Nov. 18th, ‘09-I packed up car camp and and savored alone time. I felt the pull of the magnificient Mississippi River as I drove through Trempealeau, WI. My 6 hours to do exactly as I wish. Ah huh-I shall stop and scout the river! I’m forever impressed with the power of the river. There’s no boat traffic. Christmas decorations line the street. It’s sunny and 50 degrees. Tom had visited Perrot Park last weekend. He hiked a good 10 miles and said that there were a lot of people utilizing Perrot Park Nature Trails.  I watch the flag catching the wind on the blufftop. I think of the goat prairie and the rocks and mounds in Perrot Park. A sacred place full of energy and splendor. 

 On to Walmart and then Myrick Park in LaCrosse, WI. I want to survey the new Eco-Center that will be opening @ a later date. Greg has done volunteer work for the Center. Myrick Park will always be Monkey Island to me.  When I was a kid, my Ma would take me there to observe the monkeys, see ducks and all the great animals.   I am also fond of the nature trail that winds through the La Crosse backwaters. It’s a well maintained trail that is frequently used. I am delighted to see many muskrat houses and feed beds as I walk the trail.  Mushyrats and ducks are swimming  in the morning sunshine.  I return to our van, and am surprised @ all the cars parked throughout the park.

The LaCrosse Public Library on Main Street, beckons me. I pick up a copy of a FREE Reader’s Digest Condensed Version that’s too obvious to be ignored. My cloth Trapper Man handbag is chuck full in no time. I lug out to my van books  in hard copy and some on CD by Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Joel Osteen, Wayne Dyer, Jane Goodall ,Einstein, Carlos Castaneda, Native American History and  Florida.  I also selected movies like-Tinker the Otter, All about John Deere Tractors and Apple Farming for Hawken.

I am off to the high point of this road trip. I cross the bridge that’s over the Mississippi River as I head towards LaCrescent, MN.  There’s a flock of shore birds congregated along the beach bank watching a few scattered boats float down the river. Highway 16 has  a variety of spots along it that have water to attract a lot of water fowl. There’s muskrat houses and feed beds in plentiful supply. I see Kwik Trip @ LaCrescent and my heart leaps. I am immediately transported to the ultimate road trip. It’s precious memories of  my oldest brother, Tim Salwey.  It’s thoughts of his lovely wife JoJo and Uncle Kenny Salwey and a variety of friends that know how to roadtrip to Iowa trout fishing. This is the Kwik Trip where Tim typically decides it’s time to get a choclate milk, chew and some suck on candy. It’s just me and I don’t need chew-so I proceed  left @ Kwik Trip heading further south.

I see a road sign that states Brownsville 8 miles and Lansing, IA is 32 miles.  I’m sitting taller now and I glance to car camp. I have a full tank of gas, and $245 worth of food and toiletries and a sack brimming with library books. It washed over me like a gentle rain starting and then the deluge. I could just keep driving and buy a fish pole, crawlers and call home to let the guys know..I’d be late..by a day or two. In my mind I’m seeing plump trout and serenity. Nope, it’s actually brother Tim and he’s whipping me into shape. Non-stop guiding me on how to cast, where to put the bait and just driving me til my arm is so sore and we’re both searching my fish bag for an apple. He won’t let me even stop to cut it up. He uses his knife to cut-so I can keep fishing and then hands me the beloved morsels to crunch on. I love that man! Now that trip is another story from this past Spring and IA fishing!

I pull intoWildCat Park and see no swans. Then a couple drives into the park and they explain the swans are a couple miles south.  Seven guys are un-loading a fancy schmansy boat all adorned with camoflouge skirt to blend into the river. They are deciding which direction to go for their duck hunting experience.  I’d seen many ducks  on the way along Highway 26 where the shallow waters are. There’s an abundance of muskrat houses along this stretch also, along with 2 huge beaver lodges. 

I  can’t get the van above 50 MPH. Tundra Swans  by the thousands.  I blink left and easily find a parking spot. I’m by marker #147 and the railroad tracks run right below the pull out area.   I step out into the bright sunshine and snap photos of all the delightful birds.  There’s 10 cars in the lot and 4 people outside gawking through binoculars. I stroll to the south end of the lot and gaze with utter amazement @ the river.  I’d forgotten how wide it is in this region.  I swivel my head to the bluff behind the lot and there’s a hawk flying in the afternoon breeze. Then I scan the bluffs towards Brownsville and there’s 3 eagles soaring majestically high in the sky. Turning towards the river, I glance @ the vehicles parked. There’s two mature ladies sitting in a car, each one slurping  a sucker and sharing binoculars. I light up with a grin.  Fancy camera lenses are being toted to the sidewalk and set up to capture the perfect photo of this splendid migration.  The  Swans are migrating towards their wintering grounds near Chesapeke Bay. The Brownsville location boasts having around 5,000 swans feeding, resting and preparing for the rest of their journey on days like this.  It’s a whisling, tender sound that is heard continuously. I head to my van and settle in for a picnic.  I pop open a pretzel bag,  yogurt, veggies and grapes.  I gaze through the Leupold Wind River Pinnacle binoculars on loan from Tom. I see yellow, think of Big Bird and see people walking in front of the van through the binoculars. I’m now  confused as to get them focused. I am not quick with locating through the lenses and just decide to watch the whole scene rather than intense focus on each bird.  I very carefully replace the lens covers on the binoculars. I’m not wanting to scratch Tom’s special binoculars! Ducks are dancing their bodies amongst the swans. Then I see a white bird flap it’s wings and there’s black on the wing tips. I inhale and think how did this mutation happen?? Then I un-cap the binoculars and it’s a pelican.  Woohoo!  Boom-I’m basking in the rays of the Ding Darling Birding place in Florida. I feel warm and am transported back to the reality. Now to re-cap these handy dandy binoculars.  I’m not much for re-capping things-I did it and later knew I’d be able to borrow them again cause they still work!  Swans are feasting with their bottoms stuck in the air and their heads under water. I spot a swan squacking, fight un-folding. It’s growing noisier and brassy! Ducks are paddling out of the way and some swan is causing a ruckus!  Actually it’s impressive to sweep my eyes up and down the river. All those other water fowl are in harmony floating, feasting and fluffing feathers.  Miles of white splashes mingling with the Mississippi. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to roadtrip to commune with nature. I drink in deep the soft floaty blue sky. Swans wings out-stretch and 3 or 4 @ a time as they fly from their resting spots from the river. A white barge engine pushes up-stream and the time has come to return to Welcome Home Farm.

Swan Watch!!

Sue Roskos