January 31, 2014
It’s a warm winter afternoon at Blunn Creek after a hectic weather through out the week. Today, the temperature is 77 F and there is no chance of precipitation. Initially, I was on the look for animals and insects. I was really excited to observe animal behavior, but the most I got to see were ants on a pile of dead leaves one squirrel passing by and a few birds. I was alone, thinking to myself that I was probably the only living thing standing in this environment, and the more I observed, the more I realized how the place was half alive, or half dead. It is amazing how there is a vivid contrast between leave less trunks and green trees. What explains such interaction? Maybe the weather keeps tricking the plants like it tricks us humans, by always being unpredictable and in constant change, sometimes making us believe we’re prepared for tomorrow, and some fall for it, and some don’t. Right now I’m assuming that those trees that are fully green have adapted to the altering Austin climate. In January, you can find leaves of a variety of tones of green (or brown). As time passed by, I started to notice things that before reading A Sand County Almanac I wasn’t aware of. As Aldo Leopold said, “There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why” (4). The environment is full of interactions, and every organism plays a role. Even if it’s winter, some trees still produce fruits for birds; dead leaves provide shelter for insects and grass grows taller in different sections for rodents. I am excited about documenting this cycle for the following months!