Noticing.

January 1, 2025 - March 21, 2025

January 5^th

9am overcast. 35 degrees and cutting cold. Wet cold. Saw a small winter wren. I wonder why they are called “Winter Wren” Small and blackish. Reminds me of a little mouse. Where do they come from? Does their name change in the summer? Where are they during our summers?

The mountain sides are bare now. The water oaks have finally dropped their leaves. Except for a few by the house. The beeches are the last hold out.

The rocks behind our house are dotted with a green plant I haven’t ID’d. It’s January and its green. My gut tells me its not a “good” plant.

The ferns are among the living. I think a good fire is going to set them off. The moss on the fallen cedar is beautiful. It will no doubt grow on the terraced logs in the garden.

January 9^th

Clear morning. Clear sky. Sunny. 20 degrees at 7:30am. Still woods. Chirping birds. Heard the pecking of a distant woodpecker. Heard the chirp of a chickadee, tifted titmouse, and hairy woodpecker.

The low growing ground covers are much less visible.

I noticed iceflowers on the trail today.

Luna came along. And disappeared further up the trail.

January 11^th

Grass in the snow. Maybe a sedge.

Towhee. Haven’t seen or heard yet.

Yesterday, I saw a lot of birds on the ground.

I followed deer tracks on the ledge behind our house. The trail looks well traveled. Haven’t seen a deer over here since we moved back in August.

January 12th

January 16

“To notice one intently, you have to ignore someone else” - Me

January 17^th

Blue skies. No clouds. 47 degrees. Noticed the Christmas fern in the woods today.

January 21^st

15 degrees. A brief moment on the steps. I could hear pecking. I wonder how active woodpeckers are other times of the year.

January 22^nd

Sunny 9 degrees

I noticed frost around what looked like an old animal hole. I’m not sure where it came from. It reminds me of a frozen mustache.

The ground was frozen and crunchy.

January 23^rd

Cutting firewood I noticed purple crusted mold. Fascinating.

January 26

Upper 30s and overcast

I noticed smilax in a beech tree. It looked like green tree leaves.

White fungus growing on decaying cedars really stood out compared to the brown hues everywhere else. It was a bright white.

February 2^nd

Late evening stroll. 9pm. 54 degrees. Clear skies

I heard the chorus frogs. Reminded me of childhood. Birds were also chirping.

It was quiet. And still. (and yet, it wasn’t 😊)

February 5^th

10am. 61 degrees. partly cloudy.

Beeches are still holding on to their leaves. I’ve noticed more on the ground. The bigger beeches are only holding on to the lower leaves. The rest up top have generally dropped. I wonder when they will drop them all.

February 6^th

Some beeches have darker leaves.

A red oak is still holding its leaves.

A curved shape seed pod.

A tufted titmouse on an unmarked dogwood!

Active birds today.

February 9^th

I saw my first dandelion bloom.

February 11^th

Noticed a silver maple with bright red buds.

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A month long gap here. Our family had the triple crown of sickness run through us: the flu, upper respiratory infection, stomach bug. Tough month. I wonder what I missed.

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March 10th

Kildeer nest and eggs found in driveway.

March 15^th

Noticed 1^st centipede of the year

Cutleaf toothwort is blooming everywhere

The buckeyes I seeded last fall are sending up sprouts and greening up

The yeallow buckeyes in our woods have swollen buds. No leaves yet.

Hepaticas are blooming beautifully.

Redbud in front of the house is blooming.

No morels yet.

Noticed a succulent like plant by the creek. (ID’d – Stone Crop. A native sedum.)

March 17

38 degrees. Sunny at 8am. Heavy rain two nights ago.

Heard a tifted titmouse

Noticed heart shaped leaves, underside is red.

Cancer root is sprouting

Wild comfrey is beginning to sprout up in the woods behind our house.

Wineberries are putting on leaves.

Mountain mint is up in our woods.

March 21^st

Pileated Woodpecker heard in the woods around 6pm.