Bench, Stewart McKinney

On the rare times these days when I'm in the Westbrook, Connecticut neighborhood, I try to find an opportunity to stop for a hike at the Salt Meadows Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. This ten-part preserve, named in honor of the late CT congressman who helped create the coastal preserve, is a gem, particularly for birders who delight in coming here for spring and fall migration to see what species are calling the McKinney temporary home during migratory travels. But today, the migrants were gone, and so were, save for handful of mallards, chickadees, and titmice, most wildlife and human observers. So I had this comfortable wooden bench, a fine resting stop, all to myself to contemplate the ebb and flow of the natural world, think about the past and future, and hope that one of the refuge's resident Pileated Woodpeckers, whose rectangular excavations were abundant in the woods, came within camera range. Alas, my only luck was to be able to enjoy the well-worn bench. That, on this quiet afternoon, was enough.