WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Oops, I did it again!

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Today I completed my fourth 5K run/walk event in four weeks. It was the first time that I have ever done back-to-back 5K events. This 5K started at 8:00 a.m. and is about 5 miles away. I concede that I’m getting older when I have to hustle to get out the door to be prompt instead of just going at my own pace!

“A happy soul may come from happy soles.“

I wish I could take credit for this subheading, but it was The News-Herald reporter Colin Maloney’s recent headline in a story promoting the 10^th Annual Happy Soles 5K at Taylor’s Heritage Park. This is just one of many fundraisers held to benefit the Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry, which supplies about 1.6 million pounds of food to hungry people in the Downriver communities of Southeast Michigan every year.

Just as in the past, today’s event was held at lovely Heritage Park in Taylor and you know it is one of my favorite places to walk and take pictures. You’ll recall the venue as the quaint and historic village with its little red schoolhouse, old mill, beautiful Coan Lake and lots of ducks.

The morning was quite overcast, warm and humid, and I even took a backpack where I stuffed my umbrella and a poncho inside because rain was predicted for early afternoon. The gloomy sky suggested rain was imminent. When I walked in this same event last June 10^th, I kept saying to other walkers that it would rain before we finished. I just passed under the finish line hoop when the first rain splats landed on my glasses and it began pouring in earnest in a matter of minutes.

The event began at 8:00 a.m. and I was there by 7:35 to pick up my packet. There was much consternation amongst all the registered runners/walkers as they ran out of shirts in most sizes and so you were offered one of last year’s shirts or a different size shirt. The race organizers realized this was a big faux pas and will mail out the correctly sized shirts. So, instead of a sea of rust-colored shirts meandering along the course, there are many powder blue shirts in the scenes as well.

The event organizers had everything else together though, including a huge pre-and-post race snack table. Volunteers bustled around stacking the bottled water into coolers.

I don’t know how many people attended today’s event. The course began at Sheridan Center’s Open Air Pavilion, then the walking path that encircles the park, through two residential districts, then a heavily wooded area on the outskirts of the park, and finally through the historical village and to our starting point. Let me take you along with me.

On your mark, get set … go!

We began to assemble at the starting point, which doubles as the finish line. Captain America, (a moniker he has chosen for himself), and whom I’m sure you’ll recognize wearing the patriotic shorts and hat, shouted to ask if anyone wanted to race alongside him. I don’t know if there were any volunteers, but it looked like the guy standing next to him in the second picture might have been up for the challenge to step off with the ol’ Captain.

After the National Anthem, a horn blared and we were off by 8:01; the contingent of runners were far ahead of us walkers in just a few minute’s time.

We headed along the outer part of the perimeter path and passed a series of signs. These signs each represent winning countries in the Junior League World Series held at Heritage Park for one week every August. You’ll see, for example, that Puerto Rico won the championship back in 1999.

We chugged up the hill, then down again into the first residential neighborhood. Unlike yesterday, where dogs barked and homeowners waved and cheered us on, not a single person or dog heralded our arrival all the way down Katherine Street.

By now all the runners were out of view and it was just the walkers and we chattered about the weather and would the rain hold off and shot occasional glances to the gray sky. We turned onto busy Goddard Road …

… then made a right-hand turn onto William Street and at Mile Marker #1, we found ourselves in another residential neighborhood.

Aretha would be proud of this baby.

As we continued through the ‘hood, our little group all stopped to check out this pink Cadillac that was sitting in a homeowner’s driveway. I speculated that there must have been a classic cruise of some sort, as this beauty with the classic fins and pale pink paint job was parked in front of an AMC Gremlin, a popular compact car from the ‘70s. Our area has classic car cruises nearly every weekend in the nicer weather … our City will participate in one on June 29^th.

Afterward, as I walked along, I mused to myself as to whether the pink Caddy belonged to a Mary Kay saleswoman, or, if it once belonged to one of two famous singers who made millions singing about pink Caddies, the likes of Aretha Franklin or Bruce Springsteen. It didn’t belong to Elvis Presley; even though his Caddy was also pink and white; it was destroyed many years ago. When I was picking through my photos, I enlarged the license plate, but you can’t see the year on the plate, but on the trunk was the word “Aretha” so I’ll bet this was one of the cars in the Queen of Soul’s funeral procession last August. There were about 100 pink Cadillacs on that day.

