I go home every weekend and spend Saturday afternoons outside in the small backyard that feels more like a patio. My home is a part of an apartment complex so there are always signs of human activity present, from the view of the next door apartments to the sounds of the cars passing by, yet the sounds are never too loud. Although this is within the city, I find comfort sitting outside, when the weather permits. The space between the building and the fence that lines the property is small so during the windy days throughout the winter it does feel colder than what the thermometer says.
Aside from the grass, nothing much has changed in the landscape. The hierba buena plant I wrote about last month is still growing leaves. The oak trees are still hibernating. None of the trees in my neighborhood have shown any signs of new leaves growing. On the upside, I have been able to find pecans from the pecan trees located near. I haven’t heard the crows or any other kinds of birds. Overall, the feeling of winter is still presence in East Austin. Despite it being winter, I wonder why there are squirrels active on the St. Edward’s campus yet across town,there sre no squirrels to be seen.
In A Sand County Almanac, Leopold states that “It is fortunate… that no matter how intently one studies the hundred little dramas of the woods and meadows, one can never learn all of the salient facts about any one of them.” I think this describes the small-scale adventure I have had in my backyard so far. Although I notice something new each week, nothing is, or will be, the same the next time I decide to look at it. With the seasons soon changing again, I think I will start to notice small details as the temperature starts to rise once more. I plan to be on the look out for signs of birds returning to the area as well as looking at the trees for when their leaves start to blossom again.
Even though it is still cold outside on most days, my backyard never seizes to amaze me. How is the grass still green in this kind of weather? In other parts of town, including the St. Edward’s campus, I see that the grass is dry. I water the small garden my mom has outside but not the grass, yet it still finds a way to flourish. As I do this, I think about how I find it difficult to sit outside when it’s cold. I start to feel stressed because my body insists that I go indoors before my asthma and allergies are potentially triggered. During the warmer weather, I feel more relaxed when I am outside. If it weren’t for the risk of getting sick, I would consider spending more time outside during the fall and winter. However with seasonal allergies, I find myself constantly avoiding the outdoors whenever I can.