The Flowers

"Today I'm walking at the other side of the park. I've been on this side before but  just to walk around. Most of the animals are on the other side, I don't know why. But I've spotted quite new plants and trees while observing this side. My field notes 11/5"

  I've hardly seen any flowers or blooming flowers around Paradise Park. Maybe cause I haven't been paying that much attention to flowers. But now that I have, I've found some interesting plants. As always, I don't know what kind of plants I'm observing that's why I have the curiosity to do my researching.

                         

                                                                       (My field notes photos-11/5)

  This is a photo of the flower I first encountered with at the park. It seems as if it's been stepped on a lot, and slowing falling apart. When I researched what kind of flower it was, I found out that it was called, "Oxeye Daisy," according to "My wildflowers." It looked like a sunflower but according to the website it belonged to the family of Asteraceae.  Also, it's height typically is 1 to 3 ft. These flowers usually bloom June to August, and the bloom size are usually 1.5 inches. 

       (  www.mywildflowers.com photo) 

  A picture from the website I researched the flower from. It seems a lot like mine but mine has the petals falling off and a little separated. 

  

             (My field notes photos-11/5)

  As I was searching for more flowers in the park I noticed this tree which had really pretty flowers attached to the branches. The flowers really caught my attention, well because they were pink. 

          (My field notes photos-11/5)

  A closer look of what the pretty pink clustered flower tree looked like. The tree was close to the pond surrounded by a lot of tall grass. But this tree had like minimum of about 10 or maybe 12 flowers in all the tree. I didn't notice any recent flowers that had fallen before I saw it. I researched what kind of tree it was, according to "Blue Planet Garden..." it's called an English Hawthorn. 

  It's always a good thing to observe the littlest things around the park, because you never know what you'll eventually find. It's also the littlest things that interest you the most at the end of the day. 

Work Cited

"Blue Planet Garden Blog." www.blueplanetgardenblog.com. N.p.n.d. Web. Nov. 9 2014

"Oxeye Daisy." www.mywildflowers.com. N.p.n.d. Web. Nov. 9 2014 

                                                              

  

When It Feels Empty

 Every time I go to the park to do my observations I hardly see people. People may say because it's getting cold or that they don't like the park because of the ducks being mean to them. But in reality no one likes that park, it's not that attracting. 

 Do you ever feel empty when you don't have something you really love with you? As in a phone, laptop, keys, car, significant other, pet, parents, etc. Well I bet that's exactly how the park feels when it doesn't have any people inside it. This park should be full of joy, love, and entertainment. Lately, Paradise park has been lonely more like abondoned and I know it's getting cold but a park is a park. 

 When I go roam the park I also check to see if the play ground is full of children, running around with a smile from ear to ear. But it's totally the opposite I see at least 2-3 children playing in the play ground. Maybe because the time I usually go to the park which would be around 6:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m. When the sun is finally setting and the night is now shining. 

 When Paradise Park feels empty it doesn't seem much of a park. Although it's a home for the animals that live there. During my observations, I've noticed a lot about the park I never really knew. It seems as if I got attached to the park and connected more with it. 

"Today marks another day of my observations, where is everyone? It feels so lonely and abandoned, is the weather making people foget about this beautiful park? I guess it's just me and the animals today. It's getting kind of chilly now that the weather is changing. This park just feels a little lonely without usually seeing people play soccer in the other side, children in the play ground, and many others jogging around the park. My field notes 10/31"

 At the end of the day, I feel like we should try to interact more with nature. Bring back our childhood and play in the parks like how we used to. When the park feels empty it doesn't look much like a park. I know because I've exprienced it's sense of emptiness while I observed it. 

       (My field notes photos 10/31)

 A picture of the Paradise Park at night. It  doesn't really show much but it's empty other than the animals that live there and me. 

Uniqueness

Be Who You Are

Be who you are

Not what the world

Wants you to be 

Be proud of your individuality

Stand proud

Walk tall

Embrace your inner freak

For there is only one of you

You are priceless and unique 

By David De'Vere

The Ugly Duckling 

  As I was walking to the park where I usually stand to observe I noticed this unusual duck maybe goose ? But this unusual bird hung out with the ducks well mostly ducks. I wondered if it were just a little duckling that was barely growing into an adult duck. 

  I had the curiosity to do my researching on the baby duck and on how it looked as it was young. I researched what kind of bird it was on Whatbird.com, and it turned out to be an American coot, this bird swam like a duck but was not one. Instead of webbed toes it had lobed toes according to the website, Whatbird.com. (Also shown in my field notes photo). It's natural habitat was the coastal bays and inlets, often on rafts during winter. But what was it doing in the pond? In the website, Whatbird.com, the American coots perfferred habitats are ponds and marshes. 

                   (My field notes photo-10/15)

  I find this duck very beautiful because its' way of how it stands out. Like if it were proud of what it was, no matter if even it knew it was different from all the rest. 

(Why does it have to be windy? Anyways! Well today I'm walking to my observation, but I haven't spotted a lot of ducks or geese. Maybe because of the weather changing? I saw this unusual bird in the water floating with the others. It had blue feathers and a white beak, and strange looking webbed feet that were colored black with grayish/greenish. I wonder what type of duck or to be more specific bird it was. My field notes 10/15)

                      (My field notes photo 10/15)

A picture of the coot in the water from where I was observing it. Then at a distance is the crowd of ducks that stuck close to this unusual bird. 