We tooled along in the neighborhood, glad for the markers which signaled our progress. A few people cheered as we got to Mile Marker #2.

I was getting warm and wished I’d stuffed that too-small shirt into my backpack instead of layering it over my other shirt. Soon we were out of the ‘hood and headed back to Heritage Park’s perimeter path.

There was much police presence and all the officers waved at us or sometimes clapped at the various spots they were stationed along the event course. These officers were a little more subdued.

Next, into the deep dark forest.

There is a wooded area that veers off the perimeter path and in moments you are in a wooded area. I had walked past this woods many times before last year’s event, and never knew about this pathway. A sign directed us to head to the woods.

The ticks and mosquitoes are bad this year and the DNR advises to be mindful of ticks if you go into any wooded area. I had planned to wear pants and long sleeves, but it was too warm. So, I figured I’d just be diligent and check my clothes for ticks after the race was done.

However, I didn’t count on the mosquitoes being so bad – those little buggers were eating me alive and I spent most of my time in the woodsy area swatting at these blood sucking creatures. You know me – I operate with both hands as I’ll feed the squirrels and take photos simultaneously, so I snapped pictures of the woods with one hand and swatted those *&^% mosquitoes with the other.

No wonder there were mosquitoes because there were swampy areas in the woods and the trail was a little muddy, even though we’ve not had any rain since Wednesday.

Whew, I was glad to leave there and get back on the asphalt track, but a few mosquitoes followed me. Hmm – perhaps I am sweeter than I thought?!

There were wild daisies growing along the side of the perimeter path …

… and plenty of cottonwood fuzz.

Finally … over yonder was the historical village.

Across the field and around the bend was the village you’ve all come to know from previous posts.

By now I was really straggling behind the others after my mosquito-swatting-and-picture-taking-foray in the woods. A police officer asked if I was the last one and I smiled and said I usually am as I take pictures for my blog about walking. He gave me a big smile … perhaps he is a blogger too?

I scoped out the gosling family to check on their growth. No goslings or geese to be found, but I saw a heron perched on the Coan Lake seawall, so had to wander over to the water’s edge to check him out.

A few mallards were milling about. No ducklings – they’ve all grown up. When I returned to the course, there was Mile Marker #3.

A volunteer pointed and said “that-away” then added “only two more turns and you’ll be there” so I said that he would not believe that I had a walking regimen and didn’t usually poke along like I was now. (I thought maybe I looked too pooped to participate?) And, then I recognized that man behind the shades and said “I remember you – you feed the ducks the cracked corn every morning and you and I had a long conversation last Summer and I took some photos of you for that day’s blog post – do you remember me?” Yes he did and I asked how many ducklings I had missed and told him I was there a few weeks ago for a “duckling fix” and there were no ducks, let alone ducklings. He said there were a few families – one had 12 and another one 14 ducklings. I said I’d try again next year, then I said goodbye and was off again on the last leg of my journey.

I was not the last participant to walk under that “Finish Hoop” … I did get my time recorded; surprisingly not all that awful, considering all the swatting and picture-taking done along the way.

I had more steps to get done today to reach six miles, and the sky still looked iffy, so I headed back to the car which I parked at the other side of the park to get more steps. I finished off my six miles at the aisles of Meijer doing my grocery shopping, then scurried home before the rain, lest I might melt since the mosquitoes found me so darn sweet!

Posted in 5K events, nature, walk | Tagged 5K Walk, nature, walk, walking | 77 Comments

More miles and smiles.

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Linda Schaub

So today was another 5K event for me. This was the 4th Annual “Rails Rally” which registration fees support the Lincoln Park Schools Education Foundation.

This is the third year I registered for this event, but only the second time I participated. The first time, in 2017, it was my first 5K. Last year I was ready to leave the house and it began to rain, so I went back inside and did not attend. I later discovered that the rain stopped, it dried up and the event proceeded as scheduled. Grrrr. I was still in my I-don’t-wanna-walk-in-the-rain–ever-mode and have since taken steps to abandon that mindset as you all know.

This course began at my favorite stomping grounds, went through a residential area and the last portion was on the Park perimeter path.

Just as I do every day, I walked to Council Point Park from home, thus adding another two miles for that round trip to my steps tally. I got my packet and had 15 minutes to spare.

The Superintendent of Lincoln Park Schools, Terry Dangerfield, announced when it was almost race time, so everyone began migrating over to the starting point.

