Freshening

Freshening

September 13, 2017

The woodland was dim on that cloudy, rainy day.

Woodland to the southeast - Creek at the bottom is hardly discerned

Woodland to the North, including bottom land - color change barely beginning 

The dry period had been causing leaves to dry and fall, and others to turn color, prematurely.

We were happy to have some rain, but it was not enough to make up for the long dry stretch.

Dry stripe on the ground where the horizontal Cottonwood Trunk blocked the rain

Moisture coated leaves and created a glistening over the ground, but it was not enough rain to penetrate below the surface of the soil, let along create any pools of water. The dry period was also allowing plants to gain good growth in normally flooded spots.

Hole dug by an animal near the Trunk - evidence of very dry soil under the surface

Pester on the Creek bed

Creek bed, upstream

End of Seep, with Bark Ledge, at Creek and Very Rotten Log - plants gaining ground

Pester near the Isthmus, main pond corner, and Seep start

Looking up Temporary Creek #1 from Swampy Spot

Wet leaves of the Blue Birch growing on top of the Trunk

The broken-off piece of the Very Rotten Log was left high-and-dry in the middle of the main pond floor. On the broken piece of the far end, under the Inlet, rain had given just enough encouragement to moss and the enlarging leaves of Clearweed.

Prematurely-fallen Maple seeds on the Barkless log

The “old goblin face” in the Root Ball Bottom was still there, with its bushy green mustache, but the soil there was bone dry.

Blue Beech saplings on the right, and a spot of blue just to the left of center (more on that later ...)

Close to the Root Ball Bottom - very dry surface of Mud Pile below looks almost compacted

Good-sized animal burrow in Root Ball Bottom, with webbing at entrance

From the south

On the other side of the Root Ball, though, soil of the Root Ball Top and “little pond,” so much more often in the shade, was wetter and darker.

Root Ball Top, "little pond" and Trunk

Tree saplings growing from the Root Ball Top side

The seedling growing from the little bit of bark left on the Trunk - still don't know what it is!

Though some plants were in fruit or seed, there were some still in full bloom.

Tall Blue Lettuce, bending over the Creek, has developed its fluffy seeds

False Nettle going to seed

Ditch Stonecrop going to seed, and some very chewed-up leaves

Orange Jewelweed still in full bloom on the Mud Pile (and in the surrounding bottom land)

Water Smartweed ... still in bloom

Here is that spot of blue seen earlier near the main pond - Great Blue Lobelia in bloom ...

... and also near the Swampy Spot.

Oops ... one down 

Waiting, waiting, for some real rain ….