Flags were flipping and flapping in the breeze – a sea of red, white and blue.
The Lincoln Park Exchange Club, in conjunction with the City’s Historical Society, posted on social media about a special event to be held in Memorial Park in conjunction with America’s 250th birthday and no, it wasn’t a gigantic cake like we had for the City’s 100th birthday last year.
There was also a marquee in the park displaying the official America 250 logo commemorating the 250th birthday of the U.S.
There would be 250 flags, one flag representing each year since 1776 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. There would be different flags, ranging in the amount of stars and stripes as more states were added to the Union, including the Betsy Ross flag to the Star Spangled Banner flag we know today.
I’ve visited and written about other flag events like Field of Flags or even the annual Memorial Day flags honoring the Lincoln Park veterans who lost their lives in World Wars I and II, plus the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq conflicts. The Exchange Club always does a nice job for these events.
The display commenced on Flag Day, June 14th and ran through 4th of July weekend. I decided to meander over there on June 15th as we had multiple bouts of severe weather on the horizon – no telling what havoc would be wreaked after Mother Nature had her way with the display, as wicked winds, torrential downpours and hail, even a tornado, were all predicted.
As with previous displays, I’ll admit there is no good way to capture the panoramic view with my eyes, let alone with the camera – many of the 250 flags were bound to be left out.
So, as I strolled through the massive display, I decided to take some group shots of the flags (seen up top), then hone in on some of the individual years and different flags.
Well, that was an idea that sounded good, but there was already a bit of a breeze when I arrived at the park. I thought the “gentle breeze” mentioned on the weather report that morning would stir the flags a little, providing for nice shots. By the time I got home, wind gusts were at 18 mph.
So, I did the best I could at any rate. Here are some groups of flags down the walkways …
… and, here is another angle. They had several floodlights turned on, used to light the display at night, even though sunrise had already come and was long gone. Generators powered each of the floodlights which you see in the next two shots.
Occasionally, that gentle breeze kicked up a notch or two and flags were flapping wildly.
I was the only person at the flag display, but admittedly, having the heavy material fluttering wildly near my head (I ducked a few times) and especially my shoulder, would have made me think someone was trying to get my attention by tapping on my shoulder. 🙂
I decided to get a quick video to show you how out of control those flipping flags really were but that idea fizzled out fast and I didn’t try again.
Checking out the flags and their stories.
Each flag had a hangtag with info about the specific year, including a brief history, plus what type of flag was flying at that time, or how many stars were on a particular flag …
… or even how many stripes the flag had (you’ll see what I mean later).
It wasn’t just the flags fluttering but the hangtags were prone to flipping over, but I still got a few clear shots, like this Betsy Ross flag from 1787 …
… here you see the 1787 flag and another Betsy Ross flag nearby.
Below is how the Star Spangled Banner looked in 1800, at the turn of the century.
This is an example of the flip side of the tag showing the year 1814’s historical events.
For you history buffs out there, the 1814 flag was significant for this 15-15 reason:
I also paused to see “my” flag from my birth year, 1956 …
… and the flag for 1976 since, as you know from my recent post, I remember the Bicentennial year very well.
But, on a personal note, the “In Memory of” tag i.e. the person remembered from the year 1976, Bob O’Brien, was someone I knew well and originally met while working at Carter’s.
The owners of the Lincoln Park Roller Rink, father and son, Lyle and Jim Seat, had lunch there every day; Bob was their employee and always joined them once he finished high school. Just like his employers, Bob was quick on his roller skates and would help keep the crowds in line, especially on weekends. The roller rink was a hoppin’ place back in the day and that’s how Bob met his future wife Judy. She would often meet him at Carter’s for lunch and I got to know them well and was invited to their 1976 wedding. Shortly thereafter they became my next-door neighbors, but moved away a few years later. Bob worked fulltime at an unrelated job, but he and Judy managed the roller rink together until 2017. Bob was active in the Shriners helping children for many years until his passing in 2023. So, it was nice to see the flag tag commemorating their marriage … 1976 was a magical year for them, just like it was for me.
At the far end of the park, was the very last flag, representing the current year.