He told us there were 233 registered runners/walkers for this event, but there might have been additional last-minute people who signed up today as well. Everyone assembled, runners up front and I took a quick photo, then scurried to the back of the queue.

I spotted a little chalk art on the path where we were awaiting the horn that kicked off the event. As you probably guessed, “LP” signifies “Lincoln Park”.

You sure couldn’t miss the enthusiasm of these local elementary school students. Their tee-shirts designate them as belonging to the “Carr School Running Club” and they all took off at lightning speed when the event began.

And then we were off …

… running and walking along the perimeter of the parking lot, the Superintendent and Mayor Tom Karnes sprinting to the front of the pack (behind those speed demon Carr School kids of course!)

We next headed into the residential neighborhood and dogs barked noisily and homeowners along the way greeted us with a wave or shouted out “good job!”

As usual, in order to capture some photos of the ambiance of the event for this blog post, I soon lagged behind and found myself at the tail end … well, not quite THE tail end, as bringing up the rear was one of Lincoln Park’s finest.

When the race began, there were high clouds so it was not too warmish. But the sun came out and walking on the concrete in the streets and through the neighborhoods, with my race shirt over another shirt, I did begin to get a little warm. I was looking forward to hopping onto loop #1 of the perimeter path at Council Point Park and enjoying a little shade from all the trees.

But first, we had to pass the first water station and endure the second loop, which has very few trees.

The perimeter path sure was different with 200+ folks on it.

People probably stopped to check out the new graffiti.

I brought along peanuts, intending to feed my pals along the way. The last time I walked this event, Parker and pals stopped me in my tracks, so why would this time be any different? Well, first of all, we did not get back to the Park until around 9:30, so the regular walkers who feed the squirrels would have already treated them.

So, instead of begging for peanuts from me, the squirrels were just content to nosh nuts and watch the parade of people rushing past them.

Other squirrels climbed to the best viewing point they could find to check out the action. They were mesmerized, like this little guy.

I didn’t see any geese or goslings but I understand that one family was present and accounted for – the majority of them likely headed to the water with their offspring when the first runners showed up on their turf.

This Starling, high up on the chain link fence decided he could fly as fast as the first fleet-foot runner, so off he went.

Since my aim was not to win any record in this event, there was plenty of time to stop and smell the roses, er, … at least look at the little dabs of purple around the Park.

Or one of many mushrooms …

… or inhale deeply as I passed the pine trees, where ripening pine cones were dripping with resin and new pine needles were emitting a smell in the moist morning air that reminded me of Christmas trees.

The air was filled with cottonwood seeds floating around. This phenomenon always happens in early June, and lasts a couple of weeks here in SE Michigan. Everywhere you look are white, fuzzy fibers that drift around lazily until they land somewhere. It was quite windy at the Park yesterday and I came home with white fuzzies in my hair.

Look how the seed fibers have collected along the sides of the path, outlining the edge in white.

The cottonwood fuzzies are even embedded in last year’s dead leaves.

And, in the Creek, at a glance it appears like cotton balls are dotting the surface of the water.

The Hare and the Tortoise.

Now it is time to introduce some fine folks I met at today’s event – Stuart and Laura. Stuart and I were at the tail end of this run/walk from the very beginning and we were joking about being so far behind. You know I love chattin’ it up with people, so Stuart and I made our introductions, then we meandered amicably along. Stuart told me this was his first 5K and that his daughter-in-law, Laura, was running in this event, and would catch up with him and walk the two Park loops as he finished off the race.

After traveling through the ‘hood on the first leg of our journey, once we reached the Park entrance, Laura, true to her word, was standing there and ready to walk the remaining portion with her father-in-law. She had already finished the 5K in 32 minutes. The three of us visited as we walked along, crossed the parking lot once again, then strolled along the two loops (the remaining 1.9 miles).

With the finish line in sight, it’s always fun for the walkers to break into a little run as you near the end of the race. Stuart crossed and got his finisher medal, a little bling to celebrate his very first 5K and this picture will help memorialize it as well.

I crossed a few seconds later and just captured my time in this image directly above.

I got my medal and wanted to get a few more steps in so I went back onto the path to feed the squirrels as I knew they’d be out foraging once the crowd dispersed to the pavilion for snacks, water and kudos from friends and family.

