Nature and Emotional Turmoil

It's said that communing with nature often brings some relief to inner turmoil.

I think I can agree with that after a trek with my brother through a nature preserve near his house in Rhode Island on Talk Like a Pirate Day.  I'd planned a visit and he suggested that we visit the preserve since I'd never been.

It's the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and it's located in Charlestown, Rhode Island, off Post Road (Route 1).  You can read about it here.  During World War II it was a Naval air base, apparently, and supposedly President Bush #1 was a pilot there.  You can still see parts of runways and also runway markers in spots.

Will and I didn't see any land critters other than bugs, but we were followed by catbirds who were a bit annoyed by our presence, and he thought he saw hawks.

Many people might be disappointed by this refuge because there's not a lot of exciting things to see, at least not in mid September daylight.  There's not tons of flowers, for example.  But what I loved about it was that it felt like we were isolated from the rest of the world as we trekked through woods and marsh land.  Ninigret is a salt marsh so the salt air is everywhere.  

And, though a dedicated city kid, I found things I loved

Wild grapes by the side of the road

Goldenrod and other things by the trail

Holly berries (I have never seen them in the wild)

I've no clue what this is but I love it - and you can see the cove behind it

One of the old runways

Salt marsh

A tree killed by too much salt water in the ground

No clue what this is either

Goldenrod by the trail

What was most important, though, was an easing of the emotional turmoil I've been dealing with for the past few months.  As we walked, Will told me about the plant life and showed me different features of the marsh that he loved.  He walks there often as it's so close to his home and is well familiar with its history.  He identified the bird calls for me and indulged my incessant questions about what I was seeing.

I'm sorry now that I didn't take more photos - there were leaves that fascinated me but for some reason I'd felt shy about photographing anything with Will around - I'm not sure why because he knows I'm fascinated by color and texture.  But I finally took some photos. 

The sunshine, the salt air, the peacefulness worked its magic, as Will had intended.  I came home feeling more at peace than I had in a while, and I hope it lasts for a bit.  I can use a break.

later,
lin