February 21, 2011

Finding Outdoors

51/365

Even for me, getting outdoors this time of year can be a challenge. I've already written about my disdain for late winter early spring. On any given day, the earth is either covered with solid ice, mushy slush or in a month, that mud that cakes to the bottom of your boots and makes you six inches taller. Its still cold, but without the obvious beauty of a coat freshly fallen snow. 

You can still hit the trails with the help of ice creepers, snowshoes or cross country skis, but by this time of year the novelty of such activities has worn off for most. It's a chore. Going outside becomes more of a challenge, with more time needed and less spontaneity. My solution, find the lightly worn path. Literally. Trails and paths that have seen a few snowshoers, walkers and skiers should be well packed and fine for boots. 

If you live near Portland, you've driven by it without realizing its there. Two miles north of downtown, just over the bridge in Falmouth, sandwiched between Rt. 1 and I295 is the Maine Audubon's Gisland Farm. 65 acres of quiet space, thankfully overshadowed by the Boulevard meatmarket loop and to a lesser extent the Mackworth Island trail.

After doing chores around the apartment all morning, Stacey and I headed into Falmouth for a few errands along Rt. 1. To rescue the trip from being nothing but a shopping expedition, we stopped at the Audubon for a walk. Considering its location, its amazingly quiet, other than the smorgasbord of birds and their songs. The parking lot was almost empty, and we saw one other person on the trails. As an added bonus there are currently sculptures scattered throughout the sanctuary, tangled piles of rusted steel bent and welded together into animals—wolves, porcupine, elk, deer and foxes.

Bonus Photos
Wolf & Photographer
Wolf Sculpture
Marsh River

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