HIKES – CREEKS OF WEST SENECA -03/14 and 03/16/20

On Saturday, March 14, I needed a break from the 24-hour news cycle (all coronavirus, all the time). So, I took a long walk along Cazenovia Creek, in West Seneca. I started at Mill Road Park, and headed upstream. It was a clear, cold day. The early spring thaw had started, so I slipped in the soft, greasy mud in a few places. Pools of meltwater were everywhere. Some of the trees had started to bud, and the quiet was interrupted with a scattering of birdcalls.

I proceeded well past the ice control structure, until I was opposite the high bank adjacent to the old Developmental Center site. That’s when I found it – a beautiful waterfall flowing down into the creek. I paused, and watched, and listened to the cascade of the falls and the murmur of the creek, and felt refreshed.

The following Monday, March 16, I took advantage of the bright, sunny day to visit one of my favorite spots, the Burchfield Center on Union Road. I followed the path upstream along Buffalo Creek, until I reached a side stream. In the calm pool below the bank, I spied a pair of ducks, doing what ducks do best. They floated and paddled along, occasionally dipping their bills down to grab a bite to eat. In this difficult time, there is a lesson to be learned from this placid pair.