WEEK 1

Date: Monday April 8, 2013
Weather: partly cloudy with a slight wind
Temperature: 50 degrees F
Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Location: Union Bay Natural Area

The colors here particularly amaze me. This is not a garden filled with an array of flowers or plants, but a scene that allows one to notice the subtle differences between the colors around one. The greens here come in a thousand shades, and the browns are mixed with reds, yellows, and the deep blue of the thriving pond that I have settled by.

The pond here curves like a boomerang. It holds a great amount of wildlife, the most noticeable being the brightly colored ducks, varying greatly in hue and slightly in size. Two ducks bare a light brown color with dark brown highlights and the other to have black, brown, and white bodies with brilliant green from neck to bill. The brown females are the more adventures of the group, and wander ever closer to me, their male counterparts in tow. A tree with upward reaching fingers, complete with green buds, stands between me and the distant dormitory structure on the edge of the University of Washington campus. Most other trees here resemble this landmark tree but appear much younger. The grass is very lush and green here, and on the edge of  the pond it gives way to a moss of a yellow-green color. A tall grass sprouted in the center of the pond bares a gray-brown color which contrasts against the many green buds and stems surrounding the water. The pond itself is dark in the evening here which encourages me to return on a sunny day to perhaps catch the blinding yet beautiful sparkle that the sun's rays can produce. Gnats, ducks, and the gentle ripples in the pond break the visual stillness. My duck friends quack and splash, diving into the water. It reminds me of a Summer quarry filled with the sounds of children playing. The most notable of the audible tunes though, are the sing-song calls of the birds in the trees, hidden from sight but providing much music. Since moving to Seattle, WA I have not experienced such a symphony, but when I was growing up in Idaho it functioned as an alarm clock!
I am looking forward to returning to this place throughout the academic quarter as the season slowly grows warmer and gives way to Summer. The changing weather will no doubt bring about changes in scenery at ground level as well!