The 2026 flag was sponsored by United Rentals (the generator/floodlights and likely more in conjunction with the event).
There were several other sponsors as seen on this sign.
Also of note is the display of the Declaration of Independence, flanked by the official logo of America’s 250th birthday. The Declaration of Independence double-sided display was made of material and the wind was sending ripples cascading through that material.
As most of you know I am not an American citizen – I am Canadian. My parents and I emigrated to Southeast Michigan from Oakville, Ontario 60 years ago, on July 8, 1966.
It seems like I have marked a lot of personal decade milestones this year, beginning with what would have been my late mother’s 100th birthday on February 14, then me turning 20 years old and graduating with my Associates degree/leaving HFCC behind with many fond memories in 1976. My grandmother was born in 1906 and passed away in 1986, so it was 40 years this January since she passed away.
So, living here 60 of my 70 years is just another milestone ….
I am linking this post to Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge: Groups and Pepper’s One Step at a Time.
In my humble opinion (and that of several others in this forum), America’s 250th birthday cannot hold a sparkler, er … candle to the fervor that surrounded the Bicentennial celebration in 1976.
I’ve already regaled you with my own personal 1976 events a few weeks ago and I’m here again to reflect on what was happening on that special 200th anniversary, an event not just celebrated on a single day, but over the course of the entire year. For the younger set reading this post, remember this was long before social media, so we saw celebrations and events happening on the TV news, read about them in the newspapers, or, if we were lucky, perhaps participated in that fun and frivolity.
Today, I have just a few photos and a tale or two to share with you.
Lady Liberty and Lady Linda.
In my June 7th post I told you about our group of six that participated in the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City in April 1976. If you missed that post, you can find it here.
You’ll recall that as tourists, one item on our “to do” list was visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Back then there were no restrictions on visiting Lady Liberty, nor a need to book your visit months in advance. We simply hopped on the Staten Island Ferry and there she was. We admired her from afar …
… but the highlight of visiting the Statue was climbing to her crown for the ultimate view of New York’s harbor. We were all young, so no problem to make that climb, right? Except NYC was experiencing a wicked heat wave that week and the higher we climbed up the narrow staircase encased within the copper statue, on a sweltering hot afternoon, the more we began to regret not just looking up and taking a corny picture like this and telling everyone back home “of course we climbed to the top of the crown!”
I guess we were too busy prepping for the UN event, to find out about Lady Liberty’s measurements, from toe to top, because visiting Lady Liberty’s crown required navigating 393 steps from the main lobby, including 162 steps up a steep, narrow, double-helix spiral staircase from the pedestal to the crown and then, of course, back down again. Whew! But we did it and lived to tell about it in April of that Bicentennial year.
As American as baseball, hotdogs, apple pie ….
Even though Mark “The Bird” Fidrych was not an official part of America’s 200th birthday celebration, he probably had as much publicity as ol’ Uncle Sam that Summer. He was the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and full of quirkiness like talking to the baseball, or getting down on his hands and knees to tidy up the pitcher’s mound. He got his nickname because he had a mess of golden curls and people said he resembled “Big Bird” on the TV show “Sesame Stret”.
Mark “The Bird” Fidrych f/WikiMedia Commons
“The Bird is the Word” became Detroit’s mantra in May 1976 after he made his Tiger debut. He lived in an apartment in Riverview, so all the locals knew his whereabouts, including the barber shop he frequented. Some enterprising person scooped up some shorn locks and was selling them – yes, he was that popular. Jack and Bernice Loveday, who owned the Dairy Queen down the street from Carter’s, asked my coworker Leslie and I if we thought they should schedule an appearance by “The Bird” at their DQ – we gave them a resounding “yes” and “please can we meet him personally?” They contacted his agent and by then he was so popular, his guest appearance price was exorbitant, so our hopes of meeting this local celebrity were dashed. Unfortunately, a torn rotator cuff resulted in early retirement five years later, then sadly our local celebrity passed away while repairing a truck on his Massachusetts farm in 2009.
Happiness is a bike ride away… or maybe not?
