Week 6 ...goodbye

    Everything has secrets, its untold story. Some we may never know ( like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop) (Tootsie), and some we may find out while we are procrastinating from raking leaves by observing that nest you're curious about.

About two weeks ago, I was told to go outside (in the cold) to rake leaves; and of course that's what every 17 year old wants to do on a Saturday right? Anyways, as I was raking all those fricken leaves, when my attention was captured by the nest sitting snug on the base of my tree. I was debating whether or not I should grab it when my younger sister comes out and asks what I was doing. I explained to her the observation project I had to do for my English class. She then told me that she had found the nest on the street. She and my step dad had set the nest on my tree in hopes to create a home for a new family of birds. I never would have guessed the story of that nest.

It was very windy the next few days after I was told the truth about the nest (All). When the weather settled down, I went out only to find that the hard dirt part of the nest was cracked. That strong, little nest was never claimed; and now it never will.


My tree is now completely pale and naked. This chapter of life is over. I'm excited to see what the next chapter brings with the end of winter and rise of spring.

Some people think little things don't matter; but what they may not realize is no matter how simple or dull an object may seem, there will always be something that makes it extraordinary. Everything has an untold story. It just takes the right people to figure it out.

Sources

 

"Tootsie Roll Inc." Tootsie Scientific Endeavors. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

http://www.tootsie.com/howmanylick-experiments

 

 

"All About Birds." : Nesting Information. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/faq/nesting_info/document_view

   

Week 5

“The tree looks so naked.” 11/11/14  “The branches are low again from the rain last night.” 11/13/14  “It was so beautiful outside after tryouts. It was raining and the sky was gloomy; just beautiful.” 11/15/14  “So today in mass I was thinking about the observation project and how when it rains the tree’s branches sort of slump down. It reminds me of moods.” 11/16/14 -Field Notes

I absolutely love gloomy days. Especially when the rain is trickling down and you can hear the soft drip drop wherever you go. 

So for some reason I was thinking what if a gloomy day affects the tree like it affects people. Not all people get affected by weather, but some do. AND YES, I know it’s a tree not a person and a tree doesn’t have feelings and it’s just the weather change that's changing the tree; but have you ever noticed how lively and vibrant trees are in the summer just like people are and in the winter everything is slow and gloomy? (Info)

 Well, after some research, I found that weather doesn’t effect trees besides, of course, the loss of leaves and color change, but trees effect our climate which effects weather. Trees affect our weather in three ways: they lower temperatures, reduce energy usage and reduce air polution. Every part of the tree contributes to climate control, from leaves to roots. (Trimarchi)

It's amazing how trees are so simple yet so important to us, how extraordinary.

Work Cited

Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 14 Dec. 2014. 



http://www.infoplease.com/science/weather/moods.html  

 

Trimarchi, Maria. HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/storms/trees-affect-weather1.htm

Week 4

1.     Leaves

The leaves on my tree have not changed colors, more like shades. The only yellow leaves that were on Him are the few I’ve mentioned in previous posts. Other than those few, it has been nothing but green leaves. On November 3, 2014, it was super windy. I drove by my house to see a lake of leaves surrounding the tree. From that day on there was something different about the tree that I never paid attention to before. 

      “The leaves on the tree look as if you can crunch them in your hand and turn them into tiny flakes.” – Field Notes 11/6/14

“More than half the leaves on the tree look pale-green and dead.” – Field Notes 11/9/14

Most of the leaves now are just waiting for the breeze to come so they can gently float to the ground.

 

2.     Branches

The tree has lost some limbs these last few weeks. I’ve come across a few branches here and there just lying on the floor. The branch I found the fly sunbathing on is no longer there. I guess the fly will have to find a new bed to relax on.

 

3.     Nests

The birds nests has now become the home to a few leaves.

 

Week 3
Can you feel the sweet, crisp breathes? With the slightest exhale it can tear anything apart.

