A few weeks ago I joined the ranks of the unemployed and took to walking 3 – 5 days a week with a dear friend, to clear my head and get grounded. There’s nothing better for freeing your mind than a brisk walk in the cool winter air.

Most of my walks were spent exploring the many trails and pathways at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The Hellcat Swamps trails have become a favorite, from the observation tower on the Parker River side to the 50 foot dune on the ocean side.

My hikes abruptly stopped on January 8, after a fall in my driveway left me with abrasions, bruises and a badly sprained foot. The following day I ended up with a cast on my right foot which needless to say has kept me from the hikes and trails. The cast is scheduled to come off on January 23 and I am hoping to get the okay from the doctor to start hiking again.

The photo above is from the observation deck atop the 50 foot dune mentioned above. From the top of the dune on clear day, the Isles of Shoals and Mount Agamenticus in York, Maine are visible.

The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is a birder’s paradise and during the past weeks spent there I have come to think of myself as a birder too. My heart and soul fill with sheer delight when I spot a Red Tail, Rough Legged or Harrier Hawk. And the Mute Swans simply fill my heart with radiant love.

The day before my fall my friend and I were blessed to witness the flight of four Mute Swans from the edge of the Parker River and then up and over the observation tower at Hellcat Swamp. Flying a mere 8 – 10 feet overhead, the sound of their wings beating was like the primordial beat of the mother’s heart (the Great Mother Goddess)… Thump… Thump… Thump.

Ah… but there was more… We watched their magical, mystical dance through the air as they swooped down towards the northern end of the swamp and then they rose again. Up… up… up and swirl back towards the observation tower. We stood awash in the magic of watching the swans fly overhead, not once but twice, before landing back where they started from. And we knew that their flight was a gift from the Goddess.

I maybe grounded right now from hiking (and driving) but every time I think of those swans flying overhead, I feel their blessings and I know they will be there to greet me when I return back to the Parker River Path.

I thought I might find more color in the evening sky tonight when I took my walk at Newburyport’s Waterfront Park. No such luck. It was more like a winter sky:

I’m not sure if Hurricane Bill’s presence off the coast of Massachusetts attributed to the winter sky effect this evening or not…

Still, I am totally enjoying the ever changing vistas of the Merrimack River in downtown Newburyport and my walks have been great for my spirit and given me more energy. I should start walking in Amesbury too. It’s such a beautiful town, right next to Newburyport. But so far I am enjoying the drive along the river that takes me to my walks at the Waterfront Park.

Last night in Newburyport an 80 pedestrian bridge was raised over Low Street, filling in “the last gap in the trail that will connect” the train station in Newburyport to the Waterfront.

So much has changed around the Newburyport area in the 19 years I lived in Los Angeles. Still it’s good to be back here living again (in Amesbury), reflecting on my childhood in the area and the first 30 something years of my life.

I think the bridge will be a welcomed edition to Newburyport and as I continue to take daily walks around downtown Newburyport and the Waterfront Park, one day soon I will check out the trail and the bridge. I enjoyed reading Joel Brown’s piece on the bridge raising complete with a bit of local Newburyport color.