15-Day Sit Spot Challenge - Global Sit Spot on November 23, and Conclusion

15-Day Sit Spot Challenge

Global Sit Spot Day – November 23, 2018

and Conclusion

For an explanation of the Global Sit Spot Challenge, see my first entry in this series.

Global Sit Spot Challenge

November 23, 2018

5:00 pm Eastern Standard time

Wilderness Awareness School description of Global Sit Spot Challenge Day: “Taking inspiration from the Opt Outside movement [alternative to Black Friday], let's cause a global explosion of wilderness awareness together on a day that has become synonymous with buying things we don't need (at least in the U.S.). Come join us. All are welcome. Invite family, friends, and coworkers to join you.”

“If you end up not being able to join us from your spot, at the very least try to focus your attention on something wild near you.”

What a great idea – people from all around the world doing this at the same time! While it was early evening in my time zone (and dusk, as it was getting dark earlier), I thought of other parts of the world where it would be broad daylight, or the wee hours of the morning. While here we had dipped abruptly into winter, in the southern hemisphere they were heading into summer. At the very same time, how different everyone's experiences were around the globe.

It turned out that I needed to do, that day, what they mentioned in their last sentence, as I could not be on the other side of my woods at my chosen Sit Spot. On this evening, my chosen spot would be in the kitchen, next to the bay window, looking out at the bird feeding area between the window and our crop field. This is the spot where I spend a part of many winter mornings, usually with a cup of herbal tea and a journal.

During daylight, the feeders are full of bird activity.

Scenes from November 22:

Three Blue Jays (one rather large) attempting to share the tray feeder

Female Downy Woodpecker at the suet cake

A Mockingbird near the feeders, which seemed to be striking poses wherever it landed

Often, quite a variety of birds are darting around to all of the feeders: Goldfinches, House Finches, Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Juncos, Mourning Doves, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, various species of Sparrows, and other visitors. I love to watch how they come and go, how they eat, and how they negotiate their personal spaces.

But, at 5:00 pm they are starting to find their roosting spots for the night, and I see very few come for a last jaunt at the feeders.

Female Cardinal alone at the feeders on the evening of November 23

It is calming to sit here, just watching, not knowing who will arrive, and what they will do – just enjoying it all. I can watch the vivid colors of sunset on the western horizon from here, and darkness descend across the landscape, eventually obliterating the view of trees in the distance. I can watch the moon move across the sky, if its path intercepts this view at the time. Sometimes I hear a Great-Horned Owl call.

I wonder what other people, around the globe, are experiencing, all under the same moon.

I was not long in this spot before I received a phone call telling me of the death of a sister-in-law in the northern part of the state. I would soon travel up there for the funeral. At the same time, my mother-in-law's health was steeply declining, in the city near us, and she passed away exactly two weeks after this time I had spent at the bay window for the Global Sit Spot.

Needless to say, I have not been to my regular spot in the woods in some time. Other things needed attention and energy.

But, while I was in this spot I was thinking of perspective, of what we all share around the world. Besides that hour or so, on that day, when we in the Challenge were sharing our connections with the natural world, and what we had learned through the Challenge, there existed, also, all of the other things we share as humans in this world. It's all natural, this cycle of life and death. Or, as we can come to realize by being in Nature, there is no life, no death – it is all one Whole, it's all the same thing.

Sometime, when the time is right, I'll get back to that spot in the woods and see how things are going. I'll stay connected, because through that I am reminded of how we and everything in our universe keep turning, and how perfectly natural and good a thing that is.

Conclusion

The 15-Day Sit-Spot Challenge had ended, as well as the Global Sit Spot Day.

What have I learned from this experience? Well, those ideas will take some time to form, to gel, especially as the Challenge was followed by a whirlwind of family events, in compressed time and, in some ways, that continues.

But, here are some observations:

• I very much enjoyed reading posts by other participants, on the 15-Day Sit Spot Challenge Group Facebook page. The variety of experiences and ways of expressing them was astounding. Often people would share one or more photos from the day. With some posts, I had an instant connection to something that was my own experience (such as finding, and being fascinated by, a small mushroom and trying to figure out what it is), but with some I had windows to completely new experiences. I also enjoyed the responses that sometimes happened to the things I posted.

• There were many changes in weather and environmental conditions at my spot throughout the 15 day period, providing a broader range of experience. We had mild days, rainy days, frosty, snowy, icy, sunny, overcast, and the days when the trees “rained”. This also changed the wildlife that I could see or hear on any day, and the signs I would find. It also changed the smells, feelings, and other sounds, such as how the forest floor sounded as I walked across it. It also changed the way things looked – the quality of light, clarity or haziness, sparkle or subtlety.

