Over the past few Sundays we have done some very short hikes due cold, wind and other circumstances that have just been interfering with our time in the woods. . . I know, I know, whine whine whine. . . However, the time we have spent hiking has been a lot of fun despite all the external forces that are trying to limit our experiences. Even though I am writing this on April 2nd I am going to take you back a couple weeks into March with my magical time machine called memory. We start in a cafe called Kitchen Little in a marina on Masons Island, on the Mystic River, just south of Mystic, Connecticut,
We had a good breakfast with hot coffee in this popular and busy cafe and as we were sitting there we realized that this was the marina we delivered our boat to when we sold it a couple of years ago. We do miss Tapestry. . . but are on to new adventures, and most start with coffee. After walking around the marina and reminiscing about the days we spent cruising we drove out to Enders island. Enders island is a Catholic retreat out on a spit of land at the southern tip of Masons Island. Here at the retreat they have many different programs including a a sobriety residency program, but we came here to walk. It was about 20 degrees F and the wind was coming in strong off the water..it was bitter cold as we explored the grounds and the rocky shore. After what was a very short walk for us, less than a mile I would guess, we were happy to return to the car and warm up.
The following weekend we headed to Attleboro Massachusetts to hike at the Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary but were intercepted by the 'ranger' who told us that we could not hike today as they were holding an Easter Egg hunt for local children and he directed us just up the road to a place called Attleboro Springs where we got in a two mile hike without children, eggs or bunnies. Attleboro Springs is an easy flat walk through a nice forest. Nothing spectacular, no great views or rugged climbing but just a nice walk away from the hustle of the city and everyday life. We had an enjoyable walk where nothing extraordinary happened.
Yesterday, Easter Sunday and April Fool's Day, we hiked out on Gooseberry Island in Westport Massachusetts which is a small island connected with a causeway to the mainland and hanging out into Buzzards Bay. Another short walk seemingly made longer by cold temperatures and a strong steady wind blowing in off the water. It was an interesting walk though and quite different from hiking in the woods. It was fun to explore and the views of the water were nice as the surf was high and the water had great color. We hiked out to where the two old World War 2 lookout towers still stand. These towers were erected to help with the coastal defenses, but luckily were never saw any actual combat. Today they seem to be the canvas's for aspiring graffiti artists.
After hiking the island we hiked over to the Horseneck Beach Camping area to check out a possible location to come when we get our Vistabule trailer. Camping on the beach sounds like fun but hoping for warmer weather and maybe a bit less wind. As to the Vistabule, we are awaiting word about construction. I was in contact with the factory and they are expecting all of the wood from the CNC location to arrive by next Monday and real construction will begin. I was told that the delivery date of mid to late May is still good and that I will be getting new pictures when the construction begins. I will post here and keep you informed. In the meantime we will keep walking on Sundays and hopefully I will be a bit more diligent in posting here.