JMB Spring Term Day 4

Date: April 23, 2009
Location: JMB, Masardis, Maine, USA

Summary:
Woke up to heavy rain this morning. I took a shot at getting a fire going but the tinder was too damp and I couldn't make it last. The rain and wind kept us inside all day. We review our canoe trip plans and created some contingency plans if something goes awry. The rest of the day was spent on nature study.

Accomplishments and Observations:
1) Found a 7" spotted salamander
2) Worked on canoe trip plans
3) Nature study on Salvelinus fontinalis (brook trout)
4) Read H.A. Rey's "Stars"

Initial Reflections:
It is surprising the degree to which weather effects your daily life when you live outdoors. I find myself immensely thankful for things like the angle of my shelter to the wind.
The "Stars" book was interesting as I had no previous knowledge of astronomy. I feel I could now extract quite a bit more information from the night sky.
The spotted salamander was found trapped in a deep footprint in the snow. It hardly reacted to being picked up but disappeared soon after being placed under a tree out of the snow.

Current Reflections:
Weather seems to be one of the major mechanisms through which we "synch up" with the land. I was used to ignoring the weather and going about whatever business I had previously arranged. There was a strange kind of communion to following the rhythm of things and altering my plans in accordance with the weather.