The weather is abysmal here in the UK at the moment, and as a disabled person it's really not safe for me to venture out on the icy path so I decided to my sit in my safe space of my own back garden (from our conservatory!) I will try and do this periodically throughout the year to see what changes I notice in the garden, especially the visiting birds.

I went to a spot I generally stop at on my morning walk - but this time I took my nature journal. It is along the foreshore near a place called Mon Repos beach. It was a little hard to journal as the wind was blowing strong, but it made the waves dance and the ocean looked magnificent. I am quite in tune with observing as I enjoy bird watching. However, as I didn't go super early and the wind was up, there were no birds calling. Just the cicadas and the many different noises from the wind. This place changes constantly and I will journal here regularly from now on to the document the daily and seasonal changes.

I’m not far from where I live. It’s about 60 degrees and there’s a gentle breeze. It’s just a wee bit cool, and the warmth of the sun feels terrific. I’m looking at how the plant life has lost its summertime color, but at the same time I’m seeing how very beautiful the sage, light golden brown, and whitish beige colors are. I’m seeing how many shades of sage and light brown there can be. And I’m seeing just how many shades of whitish beige there can be as well. I’m eying the leaves that are still clinging to the branches and noticing how fragile, yet tenacious they are. I’m looking at the pine leaves and how green they are. I’m looking at the texture of the bark on the trees and their different colors. I’m looking at the patterns of the bark as it comes loose from the tree trunks and how striking those patterns are. I’m looking at the shapes of the branches and how twisted and gnarly they are. I’m enjoying the brightness of the sunshine and gentle breeze. The rustling sound of the wind against the dried leaves has captured my attention. It’s not the sound of running water. It’s a different sound and it’s just as soothing.

I like to observe small things, take a close look, and examine the details and stories they might have to share. I find seemingly insignificant objects and objects that won't sit still harder to study, but I know everything big and small is worth documenting, which is what I will practice doing!

I went to a favorite overlook along the Platte River, it was just as the sun was coming up.  What another amazing visit and I filled almost two pages (and was enthralled for a half hour).  Watching the light paint different parts of the scene was fantastic.

I left feeling energized and excited about continuing this adventure, and yet so calm and at peace.

I always notice the light, sounds, and animals when I'm there.  Noticing the smells and feeling the air movement can be more challenging.

It’s as if by majic that after sitting for just a short time, the animals around begin to feel more comfortable and begin to ‘come out’ like the yellow bellied marmot who lives in our wood pile

I have a sit spot that I have visited many times. I enjoy the view from this ridge down into the valley. I often see a lot of wildlife traveling trough the valley. On one particularly pleasant early fall afternoon I sat on my usual log. The air was crisp and clear. The birds and squirrels were busy with their winter preparations. There were dry leaves on the ground  all around me. I could hear the squirrels as they rustled amongst them, stashing away their acorns. Often the rustling squirrels came within a few feet of me on my log. I sat and enjoyed the fall air and the warm sun on my face as I soaked in the nature all around me. I sat and observed the birds that were flitting in and out of the trees.  Mostly I ignored the squirrels while they worked behind me, however at some point I noticed rustling getting closer and closer to me. I didn't dare turn, for fear of spooking the animal away. Eventually I chanced a quick peek over my shoulder. I was not expecting what I saw in that brief second. Quite noticeably was the color of my visitor. A distinct black and white creature ambled directly towards me on my log. I froze, not wanting to spook it and not knowing where it was going, I thought it best to remain still. As I remained on my log the visitor came closer, and closer. It must not be to concerned about my presence! I sat quietly, now watching as he came towards me. He paused, sniffed the ground, and proceeded. Before I knew it the skunk was heading into the entrance of his den, which also happened to be under my log! I remained on my log for awhile longer, until I  was sure my new friend wouldn't resurface from below our log. I slowly stepped away from the log and walked away quietly as I reflected on my visitor and how comfortable he was with my presence there. Perhaps he was undisturbed by me due to my frequent presence in that location and the scent I left behind. Or perhaps I was so immersed in the environment that neither of us felt threatened by the other. Either way, it was one of my favorite sit spot experiences.

