Winter Opening
November 2018
October 30
November 1
November 12
November 14
November 15
November 17
The most remarkable change at
Cottonwood Pond, and in the whole woodland, during the first half of
November, was the opening up of the scene. The woods went from green,
to blazing fall color, to leaf drop in a short period of time, rather
abruptly with each change.
Woodland slope above Cottonwood Pond:
October 30
November 2
November 8
November 10
November 11 - evening
November 14
November 15
With that, my view of Cottonwood Pond,
from the top edge of the woods, changed drastically. At the end of
October, I still needed to move up and down or left and right to find
a good view of the area. Dense greenery still obstructed and mottled
the view. But by mid-November I could see straight down to
Cottonwood Pond from any position as woods' edge. I didn't even need
to be close to the edge. A light snowfall accentuated features down
below. I could even see the whole fallen Cottonwood Trunk, all the
way up to where it rested in the “v” of a double-trunk Red Oak up
the opposite slope.
October 30 - Cottonwood Pond and the Root Ball
November 7 - on the way down to Cottonwood Pond - sunlight still streaks through the canopy
November 9
November 10 - Much more light reaching the forest floor
November 15 - the upper woodland above Cottonwood Pond
November 10 - canopy over Cottonwood Pond
Wind, rain, snow, ice, and a quick
procession of the seasonal change brought leaves and seeds tumbling
to the forest floor in short time. At first, they created a fluffy
dressing on the woods' floor in a multitude of colors and textures.
Precipitation sometimes decorated the leaves with droplets, ice, and
crystalline designs. Over time, the leafy layer started to compress
and darken.
November 2 - Sycamore seed ball and leaves on forest floor
November 12 - White Oak leaf
November 14 - Leaves of Sugar Maple fallen on top of snow
October 30 - Still much green on the trees, and hardly any fallen leaves on the floor
November 7 - From the top of the far woodland slope, looking down to the woods' bottom
November 11 - looking across the woods to the east - Cottonwood Pond is off the photo, to the left
November 15 - my tracks on the slope, from the day before
The process had begun – all of the
work done by trees over the spring and summer was beginning to turn
to soil, which would shelter and feed many types of organisms, from
microscopic to clearly visible. This soil-to-come would also support
next spring's new plants, as well as nurturing roots of trees and
fungal mycelia.
In respect to Cottonwood Pond,
nutrients and small organisms from this layer would wash into the
water with each rain and snow melt. The Creek would be carrying these
a little more quickly, sometimes depositing onto its banks, the rest
carried further downstream, into other streams, and eventually into
major rivers.
November 1 - Cottonwood Pond and the Creek
November 9 - Creek becoming choked with newly fallen leaves
November 14 - the contrast of snow shows up the Creek and flow paths into it
November 14 - Creek going under the Barkless Log near Cottonwood Pond
November 14 - piles of newly-fallen leaves just under the Creek surface
November 15 - looking upstream - the Creek on either side of the Barkless Log, near Cottonwood Pond
A more direct impact on Cottonwood Pond
itself would be the leaf layer that fell and collected directly into
its water. These would rot in place, immediately adding their
nutrients to the “pond”.
November 2 - some leaves in the bottom of the pond
November 2 - "little pond" (left) and the main pond (right) with the Cottonwood Root Ball in the middle - after a heavy rain
November 7 - many more leaves in the pond
November 9 - the pond filled with leaves
November 12
November 15 - leaves piled up on the Mud Pile below the Root Ball
November 15 - looking down the Cottonwood Trunk toward "little pond" - just a dark spot
November 17 - looking over the Barkless Log/Inlet at Cottonwood Pond
November 15
When I watch this process at Cottonwood
Pond, I also think ahead. I see the snails and other small creatures
that may inhabit the pond during spring and summer. I see the tiny
tadpoles, and hear the calls of the frogs they become. I see larger
animals coming to investigate, either to hunt, peck, drink, or rest –
deer, raccoons, birds, snakes, foxes, squirrels, coyotes, and more. I
see Crawdad chimneys being rebuilt, and imagine their activity at
night, that I have never (yet) witnessed.
I see the ardent flow of water in and
out of this place during heavy rains, and imagine the seeds that it
carries, and I see the plants sprouting along the edge and all along
the route the water takes to the creek further upstream.
And, at that time, the woodland will
again be filled in, thick like a jungle, while tree saplings growing
from the Cottonwood Pond Root Ball grow further up toward the forest
canopy.
November 15 - saplings growing from the base of the Cottonwood Trunk
Bonus Photos from the first half of
November, 2018, at Cottonwood Pond:
November 7: Purple fungi on the Barkless log
November 9: Elderberry still in leaf at the southeast end of the Root Ball
November 12 - A dusting of snow and assortment of leaves on the Barkless Log
November 15: Fox Squirrel tracks on the Barkless Log
It was "raining" in the woods when ice droplets in the canopy were melting
November 15: A "snow shadow" under the fallen Cottonwood Trunk
November 17: The Barkless Log over the Creek … look more closely …
… insects, or … tiny fairies?