This was the first bunny I’ve seen in the Park or the neighborhood in months, but there he was, this tiny soul nibbling on the tall grass, his pale pink ears translucent in the morning sun.

What a cutie pie he was and I took quite a few photos of him before he hopped away.

At the cement landing, the turtles were once again basking in the sun … you can see the cottonwood fuzz on the water.

You can also see how high the water level is … this is a storm drain, covered with a cement ledge. I have often stood on the ledge to take pictures downstream. It is now almost submerged and it’s easy for the turtles to just slide right into the Creek. The big turtle did just that and the smaller one remained.

As I left to head home, I caught up with Stuart, his wife and Laura, so I paused to take a picture of Stuart and Laura with their medals.

It was nice meeting you both and I hope you will visit this blog post tonight. While walking home, it was not lost on me that the last two critters I photographed were a turtle and a bunny. My mind wandered as I thought of the old fable about the tortoise and the hare. Laura sure was as fast as a hare and Stuart and I were the tortoises … but we all finished and helped fund a worthy endeavor.

[Map of event course courtesy of Lincoln Park Schools Education Foundation]

Posted in 5K events, nature, walk | Tagged 5K event, Bunnies, nature, walk, walking | 34 Comments

Today was a SUNsational day!

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Linda Schaub

But, there is no rhyme or reason to this season. I listened to the weather before my morning departure – 55 degrees F (13 C), so I dressed for 55 degrees. The weatherman even said it was coolish out due to yesterday’s gloomy day. However, I cast off my hoodie, tied it around my waist, then rolled up my sleeves halfway to the Park. Whew, that sun was hot, or was it just my imagination? Nope, I arrived at the Park and, just like me, I saw several other women walkers, their hoodies looped around their waist and in short-sleeved shirts.

When I returned home, the weatherman said “we’re in for a spike in temperatures because the temps will climb to 80 degrees (27 C) and now the high angle of the sun will make it very easy to get sunburned, so be sure to apply the sunscreen.”

In my mind I flashed back to my teen years and cautions by my mom like “don’t lay out in the sun – you’ll end up looking like a prune when you’re older” or “if you get a few more burns like this one, you’ll look like old shoe leather – neither your grandmother or me laid in the sun and we have skin like a baby’s bum.”

So … ask me if I laid out in the sun anyway? Yes, I did and maybe you ignored that good advice too? I ended up with a few really bad sunburns from parking myself in front of a sun lamp or baking out in the backyard. I was, and still am, fair-skinned and I even conceded “you were right Mom” while she slathered on the Noxzema medicated skin cream to tame that burn.

Bathing beauties.

It’s okay to laze around in the sun if you’re a Snapping Turtle – after all, you waited through that long, cold Winter while burrowed down in the silt, deep below the Creek, dreaming of the day you’d come out to the cement landing and bask in the sunshine.

Perhaps my best advice to mother and daughter turtle is to at least apply a little zinc oxide to those perky noses!

Posted in nature, walk | Tagged nature, Park, Turtles, walk, walking | 41 Comments

The Bird is the Word.

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Linda Schaub

**GRUMPY CAT MAY BE GONE, BUT CHECK OUT THIS ROBIN’S SCOWL.**
**HMM – I WONDER WHO STEPPED ON ITS TOES?**

I have enjoyed birds for many years, from the parakeets and canaries who were beloved pets, to the backyard birds that would line up on the chain-link fence every morning all year around to await their breakfast. In the Summer I’d watch them enjoying a cool drink or splashing in the multiple birdbaths I had in the backyard. It was a sad day when a new neighbor moved in behind and left his dog out 24/7/365 and never cleaned up after it and I discovered rats were visiting my yard. My garden, which had been a bird and butterfly paradise, was no longer a haven to enjoy, and I had to get rid of the bird feeders and birdbaths when a pest control service was brought in to bait the rats.

But I still can enjoy my fine-feathered friends on my walks, or when I am out and about in the neighborhood; they just aren’t technically “my birds” anymore. I love whistling back at them and go note for note. I usually give up whistling before they do when my “whistler” stops working. Try it one time when you’re in the backyard and you hear a bird singing – they enjoy doing this.