• Looking through the woods toward my Sit Spot, or from the spot outward, was a very different experience from Day #1 to Day #15. On November 7, the woodland was still pretty full of bright fall color, especially golden colors. It glowed. Though the canopy was starting to thin, it was still fairly thick. If one were to look into the woods from the outer edge, it would not be easy to see me, unless I was wearing bright red. I felt a little more secluded. By the end of the Challenge (November 21), one could see completely through the woods from one side to another. There was the blanket of brown all over the woods floor, with tree trunks rising in various shades of brown and gray. The canopy was almost completely gone – even from many of the Oaks. The woodland seemed much smaller and I, sitting at my spot, would be in full, open view.

November 7

November 21

• The creators of this challenge, from the Wilderness Awareness School in Washington state, hosted a webinar soon after the challenge ended. I watched it and took notes for future reference. During the webinar, they described various other wilderness awareness methods to use, such as Field Journal, Mapping, Species Journal, Animal Forms, Edible and Medicinal Plants focus, Curiosity, and others. Of course, I want to try every one of them. They said that this is just a small number of all the things one could do. I wish I could go there to experience their total immersion camps. But, what I'll do is use their various strategies wherever I am, and also explore the great resources on their web site (including, possibly, on-line classes).

• There will be another Sit Spot Challenge next spring, and I plan to participate. It will be so different then. Instead of the woodland thinning out over time, it will be starting to fill in. I should be seeing buds turn to tiny green leaves, then fuller leaves. I'll be seeing various wildflowers and other plants emerging from the forest floor, which will have been more smashed and rotted down than in the late autumn. Birds will sound different. The air will feel, smell, taste different.

• I will be more aware than ever, when I spend time in Nature. I will explore each being, and notice what other beings visit or depend on it. I will use all of my senses. I will draw. I will sketch maps, to get an even better sense of where I am. I will explore the value of plants to our health, that I find in my vicinity – a special interest of mine, anyway. I will listen, watch, like another member of the woodland.

• And, I will notice the moon, every night.

15-Day Sit Spot Challenge - Days 14 and 15 - November 21, 2018

15-Day Sit Spot Challenge

Days #14 and 15

Both on November 21, 2018

The last days of the Challenge (except for an extra to come).

To see what it's all about, check out my first entry in this series.

Day #14

November 21, 2018 (same as Day #15)

Sit Spot seen from the southeast and the Deer Trail

Prompt for Day #14: Move as silently as possible to your spot. Take time getting there. Move slowly, pause often, and drop into your senses. What is happening around you? At your spot, notice any differences in how wild beings respond to you.

Bonus: Pay special attention to the moon during these last few days.

It was a sunny, clear day with a blue sky. Our days had seemed to keep alternating between this and dim, gray, overcast days. I enjoy them both, and each brings different kinds of experiences. Today was cold (but not as cold as before) and there was a light wind.

I most often enter the woods from the edge nearest our house, then go down the slope, across the woods' bottom, and up the far slope to my Sit Spot on top.

On this day I entered the woods from the roadside, via the Deer Trail, all on the far top edge of the woods. I knew I would create much less sound there, instead of negotiating changes in elevation and vegetation. As I entered the Deer Trail from the road, I heard water gurgling into our creek, via the culvert that is under the road.

As I carefully, slowly walked up the Deer Trail, I heard more bird calls and songs than I had during other Sit Spot visits. Was this because I was quieter than usual, or because of the milder weather?

Old Tuliptree next to the Deer Trail and near my Sit Spot – it now serves as a “woodpecker tree”.

"Krampus", near both the Deer Trail and the Sit Spot

I heard the raspy call of a White-Breasted Nuthatch, the musical calls of Northern Cardinals, and other bird chatters. Some sounded like warning calls. Were those directed at me?

Well, maybe at someone else who had arrived from the other side of the woods to share my spot with me:

Pester arrives

Remember Day #1, when a squirrel sat on this same spot, and Pester went to investigate it?

Woodpeckers were tapping. But, some of those sounds could have been a Squirrel working on a nut.

I heard Crows in the distance, over open areas across the road.

I also heard my dogs bark, announcing the arrival of neighbor Fred coming up the driveway with another load of leaf mulch. There was the chug-chug roar of his little tractor, then silence.

Views from my Sit Spot:

Looking east from the spot and the Deer Trail

Looking south

Looking north, toward a “ghost tree” Sycamore on the other side of the crop field

Looking west, toward our house

The ridge top to the northwest – the only place in my woodland that is open, dry, and flat enough to pitch a tent (though I never have, yet)

While at my Sit Spot, I realized that I had been paying more attention to the Oaks in my woods, and getting to know them better. I had been learning more about both the striking and subtle differences between them – their leaves, bark, acorns, their general look and ways of being.

All of the Oaks were hanging onto their leaves, as they are wont to do. The long-oval, dark green glossy leaves of Shingle Oak, at the edge of the woods, were still green, though fading. The leaves of Red and Chinquapin Oaks were still mostly green, in contrast to almost everything else in the woods.

