HEATH CREEK NATURE LOGS

Nature Log 1: (February 17, 2005. 2:45pm.) I sat down against a tree near the creek-bank. I observed a thin coating of ice over the creek. The water continued to gently flow beneath the ice. The sun was shining very brightly and reflecting off of the snow and ice. Despite the fact that it still is definitely winter, I saw a surprising amount of color. The creek water was the color of car-rust. The trees assume a more gray color when they are without their leaves. The dried grass near the creek swayed its tan arms in the wind. Patches of snow remained in some of the shady spots on the forest floor. I noticed an abundance of white stair-like fungus on most of the dead trees. These decaying logs were a dark brown and deep mossy green color. I also saw bright red/purple thorny vines; these seemed to I walked down the creek a bit and came across a few green furry ground plants. (I was shocked to find something so green.)

I was pleasantly surprised by lots of noises, too. I heard a bird that had a rapid-fire chirp. It flew away before I could catch a glimpse of it. There was another bird that I couldn’t see, but it had a high-pitched sporadic chirp. It sounded a lot like the chirp made by those tiny red Audobon birdcalls. In addition to the birds, I could hear the dried grass quietly rustling in the breeze. I also hear ice creaking and cracking as it expanded and adjusted. (Some were REALLY loud; they scared me.)

Here are five questions I had while sitting near the creek: 1) Does being just below the highway affect the amount of wildlife (birds, deer, critters) here at Heath Creek? 2)Was Heath Creek always this size, or was it once bigger/smaller? 3)What does the aquatic life do when the Creek freezes over? 4)Why do all of the trees near/on the creek’s banks lean in toward the water? 5)How long is the Creek?

When I’m here, in a natural place where I am not able to see highways and buildings, I forget about all of that stuff. (Thankfully.) But, when I am in buildings, and on highways, I tend to forget about trees and creeks and creatures in the non-human natural environment. It seems to be a tragic case of out-of-sight= out-of mind.

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Nature Log 2: (March 3, 2005. 8:00am.) There was no sun shining when I first went out, but it was beginning to peak out on the walk home around 9:15am. The weather was absolutely delectable today. I dragged my fiancé to the creek with me this morning. He protested the entire way, like a little kid who was still in nap-phase. Almost the entire way down, he was saying: "I want to go back to bed." But I told him, "No. Mama Earth wants you to be out here with her…it's invigorating." He continued to protest and later ran head first into a small tree limb. I told him it was Mama Earth trying to wake him up. When we reached the creek we both went separate ways. I sat downstream from him about a hundred feet. While observing birdcalls and resting in the warmth of almost-spring, I looked upstream to see him lying down on a bed of dried creek grass. I found it difficult to believe that he was still protesting. How could he? He was resting on a soft natural bed. The morning air was gorgeous and birds were singing all around him.

There were oodles of birds out this morning. It really is a chorus of birds, each competently singing her/his part in the choir. (Could I get a pink card for this?) I heard a blue jay calling. Their call reminds me of the sound that shooting bottle rockets make when wailing up into the sky. I heard and saw dozens of Black-capped Chickadees. (What do they eat down by the creek in the winter?) I saw a lot of tiny gray birds that were too far up in the trees for me to properly identify. I heard and saw many crows. One flew over the creek, probably in response to his friend who was calling him. A train whistled from town, but it was no match for the hundreds of birds. They have not stopped singing since dawn! I also heard lots of geese flying overhead. (Are they coming back north already?) I saw a "V" of thirteen geese flying north over my head. (Could it be that spring is already on its way?)

Aside from all of the birds, I didn't see any ground animals. (When do all the ground animals come out to roam the creek?) I've yet to see one in the flesh at Heath Creek. Yet, I did see many different animals tracks in the snow. I saw bunny tracks on the creek, which was still frozen solid. There were also lots of deer tracks going up and down the trails to the creek. There were some big-strided paw prints, and I'm not sure to whom they belong.

While sitting on the creek bank, I thought: "I want to stay for hours. It's so peaceful here. I find clarity in myself here…my mind's muddled-up thoughts and knotted-up issues become diluted and untangled to reveal a calm that is only found in communion with God through the natural world."

On our way back to campus, we saw a Downy Woodpecker in a big maple tree in front of Mellby Hall. My fiancé said to me: "You knew I'd like it out here this morning, didn't you? You knew it." It was such a great morning to be outside, for both of us.

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Nature-Log 3: (Saturday, April 2, 2005. 10:00am.) David came with me to Heath Creek , willingly, this morning. On the way down, we saw three mallard ducks (with unbelievably green heads). They were swimming in the forest…yes…the forest. The snow had melted into a large forest pond. We saw two more similar ducks fly upstream when we arrived at the creek. I was reminded of the Crash Test Dummies’ song from an early 1990s CD, which goes: “How does a duck tell his wife from all the other ducks.” (Ha. They do all look exactly the same.)

The creek was deep and free-flowing, rather rapidly. The sound of waves, ripples, and water sloshing over submerged logs were delectable! Some bends in the creek sounded like large waterfalls. The creek is about 2 feet deep near the bank, and 2 ½ to 3 feet deep near the middle. The temperature is quite cold. We didn’t venture in just yet, but we did hop out onto an almost totally submerged log and stand there for while the water rushed by our sandaled feet.

Snippets of green grass are sprouting up all over the ground, and tree buds are rampant. It’s like spring has taken over. As we hiked up stream, we marveled at all the tiny buds, bringing new life. We sat quietly on a rotting log that was near the bank and just listened and looked. We noticed many long, thin, winged bugs. Could they be mayflies. They were about an inch long, with skinny antennae.

Our attention then shifted to the decaying leaves on the ground. David asked what happens to them in the summer. We picked some of them up to inspect them more closely. They were SO thin. They nearly disintegrated in our fingertips. I presume that they will probably almost entirely decompose soon, acting as a sort of mulch for the new spring growth. Ha. David then picked up a crape-papery leaf, and said: “That’s thin enough to wipe your butt with.” (Ha. That’s probably where the idea for toilet paper came from long ago.)

We saw a robin hopping near the bank just a few yards down from us. The sun felt so great, especially as it sifted through the trees, landing on our wintered cheeks. And the air was so fresh. It’s like we couldn’t breath in deeply enough.

I’m beginning to see more and more bugs, moths, and little crawly things. What happens to them all winter long?

I found this weird leaf-ball thing. It’s a hollow, rice-papery sphere about 1 inch in diameter. I’ve never seen one before. It had some sort of leaf stem attached to it.  Is it just an odd growth? ( I LOVE these assignments! Ha…“assignments”.)