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      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
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      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
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      • Lizard Mound County Park - Farmington, WI
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      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
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      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
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      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
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      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
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      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
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    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
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      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
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      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
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  • Gardening for Wildlife
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    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI
Picture

Sidelined - Enjoying Nature While Healing from Injury

11/12/2019

2 Comments

 
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I tripped over a garden hose. No big deal. Or so I thought.  I fell on the inner part of my right knee.  I brushed it off. Walked it off. No big deal. No big bruises or swelling. The very next day we went for a short hike to exercise it, keep it limber.  

But that didn't do the trick. Within the week I was in major pain, and could barely walk on it.  I put my leg up, iced it, took ibuprofen, stretched.  Tried to hike again. We did a short hike at Grobschmidt Park. Just about a mile. By the end of that mile I felt like I'd run a marathon.  I don't do marathons.  I got a couple different knee braces and lamented, "why didn't I get one of these sooner?" - it seemed to be helping. Giving me some stability.

I saw my massage therapist.  I did PT exercises, narrowed down what the specific issue was (pes anserine - a group of three tendons), then catered to that.  It took 3 months. Three months!  But it finally improved.  I had about a week where I was feeling pretty good. Then, the other leg started acting up. Stiff knee and sciatic pain.  I guess the left side was tired of compensating for the right side...So we're in week three of that.  I'm doing PT, massage, cold therapy, ultra sound therapy, Tens therapy, heat therapy.  Trying to walk short distances. Once the knee stiffens up, though, that's tricky.  So, I'm guessing it will be another few weeks or more before this has settled.  

It put us behind on any major hikes, and I had to cut back on some gardening work. That will have to wait until next spring, anyway.  But it did force me to look at nature from a different perspective.  From the perspective of someone who has an injury, or a disability, or a health issue that makes it difficult for them to endure some of the heartier trails.

We focused on simpler trails, shorter trails, a boardwalk, or just a scenic spot to rest and observe nature.  After all, the point is to get outside. To observe nature, be with nature.  Recovery takes time.  It's not a prerequisite that the trail be difficult, or long. 

So whether you are recovering from an injury, an illness, or have limited ability for hiking trails, don't let that keep you home.  Get outside. Be it in your own backyard, your neighborhood park, or local nature preserves and gardens.   Following is a list of some of the spots we favored these past few months:
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Greenfield Park Lagoon - West Allis
This park is a perennial favorite of mine, in every season. It's close to home, and if I'm short on time, feeling tired, or it's bitter cold, the half-mile paved trail around the lagoon is do-able.  The trees along the shore are often filled with bird song, and scenic views.  They do a great job of plowing the paved trail during the winter months as well.  

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Wehr Nature Center - Franklin
Wehr has many attributes. Accessibility is one of them. There is a soft trail leading from the nature center building, to a newly expanded boardwalk trail.  With viewing stops along the way. Walk as much or as little of it as you like.  It's beautiful in every season.

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McCarty Park Lagoon - West Allis
Another West Allis park, McCarty Park features paved trails throughout the park, and around the lagoon.  Park benches beckon you to stop and enjoy the view.  Water fowl swim in the pond, and birds and squirrels decorate the trees. In winter, kids can enjoy sledding down a couple of the snow-covered hills.​

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Elm Grove Park - Elm Grove
Lovely in every season, Elm Grove Park has a pristine beauty in the depths of winter. The paved trail around the fishing ponds (there are two) are a nice winter walk. Most often plowed, the paved trail traverses around the ponds and through a bit of woodland. Deer are often sighted here along the perimeter of the park and creek.

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Franklin Woods Preserve ​- Franklin
The winding nature trail here is part pavement, part crushed gravel.  It's low-impact effort, but high-impact beauty. At just about a mile in/out, it's laden with trees, birdsong, and sunlight in every season.  Bonus: it's got a great kids playground at the entrance to the preserve.
​

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Paradise Springs - Eagle
A hike in Kettle Moraine State Forest doesn't have to be arduous.  Paradise Springs offers maximum beauty for minimal effort.  There's a paved trail that leads to the scenic spring house and back, well under a mile.  There is also a sheltered picnic area near the entrance. 

A State Park sticker is required.

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Ben Hunt Prairie and Cabin - Hales Corners
The prairie here is adjacent to Hales Corners Park, but it has its own parking lot. There is a short paved trail to the cabin, which is open the first Saturday each month (May-Nov) for free tours.  Behind the prairie and cabin is a short woodland trail that exits towards the sports field.  It's a beautiful bit of nature with birds, trees, and a native prairie garden.  