The Summer of 1976, just like all the school vacations after high school and throughout college, I worked six days a week at Carter’s, a diner which only closed two days per year: Thanksgiving and Christmas, so, July 4, 1976, 200th birthday or not, I still donned my waitress uniform and slung hash from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. My parents did some grilling when I got home and then I went out for a bike ride afterward to pedal away those calories.
This was the bicycle I was riding (photo from 1970).
I was spiffed up in the spirit of the 4th of July in red, white and blue, wearing this top (photo from 1974).
I was on Fort Park Avenue, pedaling away, sans bike helmet because they weren’t a “thing” back then, when a woman drove out of the parking lot at Leone’s Bar and hit me. The bike and me toppled to the ground. She didn’t stop and a woman sitting on her porch nearby, got up and went into the house. Nice! I had some road rash on my legs, was bruised on my thighs, but otherwise fine. I wheeled my broken bike to the police station, a few blocks away.
I knew most of the police officers as they often stopped in for coffee (and yes, donuts). For years Carter’s prepared the prisoner meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and various patrol officers came to pick up those meals. Several of my high school classmates became police officers and as luck would have it, Dave Ames, a fellow LPHS grad, was the desk sergeant that night. Enroute to the police station, I kept reciting the license plate info – I remembered four numbers. I identified her as blonde, driving a Mercury Cougar. The next day two police officers stopped at her house, then swung by Carter’s to say she told them “the sun was low on the horizon, I stopped, helped the young lady to her feet, asked if she was okay and she said she was.” That never happened and we took our respective stories to court, a full day in the local courthouse, which I arranged with my boss to be my day off. She got a ticket for a rolling stop. My parents’ homeowner’s insurance paid for the bike repair and I never rode a bicycle again.
Fortunately, the accident did not tarnish the rest of my 1976.
As mentioned above, the Bicentennial was hardly a one-day event and a big attraction that year was the Parade of Tall Ships in New York, an event officially called “Operation Sail Parade”. Those tall ships came from all over the world to gather for this 200th birthday extravaganza.
After the hoopla, one tall ship docked along the Detroit River near what is now Hart Plaza. A few friends and I made an impromptu trip downtown to get a glimpse of this vessel, which was built in Norway. The Christian Radich was quite majestic, even without the sails hoisted. We met some of the young crew members that likewise hailed from Norway. My friends and I spoke no Norwegian and the crew spoke no English, so there was a lot of smiling, but sadly no pics … this time anyway. Two days later, sails up, the Christian Radich headed to Toronto.
Well that worked out perfectly because my Carter’s coworker Leslie and I had planned a week-long vacation to Toronto and planned to stay with my grandmother who lived close to the Toronto Exhibition. Leslie and I had tickets for two concerts that week, The Beach Boys and Chicago. Lucky for us, we got to climb aboard and walk the wooden decks of the Christian Radich which was docked on Lake Ontario, close to the Ex’s fairgrounds. Thankfully, this time I had toted my camera.
Like before, it was fun to visit with the cadets, who ranged in age from 15 to 18 years old. I said I might have spoken to (more like smiled at) some of them while they were docked in Detroit.
Again, the language barrier was not really an issue and instead lots of smiles were exchanged like before. Leslie captured me taking the wheel like a boss; perhaps I’d been at the helm of a tall ship in a previous life? 🙂
Leslie also got a shot of me with one of those young crew members.
The Christian Radich is no longer a training vessel for the Norwegian Merchant Navy. It has received prizes in sailboat races and now does charter voyages. A few years ago I found a virtual tour of the vessel, inside and outside and learned how it was all computerized now. Next year there will be a special cruise marking her 90th birthday.
A few more glimpses back at the Bicentennial.
There were special license plates created for some states for the Bicentennial and, as you’d suspect, some were red, white and blue. I still had my VW Bug when I got the Michigan Bicentennial plate, but the picture I had of it was blurry – you can see the plate clearly on my 1977 Pacer.
Even if you weren’t old enough to drive and still wanted to partake in some Bicentennial mania, collecting the specially minted quarters, one from each state in the union, was a fun, year-long project. People, young and old collected the quarters and placed them into a cardboard folder with 50 slotted spots, one for each state’s quarter.
This coin below was not from a particular state, but generic and instead featured a Colonial drummer boy with a victory torch encircled by 13 stars, representing the original colonies.
