Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge (and my eye)

Photo  taken May 12, 2020 at 11:18:30

My eye had been bothering me some before I went to the ER. I bet I’d be wearing dark sunglasses back then. Today in dappled but bright light I was more comfortable waring clearing lensed glasses.

--May 12, 2020 at 11:18:30. Coventry, RI, United States

Two weeks ago I spent the many hours in two ERs trying to learn what was up with my eye. The next day I went to a clinic for a closer check-up (based on the ER eye doctor’s recommendation). That visit lead to a return visit a few days later to see a cornea specialist. That visit determined that I needed sutures removed: they were loose or broken. For those of you with normal eyes this is something an ophthalmologist takes care of in his or her office: no muss; no fuss (snip snip you’re done pretty much). For me it is more involved: surgery requiring mild sedation. The surgery was scheduled but I think that was more challenging than normal because of COVID-19. COVID-19 certainly affects everything from the ER visit to time in the hospital. From a patient’s point of view forget visitors. The surgery went well and the sutures are no longer present and so my eye is much happier. I still do not feel as though I am reading as well as I should but that has been a long-term issue only worsened by the problem. I can tolerate normal light levels again which is good. And the maddening irritating feeling and pain are gone.

Photo  taken May 11, 2020 at 11:16:00

I didn’t have to walk up into the grass like Mom and I did last time when the tide was high. This isn’t miuch of a beach, certainly not one people will happily sunbathe on (those exist in Rhode Island but not here), but it is a beach nonetheless.

--May 11, 2020 at 11:16:00. Warwick, RI, United States

With the return of eye health I have been able to go for walks again. A return visit to Rocky Point on a blustery morning with a very high tide (not as high as last time but close) was one walk. I am so glad to have a wlk that is more interesting than a walk along neighborhood streets (all I really have back in Ann Arbor). Rocky Point is about 0.3 miles from the house. Sure, it is hardly a nature walk but it is more than a walk in on neighborhood streets.

Photo  taken May 12, 2020 at 11:20:22

I wonder where this boulder was located before the glaciers receded. As you can see it is quite large and no other boulders in the area are even close to the size of this one. Mom provides a bit of scale.

--May 12, 2020 at 11:20:22. Coventry, RI, United States

Photo  taken May 12, 2020 at 11:23:12

The trails are blazed various colors. I believe we entered along the white trail before following the Hemmitt Hill (yellow) trail. But what caught our attention here are the two great cavities in the tree. I suppose woodpeckers could have made them but they seem rather large and low. Maybe a barred owl lives in one but I don’t think they create the cavities. So, what did?

--May 12, 2020 at 11:23:12. Coventry, RI, United States

The bigger walk, though only a bit longer, was along some trails in the Maxwell Mays Wildlife Refuge. We strolled through the meadow into a dense forest where Carr Pond sits. Our walk, and perhaps many of them, do not really give you good views of the pond for long. Instead focus your attention on the forest. Perhaps you will see a fox, deer, wild turkey, or a snake (we saw the latter). Listen for birds and maybe even manage to identify some of them. Wonder what those great cavities in a tree might be or how long trees near the pond will survive assaults from beavers. Enjoy yourself.

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