A Walk in the Marsh

The La Crosse River Marsh is a 1000-acre wetland with a river to bluff walking trail winding through its center.  The marsh has been referred to as a "polygon-patchwork map" for all of it's intersecting recreation trails, railroad tracks, roads and power lines (Hoffman, Matt. "Exploring the La Crosse River Marsh." La Crosse Tribune March 03, 2013.)

My favorite thing about the marsh is that it's conveniently located right in my neighborhood.

So I took a morning walk and visited with the birds and the trees.

“Suddenly I came out of my thoughts to notice everything around me again-the catkins on the willows, the lapping of the water, the leafy patterns of the shadows across the path. And then myself, walking with the alignment that only comes after miles, the loose diagonal rhythm of arms swinging in synchronization with legs in a body that felt long and stretched out, almost as sinuous as a snake…when you give yourself to places, they give you yourself back.

--Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

There were cobwebs clinging to trees, sun beams bouncing through leaves and insects buzzing up and down the trail.

I continued walking along the quiet trail while a train went by, skirting around the bluff and chugging by the sunny marshland.

“But the beauty is in the walking -- we are betrayed by destinations.” 

--Gwyn Thomas

And as I left, there were bikers, runners, wanderers, and bird watchers trickling in to give themselves to this place, our neighborhood marsh.