I’ve been photographing a lot of birds lately and have amassed many pictures … so, there was a dilemma. Do I have a post on only Robins, or just Red-Winged Blackbirds? And how about those NEW cute cardinal-with-a-peanut photos that you haven’t seen yet? Do I make a follow-up “Nutty Buddies”post? Decisions, decisions … so I decided to solve my problem and continue my run on bird posts, following on the heels of the Canada geese and goslings, and yesterday’s Mute Swan.

We have a new type of bird at Council Point Park – a Baltimore Oriole. I have been reading at the local Audubon and Wild Birds Unlimited Facebook sites, that we have lots of Orioles this year. I saw one flit by me and disappear into a tall tree last week. Another walker suggested I research their song online so I could identify with it before I actually looked for them. I don’t know what Orioles would be feasting on at the Park, grubs probably, but I do know Orioles love it if you put out half an orange for them on a simple feeder that is just a long nail driven into a board. They have quite the sweet tooth and like a little grape jelly or marmalade mixed with some water and placed right into their feeder … no English muffin, toast or peanut butter is necessary for them to show up to enjoy that jelly. Hopefully I see an Oriole this Summer and this stray orange-and-black feathered fellow wasn’t just passing through!

American Robin.

I may not like when the Robins try to build their nests in my front coach light – it is messy with mud, dried grass and bird droppings everywhere, so I have to shoo them away with plastic bags stuffed in the lamp elbow. It’s not a good look as to curb appeal for the house, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the Robins who cross my path.

Last month I showed you Mama Robin on the nest and then the hatchlings. I thought she was incubating the eggs originally, but it turns out she must have been keeping those hatchlings warm on those chilly days we had in mid-May. I posted some photos of those baby birds and was monitoring their growth, and one day – poof they were gone. I was a little bummed because I had hoped they would be like the other Robin families and the fledglings would stay near the nest, but they all up and left … they said “bye-bye, gotta fly!” I was sad to see the empty nest and even Mama and Papa were no longer around.

They had usually been close to their young ones, seeming to gaze off into space at times, but one eye was always watching those hatchlings with their mouths gaping open, awaiting worms and grubs from their parents. This was a photo I took a day or so before they became a pair of empty nesters.

I find that Robins have a perpetual scowl on their faces (especially the ones I’ve chased away and torn down their nests in the past). But, despite that stern look, like the Robin is wearing in the photo up top, they are interesting to observe and I love their cheerful birdsong. Here are some of my photos I’ve taken the last few weeks of the American Robin. There are times the Robins land on the perimeter path as if to say “if you’re doling out peanuts, how about doling out some mealworms too?

Since I don’t bring along Robin treats, I get the scowl and often a dive-bomb from one of our red-breasted friends.

Northern Cardinal.

The male Northern Cardinal is so beautiful and at the Park it seems the males are much bolder in their pursuit of peanuts than the females. Very rarely do I see the rather drab-colored female venture to the perimeter path.

Once again you’ll see below that the male Cardinal watched me from the tree as I was feeding the squirrels. So, with that advance notice, I had the camera ready as I knew he was going to soon swoop and swipe, just the same as in all the other photos I’ve posted. I had to laugh as he came down a little too quickly and a squirrel was nearby … it looks like this Cardinal put on the brakes in the second shot! Then he waits patiently on the pathway, as the squirrel, busily noshing on a nut, ignores his presence … in he goes and this bright red bird is ready for his own peanut nirvana.

Red-Winged Blackbird.

The Red-Winged Blackbirds are mean and ornery and will peck any bird, no matter the size, to antagonize it … the male is not defending its mate and the nest when I see these altercations. It just picks on geese or other birds and pecks them on the back or head. This species of bird is a bully, but a striking-looking one. This time I included a few photos of the female. I was walking past the reeds and saw a pair sitting near the bulrushes so I think perhaps they were nesting there. The female may be a dull brown, but her stripes make her easily identifiable. She does not grab peanuts from the perimeter path – she lets her mate do that dirty work because she’s a stay-at-home mom. Both the female and male Red-Winged Blackbirds are pretty vocal – just look at that beak when it’s open.

While the trees were still flowering, I heard, before I saw, this male Red-Winged Blackbird trilling amongst the blossoms. It sure was a beautiful sight to behold.

Even when he was “at rest” you could not help but admire him.

I think they are a force to be reckoned with, no matter where they are located.

Canada Geese.

There will be at least one or two more posts chockfull of geese and gosling photos, but here’s a parting shot of a couple of Canada Geese enjoying a breakfast of spent dandelions.

