At The Campground

Sitting on the bank of the river in the woods of Nickerson Park was so peaceful during the last hour of daylight. We sauntered over there while Dan’s father prepared his early morning catch for dinner and talked with his campground neighbors.

It was early June—just cold enough for a sweatshirt. We sat along the river, talking about random dreams and watching the occasional trout jump out of the water for a fly. The overgrown green vegetation made the river look like a spot unknown to humans. No plastic bags hung off branches, no fast food cups covered the ground.

A few large, flat rocks stood out of the calm river water. We jumped from one to the other, laughing, before heading back to the camper for dinner. It reminded me of being younger again, running around without a care in the world.

Later we all kept warm by the campfire and talked about the latest meaningless gossip. Minnie, the little dog, lay on the ground by our feet, occasionally getting up and trying to jump up on someone’s lap, whining when she couldn’t.

It was so relaxing—it was a beautiful day.

The Marsh Trek

The Marsh Trek at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut is breathtaking during a summer mid-afternoon. The wooden bridge that wraps around the marsh is encompassed by a very serene natural landscape that almost looks golden when the sun shines upon it. The trickling of water and buzzing of aquatic insects brings me out of the aquarium's surroundings and into a whole different world. I can lean on the hand railing of the bridge or sit on one of the larger rocks nearby for hours and soak in the beauty, clearing my mind. The marsh water sparkles in the sunlight, and sometimes you can see little turtles swim in the shallows around the cattails and marsh grass. Although I am occasionally surrounded by other aquarium-goers, the feeling of being alone and free is still there. And when I return to my car, I feel relaxed and my smile, seemingly taken captive by the stresses of life at one time, is back on my face.