Winter's Progression #1

Winter’s Progression #1

November 29 and December 22, 2017

November 29

December 22

Early winter of 2017-2018 started out very mild and comparatively warm. The woodland was brown overall, with vertical streaks of light and dark gray.

It had also been dry for some time. The leafy forest floor was crunchy and loud when walked upon. The Root Ball of the fallen Cottonwood tree down at Cottonwood Pond was Bone-Dry Gray (which should be the name of a paint color.) there had been no sign of a “pond,” a Creek, or any other settlement of water. I was waiting for a good rain to see what shape the pond would take, if any. Cottonwood Pond had changed considerably after so much soil had fallen from the Root Ball over the past year.

November 29

I could only see a narrow, crescent-shaped trough where a half-circle of deeper water had existed in earlier times.

November 29

The “ghoul” face of the Root Ball Bottom had also changed considerably.  It’s “eyes” were two small, dark, vacant circles. The large “nose” was gone, leaving in its place a small round knob of soil. The “mouth” below (the Cove opening) was becoming less visible as the Mud Pile grew taller in front of it, showing just a corner of a sort of smile. Its weedy “hair” had thinned, great tufts hanging off of either side, but just a little left on top (enough for a comb-over?)

A month later, we finally had a decent amount of rain. We also finally experienced true winter cold and a light dusting of snow. Clumps of crystals had settled onto the brown leaves of the forest floor and were stuck to green moss.

It was a mistake to wear these shoes into the woods on December 22. My feet were wet before I got down to Cottonwood Pond.

In fact, the whiteness of snow crystals dressed all of the areas where moisture and water had settled, bringing them out against the brown surroundings and painting a picture of dampness and drainage in the bottom land.

The front slope, looking southeast

Looking toward the Swampy Spot and Creek, to the southeast of Cottonwood Pond. The white makes the wet areas stand out.

The Creek going under the Barkless Log - looking southeast and upstream

The Creek downstream of Cottonwood Pond

The Creek had returned!

  

And so had Cottonwood Pond!!

The main pond was choked with autumn leaves that hadn’t much time, or conditions, to break down. Yet, water had extended beyond the banks and was flowing in all of its usual directions in the area.

Cottonwood Pond (left) and the Swampy Spot (right) that flows into it

Cottonwood Pond and the Isthmus (next to the Two-Trunk White Ash) connecting it to "little pond" on the other side

Cottonwood Pond the Isthmus (left) and the Inlet (right)

Where the Seep drains into the Creek (the Seep starts at the corner of the pond and takes care of overflow from it)

From the north - the corner of "little pond" (foreground,) the Isthmus, and the corner of the main pond

Looking southeast to "little pond," the Trunk, and the Root Ball Top

Looking down the Trunk to "little pond" and the Root Ball Top - notice tree saplings growing out of the Root Ball

Temporary Creek #1 which feeds the Swampy Spot

A very sodden Swampy Spot

Where water flows (from the Swampy Spot) through the Inlet and into the main pond

Root chunks that had fallen from the Root Ball Bottom earlier had become entrenched with mud and decorated with leaves.

Besides awakening the moss, heavy rains had brought other things to life that had been dry and dormant …

A very sodden Crawdad chimney

Lichen

Turkey Tail fungi on a log near "little pond"

Tiny mushroom "pins" developing on the Very Rotten Log, over the Creek

Purple jelly fungus growing on the Barkless Log

Some tiny sprouts of early spring plants had popped up during the previous warm spell, but were still surviving during the freeze

… and had left tiny, fresh droplets clinging to plants.

Droplets clinging to a dead Honewort plant and its remaining seeds, next to Cottonwood Pond

Moss on the Barkless Log over the main pond

As I wandered around Cottonwood Pond, more droplets were falling from above, becoming gradually icier.

  

I worked my way back up the slope toward the house, hoping for more snow and a more traditional winter.

Christmas was on the way.

Near the roots of the Barkless Log - had one of Santa's elves left its walking stick?