On account of reader requests, this is going to be primarily a photo-drop. But it will be a photo-drop with a theme. Make the effort to find tranquility. It’s worth it.
I arrived in the wildlife refuge without the fanfare of a brilliant sunrise on this trip. No crimson rays streaking across the marshes. No flurry of animal activity as the radiant orb rose. I was not greeted this time by a large otter trotting across the access road. What I was greeted by was a stifling, thick shroud of fog. Visibility was seriously reduced as the photos show and the fog seemed to suppress all sounds except the Red Winged Black Birds who chattered away all over the wetlands. My footfalls were soft on the dew laden ground and moisture dripped from the brim of my ball cap as I hiked. There was no noise but the chatty black birds and the quiet sound of the electronic stutter on my camera.
The Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge is teeming with wildlife of all sorts and, if you let it, The Refuge always has a surprise or two for you. Walking quietly through the fog focused on the sights (what I could see) and sounds of this place and stopping to take pictures when they presented themselves I soon became “lost” in the place. When that rare moment happens and the outside world stops intruding I allow myself to just exist in and around the creatures there. It is usually at this point when I am surprised in some way.
More than three hours of hiking is a long time to listen to the noisy calls of the Red Winged Black Birds and wade through almost continuous fog. Somewhere along the way I could no longer hear the noises of the highway, the access road, my truck engine or the worries of the day. The foggy wetlands were quiet, beautiful and tranquil.
Find your tranquility. Make the effort. Take the drive. It’s worth it.
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