INT 310: Experiential Learning Project, part 1, An Afternoon at LHOTR

That squirrel is lookin' at me funny!

Since the cottage is one of my favorite places to be, and the transition from winter to spring is so fascinating, I chose from a list of options to "find a particular place in nature and visit three times for 30 minutes. Identify sights, sounds, and smells."

The first day was March 5, in the afternoon.

Sights

yellow corn by the bird feeder
grass poking through the grayish-white snow and ice
leaves
brown bark
black, red, and gray squirrels
blue shutters
pink flag from the survey done in the fall
pink granite rocks
blue-gray rocks
the wood of the stairs to the river
sunlight
black earth
field mouse dead in the snow

Sounds

dry leaves skittering across the yard
branches rubbing against each other
the pages of my notebook getting flipped in the wind
bird calling out to each other, namely the crows
squirrels eating corn by the bird feeder
Aerosmith playing inside the house
water dripping off the roof
barks of a dog echoing upriver
cars crossing the bridge
water from the wells flowing into the river
a chainsaw
squirrels again skittering on the trunk of the tree

Smells

diet tangerine lime pop I had for lunch

mustard from my sandwich

the faint smell of manure from the farm down the hill

wet earth

river water

wet bark/wood

my own perfume