna get all the eggs!"
I hear as I jog to my spot along the waterfront
Looking up, I notice I'm in the middle of an easter egg hunt
And a little boy who sees an egg.
"Don't worry," I think, "I'm just here for the trees,
and the rocks,
and the waves crashing against them.
I'm here for the birds chirping in the red pine
and the squirrels scrounging for nuts beneath the oaks,
and the dirt,
and the moss,
and the old chimney that sits on the hill.
I'm here to see the sunset,
and the sunrise,
and everything in between.
I'm just here to think,
to gather my thoughts,
and let them go with the ever-present breeze.
I'm here to watch the people laughing,
the dogs barking,
the ducks paddling along,
and the feathers floating in the wind.
I'm here to observe the changes
and embrace them."
But I don't tell him this.
"I'm not here for the easter egg hunt," I tell him,
"Go ahead, you can have them."
The little boy, confused but satisfied, takes his egg and runs,
Leaving me to sit and realize
the difference between
why I'm not here
and why I am.

:-)

Green. Moss. Finally.

Above is my event map from my visit to Oak Ledge this week. I saw a ton of awesome stuff that screamed "spring!" It was really exciting to see green moss and rocks and waves crashing against the shore! Walking along the path, I saw feathers on the ground. I spotted flies swimming in the water (or floating on the surface, rather). I sat really still and tried to focus on moving things. I found a patch of bugs (maybe damsel flies) running around on the rocks. I saw a bird in a tree and a squirrel in another tree. The sun was setting over the Adirondacks, and the waves crashing provided the perfect soundtrack to a great day.

Looking at the maps of Burlington was very interesting. I couldn't tell much from the historic map, except that it looked like the plots of land were split off into farming settlements. I know that in the past, my spot was set up as a resort. The foundation of many of the bungalows are still there, including the steps to one. The chimneys are also still standing. It is very cool to think about all the history of Oak Ledge and my spot in particular. I know it is a popular spot that a lot of people enjoy, and its neat to think that someone 50 years ago, or even 200 years ago, could have been standing and enjoying the same places that I am now.

Here are a few pictures of my (much different looking!) spot:

No more snow! And lots of water!

Pretty rocks. (Monkton Quartzite!)

He is fly fishing. Hellllllo spring!

Bird (I wish I knew what kind!!)

Stairs foundation

Squirrel!

:-)

The sites of Lake Champlain!

This week, I had the opportunity to visit some of my classmates sites and see the world from their perspectives! It was really tough to pick which ones to visit, but I settled on John's site (Red Rocks) and Olivia/Alyssa's site (Burlington Waterfront). I chose these two because they are the closest to mine in that they are all are right up against Lake Champlain. It was great to be able to compare the three and see the differences and similarities in the landscape.

First things first, my own spot was a mess when I visited! I should have went this weekend when it was nice out; instead, I waited until today and trudged around in the rain. Needless to say, I didn't stay for long. There are definitely changes in the air though! The lake still has a thin layer of ice, but it is breaking up into small pieces. When I threw a rock at the ice, it actually went through, which shows how unsturdy it is becoming. The snow was pretty slushy but still walkable. This was actually the first time I visited my site that it wasn't sunny and blue skies! I guess I needed to see it from a different perspective at some point!

John's site of Red Rocks was also rainy. I love Red Rocks though so it was cool to be able to go back and see it because I hadn't seen it in a while! I walked down to the cliffs that people jump off of (no, I didn't jump) and was reminiscent of times spent there in the fall and summer! I think John's site will become even more beautiful as time goes on. And if I thought my site was a far walk... I was wrong!

The waterfront (Olivia and Alyssa's spot) was great as usual. I actually have been down there a of couple times in the past week! It was once again rainy when I went down last, so I didn't stay long. I ran down a few days ago though and was taken aback by how pretty it is! The waterfront is iconic to Burlington and I love going down there. Watching the sun set over the Adirondacks is one of my favorite things to do!

All in all, it was cool to see the similarities between the three places. The water looked about the same at all of them. In my spot, there was a little more ice on the lake. I think this is because Oak Ledge is situated in a bay, which gets less water movement and sunlight.

:-)

The many senses of Oak Ledge

This week at my site, I really enjoyed discovering more about my place through different senses. It smelled like crisp winter air, as it was very cold when I went to my place. The ice has been breaking up more, and the water underneath was sloshing against the rocks and ice that make up my spot. The water smelled the faintest bit like ocean, but I was probably just imagining it (wishful thinking). I could also hear the timid waves beating against the rocks. I loved the sound of it; it really reminded me that springtime is upon us! I even heard birds chirping (though I couldn't identify them - I really tried!). The snow is slowly disappearing but is now just packed down to the point that it feels like it's been there forever. There are a lot of patterns and textures in the snow and ice. The ice on the lake has split up into little pieces, making a sort of mosaic of all different sizes. It was extremely cold on this day, but the air was crisp and moist at the same time. There were a (very) few flurries that melted as soon as they hit any sort of surface. I could almost taste the water splashing into my mouth. 


Here is a photo of a cool pattern/texture I found in the snow:

:-)

SPRING is in the air!

