peterboukheir's Journal

Today I went for a walk around the reservoir and stayed on the main path, not even wandering into the areas under the trees. It was a very cold day, one of the coldest of the semester. The sky was grey, slow was flurrying, and I did not expect to see all of the wildlife I was able to capture with my camera. I saw a large variety of birds, such as the seagull, the gadwalls, the swans, the mallards, and the black duck, along with a few classic geese that are always around the reservoir. It was very quiet, the type of quiet you get in the heart of the winter when it snows. A lot of the leaves were down, the colorful foliage all turned to a few dark colors, giving off a gloomy vibe. I was able to see a squirrel resting in a tree and even came across a woman walking her dog. I saw some lichen on the trees and a few bright areas with "oriental bittersweet". When you observe the reservoir from a far it appears that it is, in a sense, dead; however, when you walk through it you realize that it is so much more than that.

Over fall break my roommate and I went home to Dartmouth, MA and took a walk on a nature trail through the woods and marshes. The trails weren't too narrow; however, not too wide but a perfectly natural landscape. The foliage was beautiful and the long board walks took us over the marshes and water. We saw a lot of wildlife: some fish, beautiful birds, and of course plants, from fruits to mosses. It was as empty as expected for a Tuesday. There were a few photographers on the trails but for 99% of the time it was just us talking. It is one of my favorite places at home and it certainly didn't let me down this fall. It was beautiful and sunny, with no breeze. I would say it was in the mid 60's today -- we even got a little warm on the walk.

Today, rather than walking through the reservoir, I walked in the area between 2000 Commonwealth Apartments and the reservoir. It was a sunny afternoon/evening, a classic fall day. I first came across the Pokeberries that I see almost everyday, I never knew what they were but from growing up playing with friends in my neighborhood, I knew they stained. Nearby I found a plant that looked like it was covered in the aftermath of a dandelion, the Erechtites. The next plant, the Autumn Clematis was much more pretty than the two prior. They spread over the vast majority of a fence and were so white and happy. In a nearby garden I found a beautiful sunflower with a large bumble bee on it, genus Bombus. And last, but not least, I found a beautiful patch of Mexican Marigolds in an assortment of colors.