 

 

I was getting mad because I haven't been able to see any significant changes in my tree. It was all the same things I've seen before: "Most of the leaves are green. There are a few yellow leaves. Still no bird sighting, but I know they are there because of the bird crap on my car." Then my awesome English teacher told me to take a look at the surroundings of the tree. At first I thought that was a stupid idea because all there is around the tree is my ugly ass yard with these pebble things that the previous owner thought would look good in dirt... Then I realized I was looking too closely at my observation and that my English teacher was right. I started looking around the area and saw something that I've always noticed but never really paid any attention to why it was like that. A part of the sidewalk is lifted up from the thick roots of my tree.

 

 

The wind kicked in a bit the last couple of days. Besides being able to feel the wind, I've been able to see the out come of a windy night. One night after I came home from my volleyball game the wind was blowing pretty hard. My tree's branches are long and go over the side of street where I park; so when I got out of my car trying to grab my bags and keep the door from swinging open, one of the braches hit me on the head. That same night my front neighbor's tree lost one of its main branches. There are a lot more leaves on the ground now, but there are still many stubborn leaves fighting to stay on their tree.

The whistling of the wind still goes on as I'm writing this blog. It's taking deep breathes as if it was running a marathon.

Whipped

Watching the trees 
get whipped by wind and rain,
      I thought of the birds

of falling nests 
and    
broken wings,

why are there none 
at my window today?

Yesterday they were here, 
when the liquid curtains fell

Let them seek shelter here.

I hear them distantly, 
and pray they are well,
braving gust and water,
far, far stronger 
than me. 

 

www.poetrysoup.com

 

I guess you can say the weather is changing.

  



Week 2
This week I'd like to focus on leaves. Many people may think there's nothing special, nothing extraordinary about leaves; well I say different. Leaves are like snowflakes; you will never find two leaves that are exactly the alike.
     1. The Lost Battle
The first week I started observing my tree, there were very few leaves on the ground. On October 14, Mother Nature decided to give us a treat and make that day super windy. If you take the time to just sit outside and listen, you can hear the beautiful music the tree makes on a windy night. You can hear the long fight of the leaves trying hard to keep their lives. I walk outside the next morning seeing piles of leaves on the ground; the battle was lost.
     2. Keep Your Eyes Open
On a happier note, there are still many leaves on the tree. For a couple of days I didn't see any changes in the tree. There was nothing new to observe until I saw a chewed up leaf on one of the lower branches. I walked over to it to see if there were any insects eating away at it and came to find a fly sunbathing on the leaf. Whether the beauty in leaves be the change of colors they go through from green to yellow to orange to red, or a chewed up leaf be a relaxing bed for a fly, each and every leaf is special and has its own unique creation.

You just have to be willing to recognize how beautiful the simple things are.

                                                                                                                                                            

  It's about time we are made to take interest in something other than ourselves and our phones. This observation  project will hopefully open our eyes to the "real world" and maybe someone else's.

Week 1
   I'm observing this big, deciduous tree in my front yard at my mom's house. This week I went for a wide view on the tree.
    1. The leaves.
There are many leaves on the tree and very few on the ground. Most of the leaves are large and dark green. There were two small branches that had nothing but small, yellow leaves.  These large, small, green, and yellow leaves are all fighters. Through some rough days with the wind and rain they remain strong holding onto their branches. Soon I will have to be out there raking up the leaves who are done living their life.
    2. Branches.
The branches are long and thick enough to climb. From the roots of the tree to the highest branch the tree is about 40 feet tall.  I think I might climb Him to see what else I can find, but first I'll have to remove all of the little branches in between.
    3. Nests!
On the base of the tree before the main branches go their separate ways, lay an empty birds nest. Higher up on the tree is another birds nest. The second nest isn't as neatly done as the first and looks like it can't be used anymore. The only problem about finding these nests is that I haven't seen or heard any birds. We will see what next week brings us.