Meet The Randoms

Once summer is out of the way and fall is ready to settle in, a great amount of stores begin to put all summer merchandise on sale to stock up for fall merchandise, and sure enough I just happen to have the typical "It's on sale so I just have to buy it" parents. As my parents were roaming around the garden center at Home Depot, they decided to buy two trees, a plum and Fuji apple tree.


Michelle's photo
Fuji apple tree (left) Plum tree (right)

When the trees first arrived I thought it was probably the most random thing my parents could have done, just for the fact that fall is here (even though it is sunny and the weather is pretty warm) and winter will approach us soon, how are the trees gong to survive through harsh weather conditions? After doing some research my mind was yet again blown as I learned that not all trees get contaminated by the fall virus, which explains why my older tree has not shed any leaves yet. When fall arrives some trees adapt to the new weather conditions to survive, they do so by ensuring that their leaves get filled with sugar because it protects the cells in the leaves from being penetrated by the frosty snow which causes the leaves to fall off. Trees also do other interesting processes to adapt to fall and winter. For more information take a quick look https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d260CmZoxj8 .

I'm not quite sure what exact type of trees are able to survive through fall and winter, but it is a relief to know that the new family members of my backyard have a shot of making it to next spring. If my trees are able to survive through winter I wonder if they will continue to produce fruit? As for right now only time can tell.

Before I finish, I also would like to talk about the changes I've noticed with myself now that fall is here. Trees, plants, and animals are not the only things that adapt to fall, humans do too. As I sit every night outside, I couldn't help to notice how much falls affects me. "Hair runs in to my face, chapped lips make me lick them over and over again, dry skin, goose bumps crawl onto my skin." Field notes 10/19

The changes I'm going to have to make so I can survive fall and winter reminds me of a topic that Ms. Farias blogged about: Everything in the world affects each other. I couldn't agree anymore. Fall is not just a nature thing, nature is not just trees, birds, and water, nature is us as well. We unknowingly participate in nature everyday, and are blind to realize that when nature is at work, it also affects us. As dominant and powerful humanity may thing it may be, we fail to realize that we cannot live without the biggest, little necessity, nature.