“No matter how intently one studies the hundred little dramas of the woods and meadows, one can never learn all the salient facts about any one of them.”
-Aldo Leopold
Over the past few months, I have been residing after a bike ride in Big Stacy park just down the road from St. Edwards. I started to blog about the spot in early September and am deciding to reflect on the changes now instead on my final blog because I want to compare each of my observances in December. Down in Big Stacy park there is a small buddha and a bench right in front of a creek in which you can sit and observe. The first time I visited it was early fall and Austin had been fairly dry. I spotted bees around the flowers and I could hear the birds chirping in the trees. I kept noticing an orange and white spotted butterfly which would land on the leaves of plants in front of me. It was a humid early morning, but with a very beautiful shining sun. Since it was so dry, the land beneath my feet was dried up mud which seemed to have cracked a while ago. The plants were dry and mostly dead, however the sunflowers across the dried up creek seemed to have bloomed so magically. The leaves of the trees were slowly starting to fall, I noticed as I watched the two squirrels play among the branches. I questioned when the creek had dried up and when it would fill again.
As I visited in late september, It had warmed up a bit. It was 93 degrees outside and still a little humid. Sadly, the river was still dried up and the vegetation was in need of rainfall. Since it was humid, Mosquitos were clearly visible, for I had gotten bit a few times. I had noticed that this buddha was a very popular place to come to and rest. Someone had placed a dog statue next to the tree to the right of me, I still wonder to this day why someone put that there. It was just before sunset when I observed, the birds were singing and little bugs were crawling around the ground. The plants were still dry, although they were greener this time. I did not notice too much change, however the season is just about to change.
My last observance at Big Stacy Park was quite exciting. It was a beautiful sunny day in November and the place was full of green. Someone had planted a few plants and there was new mulch amongst the plant and the flowers were now visible. The trees leaves were a greenish yellow color, which means that winter is slowly arriving. What I was most happy about is that the creek finally had water running through! Each time I had visited before, it was dry. But the rainfall aided the vegetation and life for the creek, which is so beautiful. The weather had been cooling off too, it was in the mid 60s this time. Change is so wonderful!