  Then I noticed the coot slowly start to separate itself from the crew, which was the ducks. I wondered if this bird knew it was different from the rest as the ugly duckling did, although it wasn't ugly it was beautiful which stood out to me. The only reason the coot swam with ducks is because it loves or enjoys to swim like them. 

  Regardless of the coot being different I loved the way it sent messages that showed how it embraced itself. It may have been unique from the rest, but being different is better because it means no one gets to see something like itself often. It's always important to be "who you are," and embrace it, being unique is always a great thing when it comes to people noticing it. 

Works Cited

De'Vere,David. "Be Who You Are."   Theunlikelypoet.com. N.p.n.d. Web. Oct. 26, 2014. 

"AmericanCoot," www.whatbird.com. MitchWaiteGroup. 2002-2013. Web. Oct. 28, 2014. 

 

Curious

"It's amazing how this park has changed since the first day, the trees are turning different colors. Maybe because of the change in temperature! Anyways, I haven't been observing the birds a lot lately, cause there is a lot more than just birds. Today I saw a hole in the ground, I took a look at it more closely and whatever animal did this has amazing abilities but I wonder what animal did this, maybe a rabbit?" (My field notes 10/18) 

        (My field notes photos-10/18)

 A picture of the hole I observed and took a closer look at. I got closer to the hole I saw a squirrel run it's little feet across the other side. I wonder if squirrels can make holes that deep? 

 I researched if squirrels can dig holes and it turned out to be true. According to the web site http://ucanr.edu/sites/Ground_Squirrel_BMP/Biology/Identifying_Burrows/

Squirrels can dig holes up to three feet deep and four inches in diameter. Many of the squirrels that dig up the holes usually end up leaving them abandon because they either: die, there's lack of food, they found a new area to dig, and invasion of pest species.

        (My field notes photos-10/18)

 Squrriels dig burrows usually underneath rocks, logs, or other protective structure. Many of these burrows have interconnected systems with multiple entrances and exits, to according the web site Ucanr.edu. 

 All along I thought it was a rabbit hole, but apparently I was wrong. My curiosity, made me learn new things about squirrels I never knew. It's always a good idea to keep your eyes open and always have a curious mind. 

Proud and Beautiful

Proud and Beautiful 

AFTER you have spent all the money modistes and manicures and mannikins will take for fixing you over into a thing the people on the streets call proud and beautiful,

After the shops and fingers have worn out all they have and know and can hope to have and know for the sake of making you what the people on the streets call proud and beautiful,
After there is absolutely nothing more to be done for the sake of staging you as a great enigmatic bird of paradise and they must all declare you to be proud and beautiful,
After you have become the last word in good looks, insofar as good looks may be fixed and formulated, then, why then, there is nothing more to it then, it is then you listen and see how voices and eyes declare you to be proud and beautiful

By Carl Sandburg  

Always stand proud and beautiful; 

         (Field notes photo 10/2) 

 As this little bush plant I found as I walked the other side of the park. Which weren't much although there were a lot of bushes, trees, and a pond. This beautiful plant was standing out because of the colors of it's leaves. 

        (Field notes photo 10/2)

Another photo of what I call a captivating tree. It brought my attention because out of all the trees, this was the only one that had a yellowish-greenish leave color. Which indeed, I thought was beautiful as well. 

       (Field notes photo 10/2) 

In this photo, it's a quick glance of what the pond looked like from my view of it. I thought the moon was standing proud and beautiful as it waited for it's turn to shine as the sun went down. I also, thought this was beautiful. 

 It's always a good thing to stand out, that way more people can actually notice you. Which it relates to the poem I chose for my blog, because we "listen and see how voices and eyes declare you to be proud and beautiful." 

*(I hope my poem got my point across, even if it made little sense) 

In Beauty There's Ugly

   Today I'm noticing a lot of trash in the park, and also in the water. It seems like us humans don't really care about nature. We're polluting living animals homes, more like destroying their only homes! (Part of my field notes)

 In my last observations I only paid close attention to the birds. But recently I started noticing the little things that occurred in the park. I observed with great care how polluted the birds water is. Do people even care about these poor animals? " We Humans" don't necessarily take in mind what we throw to the water, or even think about who or what we're hurting. Paradise Park is not only a park it's more than just that: it's a home, shelter, free spaced place where one lives freely. There's garbage in the water, and all around the park. 

(A photo of only a section of the water my field notes photos-10/3) 

 This is a photo of the water, specifically a section of it. The park maybe "beautiful" from far away but its "ugly" is only seen if you actually observe with great care. A park should be contained clean and healthy! But it's indeed the opposite. 

The water is no longer clear, it's hard to see inside it. "Around this beauty is ugly". But I wonder how many animals have died because of how dirty the water is? (Second part of my field notes)

( A closer look of the water my field notes photos-10/3) 

 Overall, we shouldn't treat this park badly. We should embrace nature and keep it healthy, also keep in mind what animals live there. The park is not called "Paradise Park" for a reason; we should maintain it a paradise for the animals. 

 

 

Exploring

 Many times I have roamed the park not knowing what lives there, about two years I've lived near the park, but didnt really pay attention to what new things have been or are there. I rarely go to the park, but ever since I started doing this project I've seen the park of a whole different perspective.

 Today, it's a beautiful day as the sun shines it's brightest as it sets. The ducks, swans, and geese have now moved to the right where I usually stand to observe. I've noticed that swans have the outline of their eye red. I wonder why they do? I've also noticed that not a lot of people visit this park. I never really noticed how much flowers this park has as well. (My field notes)

Field notes photos: 9/22

A photo of what the park looks like from my perspective of my observation spot.