I am usually not even aware of it, but I always have a song in my head. This spring, as I begin my day this one is playing with an enthusiastic chorus! I like to rise when the sun she rises earli in the morning. I like to hear those small birds singing merrily upon the leylands. I like the life of a country boy and to ramble in the new mown hay. Click I Like to Rise to hear Folly Bridge sing it. This song is an old English tune taught to me by an Arab sea captain who used to sing it wholeheartedly to wake the crew. Though we were far from the British Isles and nowhere near any new mown hay (thank goodness), it was the best way to start the day. Now that spring has sprung many tunes are wafting through my window at dawn sung by songsters from near and far. I’ve always been a morning person and typically wake before dawn. The best part of my day is my morning walk. In spring, I step outside and hear robins, sparrows, juncos and chickadees. As I slip by the house of my sleeping neighbors I watch an eagle building a home in their tallest tree taking talons full of grass to line the nest. Killdeer cry out from the farmer's fields. Walking the road I see blackbirds on the wires, sparrows calling from the hedgerows and swallows, recently returned from South America, dipping and gliding over the horse pastures. My walk takes me by a wetland next to the Nichols Brother’s Boatyard. It’s quiet at that hour except for the red wing blackbirds calling “Mukilteeeee-o, Mukilteeeee-o”. A heron is practicing Tai Chi in the marsh. At the end of Holmes Harbor buffleheads and mallards glide across a reflection of the sunrise through the trees. Click here to see the tai chi master. I climb the hill toward Freeland Hall and take the trail around the bluff. An old yew leans out toward the water. Around the next bend the dog walkers come chatting away. There are three dogs, one for each household. Mac, Maya and Otto meet here most mornings. We all pass with a sniff, a wag, and a cheerful, “Good morning”. Coming down to Freeland County Park, I find Bruce about to take his rowing shell out on the glassy water. He invites me to join him. Alas, not today. Turning up Myrtle Avenue I pass an old orchard in bloom, then the garden with the bike wheels that spin with the breeze. They have a bench with a tape measure attached to the side to show the 6 feet required for safe sitting. I’ve never met the residents of this charming abode but the ornaments on the mailbox and flowers at the garden gate make me want to someday. I keep walking and pass both the chickens and the eggs. This is a paved walkway and would be good for someone on wheels except for the next block where the pavement dips on one side. Still the street is quiet and presents an alternative. I follow the trail to the corner where Myrtle meets Main Street and climb one last hill to catch my bus to work. A morning walk with a song in my head is the best way to start the day. Medical experts say a 30 minute walk at least 5 days a week is a good way to stay healthy. I think it is a good way to stay happy, too. Directions: From Highway 525 in Freeland turn south on Main Street across from Fish Road. Then take a quick turn onto Myrtle Avenue. Or walk from Main Street down Myrtle Avenue just west of the Payless parking lot. It's about a half mile walk north between Payless and Freeland County Park. Continue west to walk another half mile along the bluff around Freeland Hall and visit the wetland next to Nichol's Brothers Boatyard on Shoreview Drive.
Transit and Mobility Access: Take the Route 1 bus to Main Street in Freeland and get off at Payless. Go west to Myrtle Avenue and then north to Freeland County Park. The buses are fare free and can take wheelchairs, strollers and bikes. For a schedule visit: www.islandtransit.org
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Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
April 2024
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