Käyttäjän katlykins päiväkirja

Location: Ravenna Park
Time: 4:00 pm
Date: October 21
Temperature: 52 F

The first thing I notice upon arriving at my site is silence. While I sat during my first visit, everything around me was alive. The wind caused the cedar trees above me to bristle and birds chirped ceaselessly. I wondered if the extreme weather conditions earlier in the day played a part in the sudden peace. I began to look towards the ferns I first documented last week. The one in the river, which appears to be a Lady Fern, seems to have grown out more and is now hunched over. It also seems to have lost some of its colors. Inhaling the air around the fern, it smells almost sweet and damp.
Distancing myself from the fern, I can smell the collection of wood that surrounds me and am engulfed by the crisp air resulting from the recent rain. I notice that there have been few changes to the tree directly above me from my last visit. I now know that, because the tree appears to be a Western Redcedar, it is in the genus of coniferous trees. I feel the leaves, which have a surprisingly soft texture and run my hand down the bark, which is a bit tougher than I expected.
The ground around me has continued to fill with loose pine and fallen branches. Sitting down on the ground, I dig into the floor and am able to find a few worms that have risen close to the surface. I notice how moist the dirt is today. The overall appearance of my site has no changed much. I think that, because the trees surrounding my selected location are coniferous, the area at large will remain similar. However, as you zone into the individual plants, the site will drastically change as the weather becomes cooler and rain more frequent.
I would also like to expand on some of the thoughts I addressed in my last journal entry. Nature is so often exploited by humans. I have loved the concept of getting to thoroughly explore an area of nature and document my experience through writing, pictures, and drawing however I have already begun to identify that true-peace may not be possible. My selected location is near the beaten path at Ravenna park and there have been several instances when I will be deep in focus, listening for birds or observing a plant, and am distracted by voices from the populated trail. This corresponds with my notion that many areas have become spoiled by humans. Despite Ravenna Park being an exceptional oasis from the urban areas that make up Seattle, it still is very touched and the presence of humans is constant. The feeling of escape is only temporary. Soon you walk back onto the path and past several others trying to accomplish the same mission.

Journal Entry 1

Time: 4:30 pm

Temperature: 61F

Weather: partly cloudy, breezy

Site: Ravenna Park

The site I chose was nestled in Ravenna Park. A trail backs up beside and only a group of trees separate me from the occasional walker or runner. I can hear their soft footsteps pat down the dirt trail. I can also hear branches of the surrounding, what seem to be pine trees, crack as squirrels run up and down. Various birds chirp in the distance but I am unable to decipher them by their sound alone. One has a very distinct vocal range. It sounds similar to a crow. The area surrounding me is green. Everything looks to be well-nourished although I can see Autumn taking some pigment from the plants. I see this particularly in a nearby fern and the trees that tower above me.
The crow sounding bird continues to chirp, becoming almost aggressive. The sound currently dominates all others. As I breathe in, the air smells very crisp. Unlike the loud chirping that overtakes my ears, there is not one overbearing smell but several that come together. It is a pleasant scent. The air begins to cool as the trees block any last bit of sunlight. Small bits fall from those trees snd scatter on the ground around me. As I move closer to my select location, I sit next to a fern plant. The air around me continues to feel and smell crisp although it seems somewhat fresher. I can smell the earth. I hear the light, soft flow of a river that lies in front of me and I watch as the water maneuvers its way down a stream obstructed by fallen leaves, branches, and scattered rocks. Plants have begun to grow on the rocks.
I can still hear the crow-like bird although the chirps have become more infrequent. I hear several other birds begin to sound to each other. I am, still, unable to identify the type of bird each is based on their sound. I feel the ground around me. The dirt is very moist and the floor is covered in golden pines that have fallen. I am not able to find any insect in the dirt nor am I able to find any stuck to the side of the tree I sit by. I do however notice a cotton-like material hooked to the tree. I am unsure if this is a natural formation or an item placed by a human. It is quieter in this location. I am further from the trail and near nature. As I am getting ready to pack up, I hear and see a squirrel come up next to me. Once it had noticed my presence, it quickly sprinted away and up a tree. This was the first break of peace I have had since arriving.