Charlotte, Chapters, and a Change in Season

The Unnoticed Detail

We were on a walk along our usual route when we discovered a Western Spotted Orb Weaver spider tending an impressive web that spanned a large gap between the trunk of a pepper tree and a rosemary bush. Since first noticing her a couple of weeks ago, we now count on seeing “Charlotte” and a new web daily. Charlotte has been reliably occupying the same location for at least a couple of weeks. I wonder how long she's been setting her webs there and how long she'll continue to wait for morsels (and gawkers like us) to visit. I am embarrassed to admit spiders still creep me out. I am working on it. They are fascinating.

Fall & Winter Studies

I recently began a self-guided exploration of the California Naturalist Handbook (Second Edition). I'm planning to join the next cohort in 2027 as I missed the current cohort's start date but didn't want to wait until next year to begin digging into the material. I have set a goal of 2-3 weeks per chapter to give me plenty of time to dig into each section.

The material is becoming a welcome distraction from the goings on of the world of late, and I'm surprised by just how excited I am for the future cohort and the field trips that supplement the curriculum! I'm also impressed by the variety of topics covered in the book and how many questions it has me asking about my own region as well as the Eastern Sierras, our home away from home.

Here's a snapshot of some of my notes from Section 1:

Neighborhood Nature

The Barn Swallows have left for the year, and the White-Crowned Sparrows have returned. Dragonflies are still around, though their numbers are dwindling. Weird Duck Season feels like it could begin any day, but with weather suddenly inching back up into the high 90s (Fahrenheit), who knows?

The weather here is all over the place this time of year. I've learned not to pack away my summer clothes until mid-November. I wonder when the cold will return and stick around for good for 2026. Until then, I'm trying to soak up every last ounce of daylight and warmth.

Geeking Outside
I've been combing through my Neighborhood Nature log of the past 5+ years in search of mentions of bird sightings and any information regarding arrivals and departures to add to a spreadsheet I'm developing to help me track the seasonality (by month) of the birds who live in and visit our area.

I'd like to have a better understanding of how many birds appear throughout the year within a half-mile radius of our home, and how many others live and visit just outside that half-mile radius but are rarely detected due to our urban environment. I estimate there are at least 20+ more species just beyond my neighborhood, and I look forward to the years ahead of gradual detection and discovery, though I worry I will see fewer birds as numbers continue to decline.

Sketchbook Snippet

Here are some flowers for you! This sketch is of a beautiful bouquet that was the centerpiece at my table during a recent event I attended in San Bruno. I took a few minutes to sketch it on-site, then finished it with some watercolor a little later the same evening in my hotel room.

The Lingering Line

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
—Attributed to Margaret Mead

A nice person posted this in the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference Backstage Pass Zoom chat last month. The quote has stayed with me since. I'm sharing it here in case you also need some encouragement.

Recommended Reading

I'm always reading several books, but I will only gush about just one to spare you from this dispatch becoming even longer!

Deep Time in the Mono Lake Basin by Robert B. Marks
Progress: I just hit the halfway point.
Thoughts so far: This book is a gem! I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Mono Lake, the Eastern Sierras, colonization, water rights, and/or environmental history.

I have already learned so much from this book, as evidenced by many dog-eared pages, numerous underlines, and at least 100 excerpts hand-transferred to the back for future reference.

Art Stuff!

I'd feel remiss if I didn't dedicate at least a slice of this debrief to share about an art supply I'm loving. I recently discovered an adjustable fountain pen that has been fantastic for me as a lefty (it also works for righties!).

The Sailor TUZU Adjust fountain pen (Medium and Fine) allows you to customize the nib angle to your grip preference by unscrewing the barrel, sliding the grip section back, and rotating the nib in 10-degree steps. This adjustment mechanism has allowed me to customize the pen to my desired tilt—and I'm hooked. It's a joy to write with.

Parting Thoughts

There's still more to share but I'll save that for a later date. Adventures in sourdough baking (bread, pizzas, and pastries, oh my!), habit tweaks, fitness and nutrition hacks, and other goings on.

For now, I'll leave you with this little 4 a.m. rambling from a sleepless night in mid-September:

Hope this finds you well, finding things that help fill your cup, and taking one day at a time.

Remember: Sometimes you just need to hmm, haw, ponder, and plan, then begin anew as if changes were made and the course forward was settled.

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