stevelinebaugh
I needed an escape. Craving the silence and calm of nature, I got on Highway 75 heading north. After an hour and twenty minutes of cold gray highway, I made it to Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. There weren’t many people there and I was wondering if I had missed the snow geese as only a few vehicles were stopping along the road.
The icy waves lapped against the shore and ducks of all shapes and sizes darted into the cover of the reeds. A few of the outstanding species I noticed were the Northern shoveler, Pintails, Coots and Mallards. A Great Blue Heron patrolled the shores and several different hawks scanned the fields for rodents.
I got out of the car to photograph the geese and a few of the remaining landscape subjects and realized how cold it had become. The wind chilled me to the bone and the planned hike was postponed.
I achieved that moment of calm. Even in the midst of a gray winter landscape, I was able to listen to the geese and feel that calm you can only get from being in nature. It was a good day.
