Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, back yard, Como area.

Weather: Cloudy, very windy, a thin layer of snow. 33 degrees F.

There are no longer leaves on any of the trees. The grass is matted and crunchy with ice. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground, that the wind is blowing in powdery sheets. There are no visible animals.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, back yard, Como area.

Weather: 28 degrees F, light wind.

There is a light covering of snow over the ground, less than an inch. The birch trees are finally completely barren of leaves. The grass is crucnhy, yet obviously green under the snow. There are several fat grey squirrels in the trees above. Beyond the shadow cast by the birches, the snow has begun to melt beneath the sun's rays.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, back yard, Como area.

Weather: 42 degrees F, rain, windy, cloudy skies.

Rain is falling moderately. It is windy, wet, and uncomfortable to stand outside. The grass is wet but has not yet absorbed a lot of water. There are no animals visible. The snow has of course melted, and leaves are sparse on the birch trees.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, back yard, Como area.

Weather: 30 degrees F, windy, snowing (!)

It is currently snowing. There is approx. half an inch of snow covering the grass. There are very few leaves left on the trees; the few that are still hanging on are brown and shriveled. There is an extremely fat bunny taking shelter behind a decorative bush close by, and a loud squirrel in one of the birch trees.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, backyard, Como area.

Weather: 45 degrees F, windy, blue skies.

The yard has just been raked. There are three huge piles of leaves throughout the yard. The larger leaves from the tree-next-door have caught wind and scattered around the lawn, out of their piles. One large brown rabbit runs across the grass, and the dog chases it. There are no visible birds in the trees or sky. The grass is matted and losing color.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, backyard

Weather: Light breeze, cloudless sky. 45 degrees F.

Now the lawn is covered in leaves that have fallen from the birch trees, although the trees themselves still appear to be full of leaves. All of the leaves both on and off the trees are now a vibrant yellow. There are many small birds in the low branches. There is no visible squirrel activity, but there are remnants of a chewed black walnut from the tree-next-door in the grass.

Author: Mia, Great River School 

Location: Under three birch trees, backyard

Weather: Clear skies, wind speed: 5 mph. 46 degrees F, 75% humidity. Frost on grass earlier is now melting.

There is a spider web forming between the bases of the trees. All trees still have most of their leaves. The ground has been raked recently, but there is a light littering of brown oak leaves from the tree-next-door. There is no fallen bark on the ground. There is a Red-headed Woodpecker in the very top of one of the trees making a lot of noise.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Under three birch trees, backyard

Weather: Sunny, cloudless sky, 50 degrees F, windy. Relative humidity: 63%

Today there are a lot of noisy birds around, but not in the birch trees. The leaves have just been raked (earlier, the ground was carpeted with them) so the grass is mostly clear, but damaged from the raking. Despite the copious fallen leaves, the birches have managed to retain most of theirs; most of them were from the oak next door. There are more strips of birch bark on the ground than there were last week

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: St. Paul, under three birch trees.

Weather: Light clouds, low sun. Temperature: 66 degrees F. Windspeed: 7 mph. Humidity: 61%.

Ground is now almost completely covered with brown leaves. They fall steady throughout the duration of my observation. The grass is slightly matted, and losing its color in some places. Several pieces of fallen bark surround the trees, as well as the chewed remnants of a black walnut from the tree next door. Two thistles are emerging from the base of the tree to the far right. There is a lot of noisy squirrel activity from above. All trees still hold most of their leaves, although now they are yellow/green with patches of brown.

Author: Mia, Great River School

Location: Como area, under birch trees.

Weather: No clouds, mid-seventies. Light breeze, mostly still. No precipitation. Slightly humid.

Cold grass, several yellow leaves on ground, many sticks. Tree has most leaves still remaining, turning yellow. Small area of recently uncovered dirt - squirrel? Grass is short, recently trimmed. Loud birds.