This week when I went to my spot, it was definitely an adventure. I decided to brave the weather and ride my bike down to Oak Ledge. I overestimated the snowmelt - the path was completely covered and I ended up walking my bike there and back! I entered a different way and found a few more chimneys that I didn't know existed. I also found a staircase and the foundation of a house! When I finally got to my spot, it looked completely different!! First of all, someone had visited and built a fire pit right in the middle of my spot. They also decided to leave their empty beer bottles everywhere! That put a little damper on things. After getting over that, I noticed a lot of other changes. The warm weather melted a lot of the snow and the lake itself was not frozen over anymore. The rock underneath is also now visible! I tried really hard to find animals or even tracks, but I didn't find any really. I saw some dog paw prints but thats about it. I saw a few birds, mostly ducks, crows, and ring-billed seagulls. Hopefully I'll have better luck in the future!

Here are some photos to see the drastic changes in my site:

The fire I found!

Snowmelt... compare this same photo from all my posts.

Water!

Melting lake with Burlington in the background

:-) Happy spring!

Flying south for winter

For spring break, I went to New Orleans! Longest drive of my life but worth it for the 75 degree weather! I didn't actually see any birds in the city (I did see some crazy creatures wearing feathers but I won't go there...)! I did however go to the Audubon Zoo one day and saw lots of cool birds! I saw flamingoes (which I found out are not actually pink - they just look that way because they eat so much shrimp) and ostriches and emu and other big birds like that. I unfortunately don't have any photos of them. I also went to a plantation called Destrehan Plantation. It was really pretty and while there I saw a gorgeous little bird! It was singing in a tree and I was able to get a picture.

I don't remember what it's song sounds like, so I can't identify it that way. After searching around online, I think it's a Chickadee! But I don't know what kind! If you have any ideas, I'll gladly take them! 

I hope everyone had an amazing spring break full of birds!!!

:-)

P.S. Here is a map of where I was:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=216055676668274240240.00049e8c8177833b44cea&ll=29.932325,-90.11673&spn=0.517696,1.234589&t=h&z=10

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

My place was so amazing today! I went just in time for the sunset... keep reading for pictures! I also brought a friend along; it was fun to be able to share my phenology spot with someone else (plus it was a good way to get pictures of myself!). My friend also lent me his trusty North American Trees book, which proved to be a helpful resource in identifying trees around my place. I found five common trees around my area. Here they are!

Arbor Vitae (Cedar)

American Elm (This was a hard one because it wasn't on my sheet!)

Red Pine (This tree looks like it should be in a Dr. Suess book!)

Red Pine bark... so cool!

My buddy Red Maple and I with my trusty North American Trees book!

White Pine

Looking for trees was super exciting... but my site in general was awesome this week because it has changed SO MUCH since the last time I was there. The lake was completely frozen as far as I could see and I walked out onto it to a little island in the middle. From there, I watched the sunset over the Adirondacks and contemplated the life in my area. There is so much history and excitement going on in Oak Ledge, which was especially evident on this day. There were people out with their family and friends and dogs, birds flying overhead, animal (dogs... I checked) tracks in the snow, and amazing ice patterns everywhere I looked. This visit was exactly what I needed as a break from the busy week I've had. I haven't seen much animal life, but I'm excited for what's to come. I also learned some history about my site. It used to be a resort with a bunch of bungalows all around the cove. This is probably what the chimney is from! I also learned that the rock all around my site is Monkton Quartzite. All in all, the changes I found on this visit have only made me more excited for the weeks and changes to come! Here are some more photos to share my awesome visit with you all.

Walking on the ice

Me in front of my spot!

:-)

Sunny skies and ice melt...

This week was definitely an interesting one for the inhabitants of Oak Ledge. The ducks must have been confused to see their icy oasis of Lake Champlain transform into a tropical paradise and then go right back down to freezing. I would have liked to go to my spot on Friday, when it was pushing 50 degrees! But alas, I could not and can only imagine the puddles I would have had to sit in while at my spot. When I visited a few days later, it was frozen over again. This time, it was even more slippery because the ice melted and then refroze. Combined with the wind, I'm surprised I didn't slide right into the water! But it was still a beautiful day and though cold, my spot was filled with sun. The walk there was a little different because the snow wasn't as deep and it wasn't as much of a hike. Other than that, though, everything looked pretty much the same on land. The lake itself looked a little different. The iceberg chunks had shrunk in size and only sheets of ice, though not completely covering the lake, remained. I sat down and drew a little birds eye view map of my place. Here it is:

And here are a few photos:

A sheet of ice with Burlington as a backdrop.

The old chimney that is located on my site, as seen in my map.

All in all, a successful visit! :-)

My first visit to Oak Ledge

Today I went to my spot in Oak Ledge park. Though not my first visit to this spot, it was my first time going with a specific goal on my mind: patterns. As I trudged through the snow and debated whether I was actually standing on rocks or just a sheet of ice that cracked every time I took a step, I noticed patterns forming all around me. My spot was covered in snow and ice, and I could barely find the trail I take to get to my little rock cove by the water. Here are three of the patterns I noticed:

• There was a layer of ice covering the snow, and with every step I took it cracked to reveal fluffy snow underneath. The layer of ice was about half an inch thick (and the snow underneath was clean and tasty - yes, I judge snow quality by how good it tastes).
• The water had ice patches all over the surface that looked like little snow mounds. The lake was not frozen over, though. I could hear the water making a constant splish-splash against the ice.
• The sun was shining and it illuminated the ice in a way that made the ice look wavy. Another cool thing was that when I looked the other way in the, I could see the moon facing the sun.

I had some animal sightings as well! Mostly ducks floating through the water in formation, which was exciting to see! Also, I saw what looked like little deer tracks in the snow!

My phenology spot seems like it's going to be an exciting place to watch transform! I can't wait to see if I'm actually sitting on my rock or not as the snow melts, since I can't tell right now. 

Here are a few pictures!

:-)