Notebook #5

Today, on the 11th of November, I made my fifth field study at 5:30 PM. The temperature was around 55º and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Every once in a while, the wind would come by for a second or two, but it was very quiet. The sun started setting soon after I arrived, so I the pictures were mostly of the silhouetted trees. The trees barely had any leaves left on them, but there still seemed to be leaves falling all the time. However, this time, all the leaves were brown and shriveled, even the ones still on the trees. Because it was so quiet and any rustle of the leaves covering the ground caught my attention, I noticed about two or three black squirrels scampering along the ground or up a tree. I did hear a chirp or two from some birds, but nothing long or very loud. The air smelled clean and crisp, like a storm was brewing. The length of day was very close to 10 hours, and the sun was setting through the trees at around 6:10, though it didn't actually go down until 6:30. Even though it was 55º and dropping, I didn't feel cold wearing just a sweatshirt and jeans. I think it was probably because it wasn't windy so the heat stayed close to my body. All the small plants that would grow at the bottom of the trees on the ground were either all covered by leaves or had died, so it seemed like everything had thinned out and it was very easy to see straight through. I'm pretty sure that by my next couple of field studies there will be snow, but you can never be very sure with Michigan weather.