Image sourced from WikiMedia Commons
Since I ran the cash register at Carter’s along with waitressing/tips, I had access to lots of these quarters and I began collecting them. I fell short of collecting the complete set of Bicentennial quarters, so I likely ended up using them for bus fare once I started at Wayne State University that Fall.
The photo up top of the vintage-looking patriotic peace sign is my own photograph. I was at the grocery store and saw a display of 4th of July paraphernalia and bought this koozie since I had planned on a Bicentennial post.
I also did this ink-and-wash patriotic painting.
I’ll likely see quite a few flags and bunting displayed on my daily constitutional, that is if I don’t melt first in this ongoing heatwave!
In next week’s post, I’ll flash forward to 2026 for America’s 250th birthday. I recently walked through an amazing display of 250 flags, one for each year since 1776. There were Betsy Ross flags; most were the Stars and Stripes. It was an interesting, albeit windy, walk and I captured the scene so you can enjoy it too.
The weather was wonderful, just another day in a slew of days that were picture-perfect, coolish, humidity and rain-free, so I decided my first trip to Fair Lane in 2026 was in order.
This was a long jaunt, which began at Ford Field, with me looking for photo ops at the duck pond, taking a trek through the neighborhood, strolling along the Rouge Gateway Trail, hiking through Jurgen’s Meadow and along Ford Lake. Whew, I wore myself out writing about all that, just as I did walking on that five-mile trek taken May 30th.
But all those images and tales to be recounted won’t be in this post, because today I’m just going to concentrate on “buggies” and “blooms” … and nope, the “buggies” aren’t the kind like you see in the featured image.
You’ve seen the Fair Lane welcome sign many times in the past …
… but initially, it was not much of a welcome as many areas of the grounds are still off limits. Efforts are ongoing to restore the 56-room mansion, as well as the Powerhouse and Garage to their 1915 grandeur in anticipation of the Estate’s 2027 grand reopening,
The Tribute Garden area was not looking stellar either, nor were the gardens to the left of the Potting Shed, but …
… at least the Potting Shed was intact. I stole a look inside while looking for that sweet Chipmunk that likes hiding in the plants. Well, understandably, he took a hike when the plants and his “cover” were removed.
By late May, I’ve usually visited Fair Lane a couple of times, first to see the Redbud trees and gardens brimming with Spring blooms like Tulips and Daffodils. Then I visit at peak time for the many Persian Lilac bushes that form a beautiful arch over the stone walkway. It looks like the Lilacs came and went as you see here.
Unfortunately, my car was in the shop for three weeks getting a paint job after someone gouged the side and I decided to get stone chips on the bumpers taken care of so my 17-year-old buggy looks like new again. I also had a series of debacles at the house like plumbing issues, gutter issues, new porch steps – grr, all events that thwarted any attempts to get here … it’s nine miles each way, so walking was not an option.
Since we’d had a spate of lovely weather, I figured all was not lost as Clara’s Rose Garden in this courtyard would be blooming profusely by now …
… or maybe not. What in the world happened here – where were all the beautiful roses? Yes, I was too late for the other blooming events but now evidently I was too early for the roses! Sigh!
Hmm – this sign cautions anyone who might be looking to save a few bucks on a boutonniere or wrist corsage for prom night. 🙂
I sure hope no one plucks petals from this rosebush, the only blooming rose in Clara’s garden. There are 300 rosebushes in this courtyard.
But at least Henry and Clara Ford were looking as stately and shiny as usual. I follow Fair Lane on social media and the statues are routinely cleaned and polished. Yes, they are a photogenic pair aren’t they?
Well, there was always the back of the mansion where there is a nice perennial garden (albeit a bit sparse) …
… but, at least there were “Siberian Irises” and “White Giant Allium” with the Rouge River in the background.
Of course, there is always the architecture to admire and …
… windows where you can sneak a peek inside if you’re so inclined (and. if you are tall, like me).
I couldn’t stay bummed about the blooms for long because there was a beautiful white bush at the side of the mansion that was highlighted by Maiyah in her “Rootin’ Around With Maiyah” series where she spotlights the Estate’s many flowers and flowering bushes.
