Cottonwood Pond

Friday, February 2, 2018

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?

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Ghosts

Ghosts

November 21, 2017

(with photos at end from November 25 and 29)

I am not yet ready to declare “the death of Cottonwood Pond.” Its existence has not been truly tested – not until we have more seasons of snow melt and heavy downpours. Not until the “pond” becomes so filled that its bottom surface is almost level with the surrounding land. Not until I no longer see aquatic snails, water beetles, tadpoles, frogs.

And if it's not “dead” yet, it can't have a “ghost.”

The photos I took on my November 21^st visit sometimes exhibited amorphous, misty whitish areas floating within the scene.

They could have been caused by “lens flares,” from the intense sunlight of that day hitting the camera lens (and me not knowing how to compensate for that,) or it could have been caused by a smudge on my lens that collected and intensified light.

Whatever the case, they looked interesting and I found them symbolic of what had been happening – spirits hovering as omens of the death of Cottonwood Pond, or spirits of positive changes and ever-flowing Life. I prefer the latter.

The bed of fallen leaves in the woodland and at Cottonwood Pond had become thicker, and had lost individual, varietal color, turning yellow-brown, overall. It was more like walking through a giant bowl of corn flake cereal, each flake identical in color and somewhat similar in shape, deep and crunchy (without the milk or sugar.)

An exception: the late-changing Boxelder

Leaves had clogged up any places where water still flowed or gathered.

Creek water

Creek

The Inlet to the main pond

The main “pond” was only a thin crescent of leafy water (like soggy corn flakes.)

Silas drinking from Cottonwood Pond

A "ghost" at "little pond"

A little bit of water visible in "little pond"

Features around the pond that had once seemed stable and solid were on their way to becoming ghosts of themselves.

The Inlet and the rotting Barkless Log

The mycelium of this mushroom, inside the Barkless Log, are helping to break down the wood fibers

The same is true for this purple jelly fungus on the Barkless Log

The Barkless Log begins on the opposite side of the Creek, then spans the Creek and Inlet, skirting the Root Ball. At the Root Ball it divides into and upper and lower limb. This is the lower, rapidly decaying.

The Trunk of the fallen Cottowood tree has been losing bark and supporting other forms of life (besides temporarily supporting Silas, here)

Moss and lichen on the Trunk

The Very Rotten Log, disappearing into the leaves and the ground. It extends from the other side of the Creek (distant) to the Inlet (foreground - not visible) and has lost a section to the pond itself.

The roots of the Cottonwood Root Ball have been gradually exposed, over the years, to the elements and to animal action. Pieces of them have been breaking off and falling.

The work of animals on the roots of the Root Ball Top (this and following photo)

Plants that had flourished from spring through early autumn, full of turgid strength in their stems, succulent leaves and colorful flowers attracting insects, had become composed of brittle, shrunken leaves and the fluffs and husks of late autumn seeds.

A small-leaved Aster

Another type of Aster

White Snakeroot, in the wind

Great Blue Lobelia

An old Wood Nettle plant, gradually being enveloped by the increasing Mud Pile

The flow path from the Swampy Spot (foreground) to the Inlet, through a sea of dead plant stalks

But, the “spirits” of positive changes, of the constant Cycle of Life, were present and at work. Already, young green plants were popping up through the deep, dry leaf layer, promising new Life for next spring and summer. The leaves will protect them from winter cold, snow and ice.