2 Comments
Linda
11/12/2019 08:14:02 pm

Thanks for your brave comments on dealing with injuries, and encouraging all of us to keep on getting outside. I have been through some challenges, and setting goals like you have mentioned also worked for me. All the best to you, and thanks for all you share.

Reply
Kimberly Mackowski
11/12/2019 11:36:47 pm

Linda,

Thanks so much for your kind words. It's always good to know others can relate.
Cheers to nature and its ability to help us heal.

Kimberly

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    A traveler, singer,  novice photographer, humane gardener, and nature lover.
    ​I've been keeping closer to home these days, and truly discovering the beauty that lies in The Park Next Door.

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  • Home
    • Contact
    • Sign up for Updates
  • Blog
  • Migration Song - The Magic of Bird Migration
  • Let's Explore
    • Nature Trails >
      • 116th Street - Oak Leaf Trail - West Allis, WI
      • Bald Bluff Nature Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Emma Carlin Trail - Palmyra, WI
      • Ice Age Visitor Center Nature Trail - Campbellsport, WI
      • Kettle Moraine Low Prairie Natural Area - Eagle, WI
      • Kohl Park Hiking Trail - Milwaukee, WI
      • Koshkonong Effigy Mounds - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Paradise Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Seminary Woods - St. Francis, WI
      • Stute Springs Nature Trail - Eagle, WI
      • Washington Avenue Nature Trail - Sheboygan, WI
    • Local Parks >
      • Big Hill Park - Beloit, WI
      • Bratt Woods - Grafton, WI
      • Brown Deer Park - Brown Deer, WI
      • Carver-Roehl County Park - Clinton, WI
      • Cliffside Park - Caledonia, WI
      • Copernicus Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Cudahy Woods - Cudahy, WI
      • Dorothy Carnes Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Elm Grove Village Park - Elm Grove, WI
      • Endicott Park - Brookfield, WI
      • Estabrook Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Falk Park - Oak Creek, WI
      • Franklin Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Glacier Hills County Park - Hubertus, WI
      • Grant Park - South Milwaukee
      • Greenfield Park - West Allis
      • Grobschmidt Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Hales Corners Park, Ben Hunt Prairie and Cabin, Seneca Hale Summer Kitchen, Cobb Park - Hales Corners, WI
      • Harnischfeger Park - Ixonia, WI
      • Hartung Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • High Grove Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Homestead Hollow County Park - Germantown, WI
      • Hoyt Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Jacobus Park - Wauwatosa, WI
      • Korth Park - Lake Mills, WI
      • John Muir Memorial County Park - Town of Buffalo, WI
      • Alan Kulwicki Park - Greenfield, WI
      • Lime Kiln Park - Menomonee Falls
      • Lincoln Park - Glendale, WI
      • Lion's Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Lizard Mound County Park - Farmington, WI
      • Malone Park - New Berlin, WI
      • Mangan Woods - Franklin, WI
      • Mary Knoll Park - Brookfield, WI
      • McCarty Park - West Allis, WI
      • Monarch Trail / County Grounds Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Mush Ko Se Day Park - Fort Atkinson, WI
      • Muskego Boardwalk Nature Trail - Muskego, WI
      • Muskego Park - Muskego, WI
      • Natureland County Park - Whitewater, WI
      • Nitschke Mounds County Park - Burnett, WI
      • Prairie Springs Park - Pleasant Prairie, WI
      • Richfield Historical Park - Richfield, WI
      • Rivers Edge Park - Menomonee Falls, WI
      • Sandy Knoll County Park - Town of Trenton, WI
      • Scout Lake Park - Greendale, WI
      • Simmons Woods Park - Pewaukee, WI
      • South Shore Park - Bayview, WI
      • Three Bridges Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Turtle Creek Parkway / Tiffany Bridge - Clinton, WI
      • Virmond Park - Mequon, WI
      • Warnimont Park - Cudahy, WI
      • Washington Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • White River County Park - Walworth County
      • Whitnall Park - Franklin, WI
      • Wind Point Lighthouse - Racine, WI
    • Nature Preserves >
      • Badertscher Preserve - Muskego, WI
      • Baxter's Hollow State Natural Area - Sauk City, WI
      • Beulah Bog - East Troy, WI
      • Blue Heron Wildlife Sanctuary - Saukville, WI