Well, I planted myself in the same spot as Maiyah, in front of the Doublefile Viburnum …
… which encompassed a large area of the side of the mansion, but, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a lot of colorful flowers across the road, so I hurried over there.
I must admit that in all my visits to Fair Lane, I’ve never been around when the Peony Garden was in bloom.
I’ve seen the little farmhouse where the Ford Children used to hang out, but I’ve never gone over to see it up close. The current Peony Garden was reintroduced in the 1980s as a smaller version than the original garden. I was lucky to check it out when I did, blooming like crazy on the brink of National Garden Week.
My photos of the Peony Garden don’t do it justice because it is large, shaped like a butterfly and loaded with Peonies.
I was chattin’ it up with a family taking a video of their little boy who was dwarfed by the large Peony plants. After taking my photos, I was about to head back to the Estate to walk to the Environmental Interpretive Center when some more pretty-in-pink blooms caught my eye.
Must. Go. Closer. So, I headed off to investigate …
Well, now we’re talking … lots of colorful blooms which more than made up for the lack of blooms encountered earlier. I reached out to the Estate’s social media site to inquire the name of the plant – it’s a Catawba Rhododendron.
Well, this post’s title was “Buggies” and “Blooms” so I hope I’ve wowed you a little bit with the blooms, so now it’s time for the buggies.
Before the restoration efforts at ol’ Henry’s garage, I’d always look inside hoping to catch a glimpse of a Model T. I did this one time, even if the reflections made it difficult to see anything more than the vehicle’s whitewalls.
While that was kind of cool, it would have been even better if I saw something like this vehicle that Henry and Clara Ford were in while tootling down the road in this version of “the horseless carriage”.
On this particular weekend, while tripping around Fair Lane, the home of Henry and Clara Ford from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950 respectively, I couldn’t help but contrast the peace and quiet at that venue to the Grand Prix races taking place that same weekend in the streets of Downtown Detroit, a mere dozen miles away. The buzz and excitement of those race cars, which I remember from the first races in the streets when I worked Downtown, had those cars’ engines whining with a high-pitched sound like a million mosquitoes buzzing about. Even if you knew nothing about cars, it was exciting to watch.
I also remember visiting a Model A gathering to celebrate that vehicle’s 90th anniversary. The owners were proud of their babies and answered all my questions as I happily clicked away. That post is here if you’d care to see it.
This weekend was Downriver Cruisin’, an annual cruising event where you can see lots of muscle cars and hear the strains of music from the 50s and 60s as those convertibles go in a continuous loop through several Downriver cities. I walked along the route for a few minutes checking out the colorful cars. This post was from the last time I stopped by. The grandaddy of all cruises is the annual Woodward Dream Cruise along Woodward Avenue, the first paved road in America.
But, as I was walking back to my own car, at the tail end of this very long walk, just as I rounded the corner, I saw a car that made me stop in my tracks. There was no classic car event that I knew of. I stopped and took a few shots of the car as I took advantage of the fact that the gentlemen, whom I assumed was the vehicle’s owner, was deep in conversation with two women. I’d have preferred the car alone with no people in the photo, but when the opportunity presents itself, just go for it, right?
A sign says this is a 1977 Clenet, #13. After I took my photos and the gentleman finally turned around, I said “I hope you don’t mind that I took a few photos of this lovely car; I assume there is no fee.” He smiled and said “five dollars” and then added “just kidding.”
And you thought this was going to be a post about flowers with tiny bugs sitting on top of them, like this buggy Anemone.
Photo credits to “Fair Lane, Home of Clara and Henry Ford” Facebook site as indicated in the screenshots.
Terri’s Challenge this week is: FUTURE (celebrating parks and America’s 250th Birthday). I stepped back into the past in this post and I will be stepping back again with my post about the Bicentennial this Saturday, July 4th. I’ll be linking this post to The Flower Hour and One Step at a Time later this week.
This walk was taken on Sunday, May 3rd. I had bopped over to Council Point Park earlier in the week on my quest for goslings. I was also hopeful the few remaining Redbud trees would be blooming to add a little color to the photos, but they were still in bud.
