Seasonal Changes on My Plot

September 3
A patchy yet substantial algal mat covered the surface of the pond; all trees' leaves were green. The forest floor was a tangled web of thick green vegetation.

September 12
The algal mat thinned noticeably, but the trees were still vibrantly green, and the soft forest floor still supported fresh plants.

October 8
Another view of my plot shows that the trees are beginning to change colors brilliantly; however the leaves have not yet begun to fall.

October 8
A picture of the pond view, done on my sporadically functioning webcam, reveals more of the beautiful fall colors on the trees surrounding a pond which now has very few algal growths on its surface.

October 8
A clearer picture taken on my phone reveals the clearer state of the pond and the colors of the trees as they enter the fall season.

October 21
The transition from summer to fall to winter is very evident on my plot as trees go from vibrant green to stunning colors (yellow, red, orange) to brown and seemingly lifeless. Here, just a few trees are clinging to their bright leaves still.

October 22
As the season progresses, the frost takes a toll on the ground as it begins to harden. Forest foliage is replaced by fallen leaves, which begin to rot and get decomposed.

October 22
At this point, there is almost no algae on the pond. The pond appears deeper and murkier than ever after the rains come and there is no more algae to mask its depth.

October 23
The brief "Indian summer," heavy rains, frosts, sunshine, and cold weather have combined to have an extraordinary effect on the plot, an effect that happens every year but was more graphically illustrated for me this year.

October 23
Scrambling for one last picture of the seasonal changes on my plot, I encounted a deer and a large heron. Because the underbrush was no longer lush, but rather brittle and crunchy, they both fled very quickly.
The pond remained nearly algae-free, and most trees were skeletal or nearing that stage. It was a big difference from a mere month or two earlier. The air was a little crisper, the trees less showy, the forest quieter, the ground harder and less populated by plants.