      • Cedarburg Bog - Saukville, WI
      • Chiwaukee Prairie - Kenosha, WI
      • Robert O Cook Arboretum - Janesville, WI
      • Crooked Creek Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Deer Creek Sanctuary - New Berlin, WI
      • Emerald Preserve - Oak Creek, WI
      • Engel Conservation Area - Muskego, WI
      • Faville Grove Sanctuary - Lake Mills, WI
      • Forest Beach Migratory Preserve - Belgium, WI
      • Garrison's Glen - Mequon, WI
      • Genesee Oak Opening and Fen - Mukwonago, North Prairie WI
      • Gordon Tabor Memorial Woods - Caledonia, WI
      • Grasslyn Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Grootemaat Nature Preserve - Greendale, WI
      • Hartland Marsh Preserve - Village of Hartland, WI
      • Hawthorn Glen - Milwaukee, WI
      • Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon, WI
      • Huiras Lake Natural Area - Fredonia, WI
      • Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy - Williams Bay, WI
      • Lac Lawrann Conservancy - West Bend, WI
      • Lakeshore Nature Preserve - Madison, WI
      • Ledge View Nature Center - Chilton, WI
      • Lion's Den Nature Preserve - Grafton, WI
      • Lulu Lake Nature Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Maywood Environmental Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • Mequon Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Ned Hollister Wetlands Conservancy - Delavan, WI
      • Newell and Ann Meyer Nature Preservel - Eagle, WI
      • Pheasant Branch Creek Conservancy - Middleton, WI
      • Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve - East Troy, WI
      • Pope Farm Conservancy - Verona, WI
      • Price Park Conservancy - Elkhorn, WI
      • Riverbend Nature Center - Racine, WI
      • Riveredge Nature Center - Saukville, WI
      • Sauk Creek Nature Preserve - Port Washington, WI
      • Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Milwaukee, WI
      • Spirit Lake Nature Preserve - Mequon, WI
      • Spruce Lake Bog - Campbellsport, WI
      • Stigler Nature Preserve - New Berlin, WI
      • Trinity Creek Wetland Habitat - Mequon, WI
      • Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area - Mukwonago, WI
      • Vernon Wildlife Area - Waterford, WI
      • Wadewitz Nature Camp - Waterford, WI
      • Wehr Nature Center - Franklin, WI
      • Wehmhoff Woodland Preserve - Burlington, WI
      • Whitnall School Forest - Greenfield, WI
      • Zeloski Marsh - Cambridge, WI
    • State Parks >
      • Aztalan State Park
      • Bong State Recreation Area - Kansasville, WI
      • C. D. Besadny Fish and Wildlife Area - Kewaunee, WI
      • Cadiz Springs State Park - New Glarus, WI
      • Devil's Lake State Park - Baraboo, WI
      • Harrington Beach State Park - Belgium, WI
      • Havenwoods State Forest - Milwaukee, WI
      • High Cliff State Park - Sherwood, WI
      • Kohler Andrae State Park - Sheboygan, WI
      • La Budde State Natural Area - Ice Age Trail Segment - Plymouth, WI
      • Lake Kegonsa State Park - Stoughton, WI
      • Lakeshore State Park - Milwaukee, WI
      • Lapham Peak State Park - Delafield, WI
      • Mauthe Lake State Recreation Area - Campbellsport, WI
      • Pike Lake State Park - Hartford, WI
      • Point Beach State Forest - Two Rivers, WI
    • Sculpture Gardens and Conservancies >
      • Bobrowitz Sculpture Garden - Colgate, WI
      • Boerner Botanical Gardens - Hales Corners, WI
      • Franconia Sculpture Park - Shafer, MN
      • James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden - Town of Wilson, WI
      • Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture - West Bend, WI
      • Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy - Milwaukee, WI
      • Nick Engelbert's Grandvi - Hollandale, WI
      • M. Schettl Sales - Sculpture and Oddities
      • Rotary Botanical Gardens - Janesville, WI
    • Cemeteries >
      • Calvary Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Forest Home Cemetery - Milwaukee, WI
      • Highland Memorial Park Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • La Belle Cemetery - Oconomowoc, WI
      • New Berlin Center Cemetery - New Berlin, WI
      • Oak Hill Cemetery - Lake Geneva, WI
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • The Eco-Friendly Lawn
    • Welcome to the Firefly Show
    • Birdbaths in the Habitat
  • Detours, Links & More
    • Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary - Green Bay, WI