Others noted that they planned to sit for 15-20 minutes and ended up staying a lot longer. This happened to me too!

I sat in a park, and one of the things that stood out to me was how prominent the noise of the city was (even in my residential area). It wasn't a very windy day, so the only nature sounds audible were birds. The volume of the city noise really surprised me. I guess I tend to tune it out.

I spent a lot of time noticing how the morning light was illuminating things. It got into some larch branches and made them almost glow, the ground was dappled with sunlight and shade, and through some backlit leaves on the ground I could see silhouettes of the grass behind them.

I also enjoyed paying attention to the smells of the morning. We have four very distinct seasons where I live, with four very distinct transitions between them, and the smells of the morning were very much "of this season".

At the end of my sit I began to notice insects more. Three wasps were investigating the ground nearby.

I had twenty minutes planned... Ended up sitting for 28 instead. I find writing my observations more difficult since I'm more used to drawing what I see. I loved colouring in the plants I saw and doodling the small details I noticed around me.



Edit: RWBL means Red-winged Blackbird ^^

The time went much quicker than I expected. I found that everything I saw gave me more questions. Overall, a lovely experience. I never would have thought to just sit and listen with my eyes closed or to breath deeply and take in the smells without Liz's tips. 

Really lovely, centering activity. I had only intended 15 minutes, but 45 slipped away quickly.



 

St. Andrew's is a small country church and cemetery surrounded by fields and forests where I often go to sit in the quiet. There is always birdsong in abundance, squirrels chattering and often a gentle breeze that adds to the meditative nature of the place. The trees are laden with Old Man's Beard, a type of hanging moss that resembles a wizard's beard, but a light green in colour.  It sways in the breeze adding to the sense of motion.  Adjacent to the church is a pet memorial garden.  It too is a peaceful place.  My dog will rest here when his last day is done. Someone has hung a beautiful tubular chime in the tree.  Such a gentle, soothing sound when the wind blows.



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I also heard a chainsaw in the background, but chose not to mention it.By the way, I am 9 years old.Anyway, I think you’ll notice that I sat for more than 15 minutes. It took place just right in my backyard, but there still was a lot of activity.I live in Edmonton, Alberta, so there probably is differences between where some of you live and where I do.

Este “Sit Spot” lo realicé en la reserva “La Jungla”, Guánica P.R. Con mucha calor pero con determinación estuve un tiempo observando. Una de las cosas que me llamó la atención fue el movimiento del agua pero mi dibujo no le hace justicia. Una actividad que repetiré en cualquier espacio natural que visite de ahora en adelante.

 

 



This was an extraordinary delightful afternoon in early spring.  My senses were alive with the sights and sounds that I recorded.  I was too busy listing all the flora and fauna to sketch anything during this sit spot and later walk further on the trail!

This was a perfect day to sit on my deck and make my first journal entry, it's not much but spring is only at it's very beginning, can't wait for the coming weeks when everything comes to life. 

 

(This is in my driveway)

I loved my sit spot experience! I went down to the back garden of my building, a patch of grass with a few concrete steps framed by other residential buildings from the block. It had snowed the night before, so I’ll be honest, I couldn’t sit out for the whole duration of the session, so some notes I memorised as best I could and noted them down the second I was back upstairs in my warm flat. I thought I’d at least sit on the bench, but I forgot they’d moved it elsewhere, so I was literally sitting in the snow. It was lovely, though. I was alone, it was twilight, almost dark but not quite just yet, and the snow made things brighter all around. No one was there, so I could really sink into the silence and listen with all my senses. Looking and listening are those that come easier, while smelling is the most tricky of all.

Then, as I looked around, I found myself drawing the view right in front of me. It was nothing special, just bare trees and a few buildings. It was cool. I really want to have more sit spot experiences in my usual nature spots around my house at different times of the day. It’s a great way to look at habitual places with new eyes.

Cold, but fun and satisfying. I sat on our back deck for a little over 20 minutes.  Saw some bird behavior I would not have seen if I had just been passing through. Heard more clearly than when I'm walking. Wind sounds were more complex than I realized.