I walked almost the entire perimeter path, feeling somewhat sad as I tossed peanuts here, there and everywhere at all my regular “drop spots” but not a single squirrel came to see me or retrieve their treats. It was windy though – clipping along at 15-20 mph, so perhaps that was the reason? Also, likely factoring into the zero squirrels equation was a couple walking their Pit Bull mix dog. Well, that would send my furry friends up a tree in record time if they were on the ground. I passed the trio up and was far ahead as the dog stopped to sniff, stop and start as dogs usually do.
Yay – we DID have 2026 goslings, but where were they hiding last week?
Then, as I neared the cement ledge, in the distance I saw a family of geese – ahh, my first offspring of the year. I was happy to see them, but, mindful of the dog, I opened my pocket, dragged out my camera in record time, trying to both lessen my movements and get some shots before the geese were spooked by the dog.
I edged closer to the family, hoping I could get close enough to the goslings without the gander getting stirred up, nor the dog gaining ground, so this was the best I could do.
Incoming and outgoing goslings – if you blinked, you missed ’em!
As I went to move along, thinking I’d walk around again, or maybe double back after the dog had passed by, I spied a second family, this time in the Ecorse Creek and paddling in my direction! These were younger goslings – look how light yellow they are here … a fresh hatch!
Obediently they paddled behind one parent, with the other parent bringing up the rear. The lead goose, likely Mama, stalked up the Creek bank, the goslings close behind, but then I appeared, the looming human. Oh-oh. One gosling peered at me between the blades of grass …
… but, a minute later, the entire family turned around and headed out!
Well, that was fun while it lasted …. (sigh). I shaded my eyes from the sun and looked to see how far away the dog and its owners were. I figured I had just enough time to meander back to the original family, but, enroute I saw a third family. Of course, for the most part, when the goslings are this young and toddling around with their parents, they all look alike. Google tells you that it is easy to distinguish their age once they are a few weeks old …
… but, I had the advantage here as they were grouped in different spots, I could tell it was a third family. Here they are, the goslings snuggled together, a pretty puddle of precious babies.
Mama and Papa Goose weren’t too pleased to see me and hustled their offspring over to the cement ledge.
As you see below, even this adult Canada Goose did some serious peering into the water, judging that drop down (gulp) before taking the plunge. Imagine what were the collective thoughts of the goslings about that plunge – was it their first? My heart was in my mouth as I thought “I’ll back off – please Mama, don’t make them jump because I’m here – they’re way too small!”
Here, minus their daring Mama, they gathered with the mindset “if Mama says we jump, then we gotta jump guys!”
One by one they plopped into the water. It happened so quickly, I was kicking myself I didn’t get a shot, but it was a stream of goslings going down and mercifully (for them and me) it was over in seconds.
Then, off they went, safely tucked between their parents and likely thankful THAT ordeal was over!
Well the folks with their dog caught up with me and we chatted for a few minutes as I pointed out the three families which, by now, each family was in the Creek and headed in the opposite direction. After learning the walkers’ names were Pam and Bill and meeting Lulu, which they adopted as a rescue three months earlier, we chatted a little more and I took some photos of them, which came out badly. In my defense, the wind was whipping up Pam’s hair across her face and Lulu was fitful, up and down like a pogo stick and looking at Pam, not Bill or me, so no good pictures of them were taken unfortunately.
I saw a large group of kids starting on the opposite side of the perimeter path, so I said I was going to move along as the goslings were so small, they would not be paddling very long in the water and soon would come ashore.
My hunch was correct – the three families had regrouped and were on the grass near the shoreline, so post-swim, now it was time for a few camera clicks.
It was definitely dandelion chow-down time!
One family had settled into the grass near a patch of dandelions.
The goslings were all about nibbling those dandelions. I was hoping for a gosling with a dandelion hanging out of its bill as it merrily chomped away, but that didn’t happen as these little ones were enjoying the greens, not the flowery heads. Go figure!
These two goslings, their tummies full of dandelion greens, decided to pose for me, thinking perhaps I’d go away?!
As I got ready to move along to the next family, I stopped for a shot of these little ones “mooning” me. So you thought the Artemis II moon shots were fabulous – well, there’s nothing cuter than goslings mooning the photographer.
