“High up near the headwaters we had once seen a fork, narrow, deep, and fed by cold springs .” – A Sand County almanac
The sun warms my face an and the sky is baby blue and endless over head. There are birds chirping. Its January 31st, and 80 degrees outside. Only 48 hours ago, at 4:14 pm it was 28 degrees. I am sitting in Blunn creek, located in south Austin , Texas.
I have chosen to study Blunn Creek because it is a place that I only recently discovered. Blunn creek is located in a hilly area covered with weeds, cacti, and dirt. Everything looked very dry. The trees looked barren and fradgile. Occaisionally there would be a patch of green here of there.
After about five minutes of hiking I found a beautiful spot overlooking a manmade ditch. I could tell the ditch was manmade because it had sharp edges that seem too straight and smooth to be natural.
The entire clearing was covered in limestone rock. In the middle of the clearing, there was running water coming from the drainage ditch. When I looked upstream I noticed that the stream flowed from a fork into two directions, merging eventually. Everything felt peaceful. I heard birds chirping, water flowing, and the whoosh of moving cars in the distance.
I looked across the drainage and noticed plastic blue cylinders that apperead to be planted in the ground. I crossed the stream to take a closer look, and discovered that the cyldinder was placed around the young trunk of a baby tree. I was not sure what they were for, but I assume they were placed there to protect the baby tree and ensure that it grows.
I then walked down to the stream and studied the running water.The water was clear with green moss floating on the surface. The water is no more than three inches deep. As I continued my path down the stream I noticed trash caught in the weeds on the hill. There were plastic bags, cans, and bottles. It was very disappointing to see such beautiful place be so polluted. I look forward to continuing observing Blunn creek and record the changes and nuances that make it such a beautiful place.
The blue tree protector tube
Limestone Valley
