The Japanese call their micro seasons kō. There are 72 in the year, roughly 5 days long.
I’m afraid that’s too ambitious for this faithful park and nature lover. I already track daily comings and goings in a weekly calendar so jotting down a few highlights in a book I already use seems easy enough to do.
This past week I noticed was the week that a few trees are now completely barren of leaves. It isn’t too late yet in the season to where the leaves on the ground have blown away, been raked up or covered with snow.
It leaves the world with some trees with color in the branches, and then these lovely, natural circles of color all over the ground, everywhere.
It’s enchanting.
Not only do the leaves cover the ground in circles, they blown onto our front porch and make their way into the house. Years ago, I decided I loved leaving them out there on the stoop, letting them come in however they did into the house, letting them blow around with the dust bunnies and all other else that collects. I love having the tiny leaves inside and out.
This is probably one of my favorite ko.
Equally on the fauna front, there are over a hundred ducks down at the pond. We had an absolute dearth of ducklings this year so I guess the migrating birds are making up for some energy.
We’ve had a regular stream of photographers for over a month now, ringing our small pond. We have wood ducks, mergansers and the mallards of course along with a few wigeons. They keep coming and aside from the dandy gentleman merganser, it seems most have stayed.
It’s a wonderful time of year, a wonderful ko, a great way to go into the weekend.