The second family was more sedate.
Papa Goose was standing guard over his little family – good old Dad, always protecting his offspring.
His mate snoozed and the “kids” rested after their swim and their big jump off the ledge. I believe these are the goslings that jumped off the cement ledge, judging by their coloring and size. Aren’t they sweet?
It was a quick meet-n-greet with Family #3 – Papa had an attitude.
I’ve been around Canada Geese families long enough to know when I am not welcome. Sure, a peek at their goslings is acceptable, just keep your distance. Mama doesn’t usually have an issue, but Papa watches me carefully. No one messes with his goslings! This was true with this family and the look on Papa’s face tells the story. No, he does not have something wrong with his body which is a bit contorted in this photo – the shot was taken in between him bobbing his neck up and down and hissing at me.
I’ve cropped the picture so you can see him better – note the tongue!
Needless to say I got two quick shots you see below, then decided to leave …
… just as Mama gathered up her darlings, while Papa continued to glare at me. She herded her brood down to the water’s edge. Yes, “Mama says we vamoose, so off we go!”
The first goslings of Spring are always a delight to watch and I hope you have vicariously enjoyed them as well. In this case, it was triple the fun. A few weeks’ time will have these cutie pies sporting grayish plumage, canoe-shaped bodies and oversized feet. Growing pains – sigh. We all had those not-so-cute years too. 🙂
Happy Father’s Day if it applies!
I am joining Terri’s Challenge: Animal or Bird of the Month and Pepper’s Challenge: One Step at a Time.
“So Fred, why do we stick around here every Winter? Let’s go South next year!”
The first day of Summer officially arrives on Sunday, June 21st, BUT, so does Father’s Day and I would be remiss in not giving a nod to all the fathers out there on their special day, (even if some of them are fathers with feathers and they waddle and have webbed feet).
So, I hope you like geese as you’ll see more of them next week. 🙂
Here in Southeast Michigan, just like some of you, we had a mini heat wave in mid-May, with a few days in the 90s fueling severe weather …
… and, while I wasn’t longing for Winter, (if I ever do, please feel my forehead), I sure was wishing we could just kind of ease into Spring like we used to do. All that torrential rain, not only put the kibosh on my walking regimen, but it caused the grass to grow like crazy and suddenly everything was green.
When that weather whiplash subsided, in late May/early June we had 12 days in a row of perfectly glorious weather, blue skies, coolish temps and low humidity. It was picture-perfect, so I scrambled to get outside and walk and take photos because inevitably the effects of this Super El Niño we will be having this Summer will not be great for long walks in large parks. We had a preview of such coming attractions last week when we zoomed to the 90s with “real feels” of 100F in between severe weather. If not for several torrential rains that accompanied that severe weather, our lush green grass would look brown and crispy!
Time is zooming by too fast sometimes – on June 21st we begin our slow crawl toward Winter with shorter days. Wow – it seems like just a handful of months before, I was ecstatic to get out of the house for a few Winter walks as you will see below when I rewind to February.
Finally, there was a respite from the wintry weather.
After weeks of snowy and icy roads, brutally cold temps and, having muddled through Winter with a disgruntled mindset directed toward Mother Nature, I seized the day when conditions finally improved, laced up my lug-soled boots and got out with the camera.
Having re-acquainted myself with my furry and feathered friends at Council Point Park the day before, on this Friday the 13th, I made a quick pit stop there, then devoted the rest of the morning/early afternoon to visiting two venues along the Detroit River.
Just one week before, according to several sites with weather cameras that I follow, the entire Detroit River was still iced over, so I was hopeful to get some fun ice floe photos at Dingell Park just as I did on March 13, 2025. On that day there were waterfowl gliding along while perched on ice floes that sparkled as much as the water, due to the sun’s intense rays that day. I even came home with a sunburn.
So I arrived at Dingell Park, the first stop on my mission.
My mission was my official bird count for the Great American Backyard Bird Count, something I participate in every mid-February. I did three “bird counts” over the four-day counting period, one at Bishop Park, one at Council Point Park and this one here at Dingell Park along the Detroit River.
