WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Walking in the wild with the masters.

Posted on July 26, 2026 by Linda Schaub

Every year the Detroit Institute of Arts (“DIA”) posts their venues in Southeast Michigan’s Tri-county area where there will be displays of weatherproof reproductions of some of the Museum’s famous paintings. The Inside/Out displays are fun to visit and photograph and in 2026 there are three venues near me. Today’s post is about the installation at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge (“DRIWR”). Coincidentally, this was the same venue where I saw a painting back in October 2020, the same year the DRIWR opened. I was surprised to see a framed painting stuck in the middle of the sticks as I had never heard of the DIA’s Inside/Out program before.

The Refuge is not that large and there were only six paintings on display here, so, unlike last year’s trip to Grosse Ile to view and photograph eight paintings, which required driving around the island to view some of them, this was “one-stop shopping” so to speak. I parked and just ambled around.

Even before the DIA posted their official venue list on their website, Refuge employees were posting pictures of the paintings that were already installed.

I am always impressed how the DIA matches the masterpiece to the area of the parks and/or city buildings where they are displayed.

It was a gorgeous day, but the UV index was going to be high starting at 11:00 a.m., so I decided to get to the displays where I’d be walking in the hot sun first, like the fishing pier and the long Monguagon Delta Boardwalk.

First up, the fishing pier.

Down the slope I went to the Korneffel Fishing Pier. It is 700 feet (213 meters) long and from its platform, anglers line up to fish from the western Trenton Channel. I said “good morning” to a few fishermen, but no one had a “catch of the day” that merited taking a photo.

I walked all the way to the end of the pier where the Samuel D. Buchanan was docked. I’d never seen any boats tied up at the dock, let alone a large one like this. I learned it is the same type of tour boat that I was on when I took several boat excursions through Lake Erie Metropark which excursions ceased after the pandemic began.

Look at the sparkling water reflecting on the side of the boat. That is Humbug Island in the background on the left.

Returning up the steep hill I saw the painting.

Next on the agenda was the Kayak Launch.

As I walked on the paved road from the fishing pier to the kayak launch area, in the shadow of the Visitor Center …

… there were signs cautioning drivers to watch out for our feathery and leathery friends. You may recall that Killdeer will build their nest on the ground anywhere, even next to a road. When I was here last year during nesting season, Refuge employees had flagged all the Killdeer nests with tall poles and orange flags to keep people from disturbing those ground nests.

Turtles, as you know are pretty pokey and sadly people are impatient sometimes.

This is one of two kayak launch areas; the other one is in the Delta. There was not much to see here and no one was around – don’t let that water bottle fool you. I got my photo of the locale, painting and info about The Trappers’ Return and moved along.

My third stop was at the beginning of the trailhead.

I had to walk past the trailhead to get to the Delta Boardwalk so I stopped to view and photograph another painting.

I thought this painting, Talking Oak, based on a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson, was interesting, as well as the story behind it.

Zero breeze – perfect to cross the Delta Boardwalk for painting #4.

There are no railings on this very long boardwalk and my biggest concern while crossing the boardwalk over the Monguagon Delta, is being startled by the carp jumping out of the water, especially during spawning season. They are huge fish and they also make a big splash.

There was not much to see enroute to Jefferson Avenue except a few turtles sunbathing at the shoreline. Will someone help that baby turtle up please? 🙂

I saw a Great Blue Heron and a Red-winged Blackbird squabbling when, I presume, the heron landed too close to its nesting area. The Red-winged Blackbird raised a ruckus, attacking the Heron repeatedly until the latter flew off. I wish I’d taken a photo, but I was awestruck how this bully Blackbird tangled with a bird so much larger than itself even though I’ve witnessed this behavior many times with them attacking the Sandhill Cranes.

At the end of the Boardwalk is Jefferson Avenue and the entrance to the Refuge.

To fully appreciate the below painting entitled Waterfront, you have to see the industrial area that is near the 44-acre Refuge Gateway. (Humbug Marsh is separate and encompasses 410 acres.) The photo above doesn’t show the nearby industry as there are trees obliterating the industrial areas. So, I went back to a walk from October 2020 to illustrate the industrialized area across Jefferson Avenue once the trees are bare. The second kayak launch and the boardwalk are seen in this 2020 photo.

You can see why this was the perfect place to put this industrial-type painting.

After taking my photos, I made my way back along the Boardwalk, while heading toward Humbug Marsh. It was getting warmish by now and I was glad to step into the 300-year old forest, even though it’s not all that dense.

A short woodsy walk and I was at the shelter area for painting #5.

The Lily Pond, depicts a marshy area filled with Pond Lilies. I’ve never seen Pond Lilies or even Water Lotuses at this venue in the past, so I plan to pop back here sometime in August. I pass the DRIWR when I go to Lake Erie Metropark, so it’s not out of my way.

It was easy peasy to find the last painting – it was in the parking lot!

I noticed the painting earlier …you can’t miss it as it is bright and colorful. I’ve seen this painting before at Willow Park when I visited their DIA Inside/Out display on July 2, 2022.

Unfortunately, part of the painting was shaded, but Cycles is plenty vivid anyway.

Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge this week is: Reflections. I will have some reflections in my Wordless Wednesday post; I will also link to Pepper’s Hiking Challenge One Step at a Time.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged #One step at a time, art, DIA Inside/Out, nature, walk, walking | 16 Comments

When you pose your little heart out, but the photographer takes too darn long. #Wordless Wednesday #Impatient House Sparrow

Posted on July 22, 2026 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | 38 Comments

When critters gawk at you …

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Linda Schaub

… do they get a warm and fuzzy feeling like when we gawk at them?

