Stormy Season
November 6
(with photos from
November 9 and 20 following)
Autumn became Thunderstorm
Season- delayed from summertime. The abundant rains served to refresh the
landscape – creeks, ponds, etc. - and to knock more autumn leaves down to the
forest floor.
The Creek at the Barkless Log
The Creek, upstream from Cottonwood Pond - actually running again
The Creek running downstream from Cottonwood Pond
The "Goblin" of Cottonwood Pond
Did I see a glimmer of water
at Cottonwood Pond, below the “goblin” face?
Yes! And clouded with
sediment, evidence of strong flow into
the area.
Cottonwood Pond, with Silas
Looking across Cottonwood Pond from the northwest - the Barkless Log, Inlet and Broken Blue Beech at the far end
The Cottonwood Trunk and Root Ball with "little pond"
The water had arrived atop a
thick layer of fallen leaves and other debris.
The broken section of thee
Very Rotten Log was saturated with the new influx of water.
Flow paths were starting to
become visible again, due to the resurgence of water as well as the thinning
vegetation.
Temporary Creek #1, flowing toward the Swampy Spot
Water flows under the Trunk from the Swampy Spot toward "little pond"
Water also flows from the Swampy Spot (left) toward the Inlet, where it enters Cottonwood Pond
The storms had also pushed
more soil off of the Root Ball to the area below (the pile of soil was creeping
further in to the bowl of earth) and exposed more roots to the ravages of
weather, animals and other decomposing elements.
More fresh sediment on the Mud Pile
Soil and debris tumbling down to the water
The thinning edge of the Root Ball
This moistening and shifting
of Root Ball soil was allowing the section of Broken Blue Beech over the Root
Ball edge to sink lower toward the pond. Since the other section was no longer
attached and was pulled by gravity on its rooted end, the upper end of it had pulled
farther upward, to about 75 degrees above the pond.
The Broken Blue Beech - saplings growing from the base of the original tree (left)
Looking up into the new canopy of the Blue Beech saplings
Section near the Root Ball
Fungi on the above section
As for the Barkless Log below
that, it was displaying a variety of life along its length, some encouraged by the rains.
Looking up the Barkless Log, from its root section toward Cottonwood Pond
Cottonwood Pond and its vicinity was an array of colors and
textures settled on the forest floor, the water, the logs …
The "Goblin" wearing a leafy "beard" for the season
… and bright colors in the
canopy, still with some green.
Blue Beech
Boxelder
I would continue to enjoy the
parade of color on and around Cottonwood Pond.
*********************************************************************************
Further along in November:
Cottonwood Pond from afar:
November 9
November 20
Cottonwood Pond and the back slope
November 9
November 20
Cottonwood Pond and the adjacent area to the southeast (Swampy Spot, etc.)
November 9
November 20
November 20: front slope to southeast
November 20
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