Our Southeast Michigan weather had been all backward and topsy-turvy since our first snowfall in early November. The weather, like this pole light on the Dingell Park Boardwalk, just wasn’t right.
Even though the wind was relatively calm when I left the house, a stiff breeze was blowing.
I didn’t care so much about the breeze – I wasn’t going to tumble into the brink as there are guardrails. I was just happy to be out and about and clicking away, even though at a glance, I knew this venue’s count would not fare so well because there were just too many birds, most which were too far away or on the move.
Unbelievably, there was minimal ice near the Boardwalk, just way across the River, much farther than my camera lens could handle. Well, that was unfortunate as I could see many swans, seagulls and ducks milling about, too numerous to photograph, let alone count.
I first headed to the pavilion area, which, unlike the Boardwalk, was salted and snow-and-ice-free. I was hoping to see waterfowl near the cove-like area. Nope, nothing to see here except the frozen Detroit River, the only large area of ice nearby.
Well, I wished these geese were closer, but they had apparently strayed from the frozen area to the open waters, close enough to count, but too far away for close-up shots.
As I stepped away from the pavilion I turned around when I heard a voice … there had been no one here when I arrived a few minutes earlier. A man hurried over with a flyer in his hand. I recognized him immediately from social media and the news. His son, Tyler Bojanowski, had gone missing; he seemed to have vanished into thin air, his truck abandoned four miles away and his passport found in the pavilion area at Dingell Park a few hours later. He started to show me the flyer and I told him I knew the story and I was sorry but knew nothing of Tyler’s whereabouts. For most of the time I was out and about on this day, the Coast Guard helicopters made a constant hum in their search for Tyler. For nearly two months this story made local and national news while volunteers and search parties scoured the area looking for Tyler and finally his body was recovered on March 30th, once the ice melted, near a dock not far from Dingell Park.
I started walking over to the Boardwalk where the snow was past my ankle-high hiking boots, all of it crunchy, ice-laden and slick. The Ring-billed Seagulls were grouped on ice floes across the River. Using my binoculars I could tell there were a lot of Canvasback and Redhead (Ducks) paddling around the open waters. The many Mute Swans, while larger and easier to count sort of blended in with the ice.
Well, counting these three Mute Swans was easy-peasy, but how many ducks were lurking in the brutally cold water?
Thus, my notations for those species on my bird count are as you see below …
I saw a couple of juvenile Bald Eagles fishing from the ice and trained my binoculars on them to ensure they were indeed eagles – they were. The current was strong. Look how the water seems to appear turquoise in these shots.
I didn’t see the eagles catch any fish, but maybe there was a hole in the ice. I wanted to shout out a suggestion that standing closer to the edge of the ice might yield more fish, but that’s what their parents are for, right?
Surely there was a better place for these Canada Geese to have a snooze then on a frigid ice floe!
There were lots of Canada Geese in the water near the Boardwalk and even that species count became a challenge when a huge group suddenly took flight, spooked by something, perhaps me – it was hard to tell.
They were fitful and loud, some flying over to the ice floe near the cove, but evidently the others were hungry and didn’t go far, just plopping, one by one out of the sky and onto the Boardwalk.
There were scant patches of grass between the icy areas of snow on the Boardwalk – perhaps this delighted the geese, but for this human, the snow was crunchy, icy and dicey, so I picked my way along the Boardwalk, high-stepping over goose poop and I decided to move to the grass for easier walking, but, I was met with disapproving looks and a few pink tongues hissing at me between mouthfuls of grass, so I scooted back over to the Boardwalk. Evidently, pickin’s were slim here unless you liked nibbling grass through the snow and this human was an annoyance!
I’m sure their tender tootsies didn’t enjoy traipsing through the snow for a meager bite to eat either.
I didn’t stay long and was rewarded with better results and close-ups of Canvasbacks and Redheads, a pair of Mute Swans, plus some cooperative and photogenic Seagulls when I drove 2.5 miles (4 km.) down the road to Bishop Park. If you missed that post, you can find it here.
I am joining Terri’s Monthly Color Challenge: Evergreen and Dark Green and Pepper’s One Step at a Time.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 