Reunited

   This project is at it's conclusion; I have realized several things. I am much more aware of small details in nature that would normally go unnoticed. Like the unique features on a leaf, or bird chirping off into the distance. Perhaps even a cat, wait a minute, cats are completely easy to spot! Right? Well, not my neighborhood cat that recently payed my backyard a visit after a season long hiatus.
   During my third to last observation I was doing the my regular routine. Starring at the tree and it's surroundings until I notice something that different from the previous observation. I looked over at the metal shed to see a familiar pair of yellow eyes looking back at me. It was a black stray cat. I always called it the Neighborhood Cat because it was usually found on my street. It had always been collarless so I assumed it was also owner less.
    The cat didn't stay longer than 3 seconds before it turned around a hopped over my fence into my neighbor's backyard. The stealth of cats is pretty amazing.The last time I had seen this cat was in the spring. For a bit I thought it was long gone because I never saw it during the summer. It always seem to return during the colder seasons. It was the same thing this time last year, I would come outside to find the cat and it would immediately leave.
     After running into the cat again after almost 6 months, I began to wonder why these cats are considered bad luck. After a bit of research I learned there is different superstition surrounding black cats. In Japan black cats are actually believed to bring good luck. It's mostly Western cultures that believes them to be evil since they had been associated with witch craft. I'm going to go with the first thing I read; they bring good luck. Hopefully the luck that this cat brings with itself can bring some luck to the tree and the rest of my plants.


Work Sourced :  Hackett, Stacy "Black Cat Breeds and History." Catchannel . Web. 11 Dec 2014.

Syufy, Franny "Black Cats Folklore - Witches and Beliefs About Black Cats." Cats.about. Web. 11 Dec 2014

False Camouflauge

   It's definitely colder now. A lot colder than when this observation began. I don't know if it's just me but the tree's bark appears to have turned to a lighter shade as the temperatures have dropped. Along with the temperature dropping, the random scraps of debris have returned. It's not as bad as it was before, most of it is only plastic wrapping. During one of my most recent observations I began to wonder if this tree was native to America. Through some research I found out that the tree's origins lie in China, I found that really interesting.
  The leaves from my other tree have been blown over to project tree's area. They looked really interesting, they were brown on one side and white on the other. When I saw one on it's white side I mistook it to be paper. They somewhat blended in with the practically grey cement.



Sourced Work: "The History of the Peach." Bader Farms Inc. Web. 07 Dec. 2014

Abandonment

     A leafless standing piece of bark is what remains of the once vibrant green tree. The leaves that once served as evidence that the tree had once bloomed had been racked and thrown away. The grey sky makes this area of my back yard appear very eerie. Every tree that is in my backyard has had it's beauty plucked away by the autumn. I haven't seen anymore birds occupying the tree for a restful night. The lack of birds and color make my backyard out to be a set for a horror movie. Even the spiders have no longer shown themselves around the tree. It's seems like the nectarine tree evicted all other creatures from it's presence.

Sanctuary

    In the early morning there are always several birds trying to keep warm in the tree's branches. I can't observe them much since they always fly away as soon as I approach. In the afternoon when I have observed the tree there are at most one or two birds resting on the branches. One day I was up early so I decided to do my daily observation while the sun was just starting to rise. As soon as I approached the tree at least seven birds flew away from the tree. This tree is the night time sanctuary for these animals, home for these animals is wherever they are able to sleep at night and build their nests, even though they haven't made nest in this particular tree, it's kind of like an apartment for them.When the tree does produce nectarines in the summer, there is always the left overs of the fruit on the ground that the ravenous birds picked apart. In the summer this tree is a food source for the birds and a sanctuary during the fall.

M&M'S

    For the past few days there has been a recurring act. There is random trash showing up around the
tree and the rest of the plants near the tree. I have found random scraps of paper and several candy
wrappers. A few days ago I found an empty torn bag of M&M's perched on top of the fallen yellow
leaves surrounding the tree. The candy wrappers are easy to spot because they attract a swarm of
black ants. I've assumed all the mystery debris is coming from Kietzke lane, which is right behind
our fence. This abundance of trash in my garden annoys me, but other than that there appears to be no major changes with the tree or it's surroundings.

Green

      I don't know how long this tree has been in my backyard for. It's old enough to be able to produce fruit. The nectarines it has grown are delicious and I was surprised when I found out that this fruit came from my backyard. It is a very successful tree compared to the other trees that have grown in that area of the yard. It is also a very thin tree.It could easily snap in half if something somewhat heavy where to lie against it.
    There are several creatures that are always found around the tree. These life forms can range from harmless ladybugs to eight legged monsters, commonly known as spiders. The dirt around the tree is where these insects are found. They're basically living with the tree.
    The tree has yet to go through the fall transition. In which it's leaves turn to warm colors like orange and yellow and then slowly begin to rain down one by one. The tree's leaves remain a vibrant green that you would imagine in a summer scene.

     For my observation I have chosen the nectarine tree in my backyard. I choose my tree because of my growing interest in nature. I rarely payed attention to this tree before this observation. I'm hoping to discover something great during this observation.