Saturday, February 13, 2010

Nature Journal #4

When relying on only my scent, my nature site within the IU arboretum is fresh and crisp with cold. The dirt, blades of grass, and fallen leaves are frost bitten, but somehow still smell refreshingly natural. Trees smell organic and moist, but the winter weather stunts some of the scent that you would typically sense on a spring afternoon. The quality of the scent tops any artificial aroma like perfume or herbal spray; probably because I am absorbing much oxygen from the open area. In general, the scent of the ground and creek is stimulating and energizing.

My strict dependence on my sense of touch is freezing. The grass is crunchy, but still spongy. The rocks that line the dry creek are rough with moss. My hands palm dirt that is icy and brittle; it turns into sand as I rub it between my fingers. The trees are solid, the bark is smooth and the fallen leaves are frail. Most things fall apart when I exert the force of my hand on them. Overall, the feel of the nature elements can be summed up in one word: cold.

The birds make up most of the audible sounds in my site. They sing repetitive melodies and the various birds have specific timbres. Their songs revolve on an almost clockwork variation. I could sit here all day and listen to them. The other sounds are more subtle: the wind blows into a calm whistle and causes the leaves to shake against the ground.

If I were to taste the dirt, trees, and rocks they would probably taste bland. Licking the trees would be like tasting a plain Popsicle. The dirt would be gritty and dull. By and large, my nature sight would not be very appetizing!