With a global pandemic underway but outdoor exercise recommended, we made the 2 1/2 hour drive to Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge from our home in Longview Washington. We were the only vehicle in the parking lot on arrival. During the subsequent hike on the wonderful loop trail through the preserve we saw only a handful of other people who had the same idea that we did. With a surreal sense about it, we kept our distance from others as we encountered them, as did everyone else to us.

The entire walk clocked in on our smart watches at 5 odd miles of very pleasant, even trail. The only bird species we saw were a pair of Sandhill Cranes VERY far off. The honking of geese was a familiar sound, with the occasional call of red-winged blackbirds as punctuation. We also enjoyed the lichen and fungus species present and a good stretch of the legs to relieve cabin fever. An unexpected lovely surprise came inside an old rusty mailbox perched on a tree stump just off the trail near the end of the jaunt...enjoy the photo of what we found!

Mission accomplished, hard copy on protocols, with gratitude for this safe haven.