From time to time I wonder about this – of course, I ponder these heady thoughts only in my mind, because to say it aloud on a nature trail may diminish my credibility a tad. 🙂

This Spring and Summer, on the days I was lucky enough to get to larger parks, especially Lake Erie Metropark, it’s been slim pickings for critter sightings, that is, unless you want to count the lovely Mayflies that swarmed around me on a visit to Lake Erie Metropark in mid-June – more about those creepy-looking creatures in a future post.

It’s a 30-mile round trip to Lake Erie Metropark, a nice little ride for the car and I’m always filled with hope that I’ll return home with a camera card full of furry and feathered critters to fill my blog – after all, it’s a paradise for nature lovers.

And then sometimes you are blessed with critters showing up where and when you least expect them.

On June 13^th, the day I photographed the cute Chippie you see above, I was back at Fair Lane, visiting the Ford Estate and Clara’s Rose Garden, just two weeks after my previous visit. I hiked along the trail by Ford Lake, a route I’ve taken many times and never gotten lost … until that day. I was miserably hot, trudging through tall grass, with no structured trail in sight, embedded in a haven for this tick explosion we have here in Southeast Michigan. My vivid imagination made me think that all the ticks might gang up and say “go get her now!”

You’ll read about that adventure in a future post, but suffice it to say, afterward I was happy to be walking along Fair Lane Drive, the paved street that separates University of Michigan Dearborn and Fair Lane, a/k/a the Ford estate. My car was parked at Ford Field Park, 1½ miles away; happily there was no way to get lost now and I’d be in the shade for part of the trek.

Soon my journey was sidetracked bigtime!

I saw a chipmunk dash across Fair Lane Drive and take cover by a tree …

… I edged closer to this cute creature wondering “is this my Chippie from the Ford estate who bolts every time I try to take its picture?” Of course, all its hiding places are gone due to the restoration efforts.

While I appreciated the tree’s shade to cool off a little, I knew it would make the photo too dark and, as I edged ever closer, the Chippie didn’t move, but the poor light gave it some funky-looking eyes.

Finally, the Chippie scurried up the tree, peering down at me. His face registered unhappiness as if to say “lady, you’re invading my personal space!”

In the featured image, the Chippie is up close and personal – they really are tiny creatures as you see below. They are only 8 to 12 inches long, one third of that is their tail and they only weigh one to five ounces.

I took a half-dozen shots of this sweet critter before a young couple came along and looked up in the tree to see what piqued my interest. They both smiled when they saw the Chippie and whipped out their phones simultaneously, then showed me their respective photos.

Unbelievably, despite its demeanor, the Chippie didn’t scurry away, holding that same stink eye pose, while the three of us chatted about the weather, nature walks and my blog. Before we moved along, Hassan and Sultana bookmarked my blog on their phones and then we parted.

My critter encounters were not done!

It was straight-up noon and very hot by now as I resumed my trudge, er … trek to the car. Suddenly I saw movement between the trees, as two deer stepped into a small wooded area, having left the pavement at U of M’s campus. As you can see, the woods is not dense.

I am always hopeful to see deer and/or fawns at the big parks, so imagine my surprise to see this buck and a doe. They each stared at me long enough that I clicked off a series of shots.

The buck never took its eyes off me.

The woods didn’t offer much light, but you could see the velvety texture on its antlers.

The doe was likewise fascinated by this human who was alternately gawking and clicking away. I love those ears, a rosy pink and very alert and so in tune with me watching her. Isn’t she beautiful?

The doe moved to a shadier area, but continued to watch me very intently; hmm – did she resent me watching her main squeeze?

They lingered for the longest time, staring me down, so I guess I had a friendly face and didn’t pose a threat, or they would have bolted. Finally, the pair remembered why they went into the woods, likely for a bite to eat, so they left me standing there as they moseyed on.

As they nibbled on some leaves, I resumed my journey, starting on the Rouge Gateway Trail, enroute to the car.

I’m willing to bet that every time I visit this venue going forward, my head will swivel to check out that woodsy area, but I will never see deer there again. I was on the Rouge Gateway Trail several years ago when five young deer crossed the path ahead, appearing out of nowhere – too bad my body was turned to the right looking for wild turkeys. An encounter like that has never happened again.

I am joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge: Animal or Bird of the Month and Pepper’s Hiking Challenge One Step at a Time.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged #One step at a time, #Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, nature, walk, walking | 49 Comments

Camera clicks (and blog fame) vs. kids offering Cheez-its. #Wordless Wednesday #I didn’t stand a chance. :)

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, ducks, nature | 54 Comments

Flags aflutter.

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Linda Schaub

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.

Posted in 4th of July, event | Tagged #One step at a time, #Sunday Stills Color Challenge, 4th of July, America's 250th birthday, walk, walking | 37 Comments

Just chillin’. #Wordless Wednesday #The heat wave’s over, but now we have another one on the way – ugh!

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, Canada Geese, Dog Days of Summer, nature | 27 Comments

Peace Out! Peeking back at the Bicentennial.

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Linda Schaub

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.

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.

Happy Independence Day everyone – click here for your Jacquie Lawson card.

Posted in 4th of July, holiday, Memories | Tagged #Sunday Stills, 1976, 4th of July, Bicentennial, holidays | 50 Comments

Mutual admiration. #Wordless Wednesday #Say, do you have a sister – asking for a friend?

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, Mallard Ducks, nature | 27 Comments

Buggies and blooms.

Posted on June 28, 2026 by Linda Schaub

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.