Chewed Red Oak leaf 

Next to my Sit Spot lies a Red Oak branch that had broken and fallen prematurely earlier in the year, sporting immature acorns.

White and Chinquapin Oak leaves on the ground

The White Oaks, however, were resplendent in their thick canopies of maroon, russet, and brick red.

The Great Oaks. Throughout the seasons, I will pay even more attention to them, getting to know as much as I can about these trees and all of the beings who depend on them.

Day #15 – last day

Also on November 21, 2018

Prompt for Day #15: Do your best to visit your spot when you can view the Moon. Once there, take some time to think back through this challenge and look for any patterns in your energy levels, mood, creativity, motivation, well-being, etc.

The Moon is a powerful influence on many patterns and biological systems here on Earth. Take this time to consider your relationship to, and the impact from, the Moon.

I could stand to take time to think about this.

The truth is, like many people I go about the busy-ness of my life, not noticing the moon often enough. One night I look up and see it, and realize that I never even pay attention to the phase of the moon.

And I often think that I would love to live a life that is more attuned to the sun and moon, a life where I can't help but be aware of the phases of the moon, and a life where I conduct my daily activities according to where the sun is positioned at the moment.

So, this particular Sit-Spot challenge, even if I could not fully participate, brings me back to that idea. The whole Sit Spot Challenge began on the New Moon and ended on the Full Moon. 

I was not able to go out to my actual chosen Sit Spot that evening. But, from outside the house I looked east to where the full moon was rising, shining whole and bright through the woodland trees. The direction I looked was the same direction I would look to see my Sit Spot over there on the far ridge of the woods. I imagined myself sitting there, on the log, surrounded by the full moon's glow. How would the trees look, the ground, each fallen leaf, each twig? What sounds would I hear as crepuscular and nocturnal animals would begin to move about? Would I see their glowing eyes?

I need this pattern in my life. I need patterns … period. But, life is often fractured, the way the moon was appearing through the bare tree branches.

Maybe I need to think of those pieces as being intrinsically part of a whole, and keep them pulled together that way. Change my perception of “fractured”. Things aren't necessarily split apart, even when they may first appear that way. Maybe my time, my work, any of the things I try to do, are not necessarily broken up into disconnected pieces, but part of a whole, and it all works out, anyway.

When the moon rose above the trees, it was again a complete, round, glowing orb.

That's something I've always loved about Nature – what appears to be all separate pieces doing separate things are really all one connected Whole.

It would be a good while before I could get to that Sit Spot again. But, I do think of every spot I stop, or pause, as a Sit Spot.

The 15-Day Sit-Spot Challenge was over. It was time to make pies for Thanksgiving Day.

15-Day Sit Spot Challenge: Days 12 and 13, November 19, 2018

15-Day Sit Spot Challenge

Days # 12 and #13

Both on November 19, 2018

Here we go again!

For an explanation of what this series is about, see the first posting I made in the series, for Days #1 and #2.

Day #12

November 19, 2018

Afternoon

Turkey Tail Fungi

Prompt for Day #12: Get acquainted with a being at your spot. Seek out a new, unfamiliar being. Use all of your senses to learn about it. Sketch it, using as many details as you can note. Note what questions are bubbling up about it. Later, do research. Try to identify it and find answers to your questions.

The day was overcast and wet all over. There had been fog settled over the area in the early morning.

As I wandered to my Sit Spot and explored the area, I noticed that such wetness had brought fungi forth (Cherie and I had seen a variety of fungi the day before, also). I knew very few of the species that I found, so I knew that my new “being” would be a mushroom.

A log close to my Sit Spot log (smaller, and more advanced in decay) was especially rich in fungi. Besides various beautifully-striped, fan-shaped Turkey Tail mushrooms, there were the groups of very tiny, bright yellow dot mushrooms that I so often find (I will look them up).

Turkey Tails

There were also patches of bright green moss that set off the colorful fungi nicely.

An unfamiliar mushroom caught my curiosity. Actually, a number of these, not far from the tiny yellow ones. They were growing in overlapping clusters mainly, though some were growing singly.

The largest were smaller than my pinky fingernail. They were creamy-colored, or maybe more the color of cafe-au-lait.

Where the mushroom was attached to the rotting wood it had, instead of a distinctive stem, two lumps covered with a texture similar to the mushroom top.

I removed and examined one with my 14x loup magnifier. The top of the mushroom was roughly textured. Close up, it made me think of the texture in an aerial view of a thick forest, with ragged spaces between large clumps of trees. I suppose some might see it as looking down on the top of a head of cauliflower.

I turned it over and found fleshy, creamy-colored gills, not as finely separated as in some mushroom species. There were long gills that ran from the mushroom base to the cap edge, attached at both ends. Between those were gills from the cap edge and halfway to the base. And, between those were very short gills.

The edge of the mushroom cap was slightly curved inward, toward the bottom.

Here are the drawings I did in my field notebook – with very cold fingers!

Later, I pulled out a few of my fungi field guides and started searching. In one of them, I stumbled upon the one I believe to be the correct match. The descriptions (very thorough) and the photo all matched perfectly. Its scientific name, as given in this book, is Claudopus depluens. There was no common name given.

Using this, I tried looking it up in my other books, to no avail. Then I typed in this name in the search bar on the internet and got some hits. There were some identical photos, but they tended to be ones people shared from their Flicker accounts, with no other information. There were what looked to be, possibly, informative pages, but in foreign languages. There were a few pages that had strictly to do with taxonomy – the name and classification of the mushroom. Through those I did fine scientific name synonyms (such as Entoloma depluens, Agaricus depluens, Crepidotus depluens, etc.). I tried looking up those synonyms in my other fungi field guides – again to no avail. And, there were no common names on the web sites.

It seemed that if I was going to learn more about this mushroom, it would be through my own observations only. But, one of these days I will search some more, because I want to find out whatever I can about this tiny being. I may post photos of it to the fungi identification Facebook pages I belong to, with the name I found, and ask what anyone might know about it.

Until then, I will just enjoy this little gem whenever I see it. And I will be happy that, with persistence, I actually tracked down its identity – at least I hope I did (I find fungi very challenging).

And, I will be grateful to the creators of the 15-Day Sit Spot Challenge for encouraging us to get to know, as well as we can, one unfamiliar being in our midst, on this particular day.

Day #13

Also on November 19, 2018

Afternoon

My Sit Spot, from the end, as seen from the Deer Trail

Prompt for Day #13: Where are animals traveling? Survey the area for animal trails. How far can you trace each trail? How many different trails are there? Look anywhere our imagination leads you. Draw a map of our findings.

Where are animals traveling in my woods?

Sometimes I know, sometimes I don't.

I have been known to follow Raccoon trails along the creeks here.

I have followed various tracks in the snow to see where they traveled and what they were doing.

Recently I could follow Fox Squirrel trails visible in the snow on top of fallen trees and logs.

The other day, Cherie found the snail on the leaves of the woods floor. Its slime trail was visible, though for a short distance.

I have followed a mysterious animal trail from a hole in the base of a young tree and along an associated beaten path.

I have come across other signs, such as scat, and bones.

This day was wet and overcast. The ground was covered in a thick layer of leaves that were still whole, their variety of textures making the woods floor fluffy. There was almost no bare ground at all. And no snow remaining.

In other words, it was not an easy day for tracking.

I found fresh scratch marks on a log near my Sit Spot.

Animal scratch marks near the Sit Spot

Sometimes I found a partially chewed Black Walnut, with or without the husk. Squirrels had been busy there, either on the ground or in trees, from which they may have dropped the nuts.

As I walked slowly about, I both heard and saw Woodpeckers moving through the canopy, from woods edge inward. This was a type of wildlife trail, too.

I distinctly heard a Pileated Woodpecker and a White-Breasted Nuthatch.

There is one “game trail” in my woodland that I know for sure. Deer cross the road from the neighbors' place and travel on a fairly linear trail between the inner woodland and the row of trees that separate us from the next-door crop field. Eventually they take some vaguely different routes, but generally in the same direction, veering westward at the back end in order to stay on the ridge top. They eventually leap the fence to our back crop field.

Deer Trail from the road and into the woods

Deer Trail - looking northwest

Deer Trail - ridge top to the northwest - with Silas

Looking up the Deer Trail to the east/southeast (from Sit Spot vicinity to road)

From my Sit Spot - looking across the Deer Trail and across the crop field

It is just inside the woods in the back area, not far from the crop field edge, among young Paw-paw trees and some as-yet not destroyed Asian Bush Honeysuckles, that a young man has his deer blind and awaits (with permission) the nearness of these deer, with his hunting bow.

I walked on part of the known Deer Trail to pick up any signs of them. I did find two spots of their droppings.

I wandered further into the woods, southeast of my Sit Spot, staying on ridge tops. The deer had wandered here, too, well off the known trail. I found two of their resting spots, where their warm bodies had matted down the loose leaf layer.

There were also divots in the leaf layer and soil in this area, which may have been caused by their hooves, or by them poking noses into the ground. Or, some could have been caused by Squirrels.

Or, something else.

I looked for more droppings here, but only came across something resembling them at first glance – clusters of dried wild grapes that had fallen from vines growing in the trees.

I'd love to learn more about tracking, to find out where animals have been and what they were doing, and maybe even see them. The Sit Spot methods will help me hone some skills and enlarge my awareness.