Posted in Uncategorized | 47 Comments

Got treats?

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Linda Schaub

I have not written about Mr. Mute Swan in a while, and his unexpected presence on an early Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend, gives me the perfect opportunity to do so.

First off, I have been walking at Council Point Park on most weekends, as well as the weekdays, because this little park, unlike the larger ones that I sometimes visit, is not saturated and soggy. The perimeter path is higher than the grounds, and, while the Creek water level has risen substantially from our last two months of incessant rain, it is far from flooding its banks. So, it’s been a bigger joy than ever to trek around my favorite nature nook, plus, the fact that a passel of goslings are always within sight is a great reason as well.

When I walk on the weekends at this venue, I have more time to linger, so I usually feed my furry and feathered pals the first time around, then I can concentrate more on taking pictures while walking. So, this time was no different. I came up to the pavilion area and noticed a lot of chalk drawings. I figured I’d take pictures later and feed my little friends first. I was fumbling around with the bag of peanuts, with one eye on the trail to scope out any of my nutty buddies, when suddenly, in my peripheral vision, I saw a big slash of white between the bushes. I knew right away it was a swan gliding down the Creek. I figured I’d catch up with it at the cement landing as it passed by. I looked again for any furry and feathered pals, figuring I’d make a mad dash down to the landing and have the camera ready when this beautiful creature glided by.

But suddenly … there we were, face to face, er … beak to face.

But Mr. Swan surprised me with an close-and-personal visit. While I stood there, still clutching the bag of peanuts, I watched it ascend the embankment, stomping the ground with those wide, webbed feet. It stopped and looked right at me. Meanwhile I was fumbling to put away the peanuts, get the camera out and focused, and niggling at my mind was whether this swan was going to charge at me, or head back into the water?

The back story (yes, there’s always a back story).

Of course you’re saying to yourself “why would Linda think the swan was going to charge at her?” Yes indeed, a male Mute Swan came after me on a cold March day because I was taking pictures of him and his Missus in the water. He swam fairly close to the Creek banks and snorted a little. I heard those snorting noises, but figured it was from immersing his head in the cold water to find food. Wrong! He climbed up the embankment lickedy-split and stomped right in my direction. Yikes! I threw down some peanuts in the snow which likely saved me from getting a bite taken out of my behind. You can read about my adventure by clicking here.

But this Mute Swan just stood there as if he was waiting for me to take his picture. I tried not to make any sudden movements that would scare him. For some reason his usually snowy white breast was marred with a dark color, but it did not diminish his regal beauty in the least.

I was in awe of this beautiful creature, just like with my second Mute Swan land encounter. That episode happened exactly two weeks later when I was strolling along the perimeter path and came upon a Mute Swan, submerged in the icy water and plunging through the ice by kicking it with it massive feet while pecking a path with its beak. I was just mesmerized at its efforts, and while standing there watching and taking some shots, the swan suddenly walked up the embankment, not far from me, and began preening, mostly pecking the ice from its feathers. It was such an extraordinary sight to see, then it went right back into the water after it rested for a few minutes. I think it was tired from its journey and I’m not so sure it was even mindful of my presence. Here is one of my favorite posts ever about “The Ice Cutter” as I called him.

Well, I digressed bigtime … so, back to THIS Mute Swan. After fumbling for the camera, I inched a little closer and it stood and gazed in my direction, even opened its mouth wide as you see in the photo up top. I’m sure it was either saying “hey there” or asking for treats, don’t you? It likely knows I am a sucker for the Park wildlife, but I’d already put the peanuts away to grab the camera – clearly, I needed more hands.

The swan meandered around Brian Skinner’s memorial tree, pecked at the mulch, then turned and went right back into the water. He could not have been on land for more than 90 seconds tops. He walked back down the embankment and next I saw him in the water, so I ran down to the cement landing to catch a clear view without any brush or reeds in the way.

Watch as he spins around to look at me at the cement landing, then heads downstream. He ended up with some Canada Geese, then I eventually lost sight of him. I took a lot of pictures and sat down pondering which ones to use for this post. I concede they look similar, yet, I thought if I did a slide show, perhaps I could better illustrate his presence. (Unfortunately this time I could not do a hybrid post half in Gutenberg Editor, half in Classic Editor, so I’ll leave the photos gallery style instead.) So, imagine this swan, who was easily my height (69 inches/175 cm), and the average swan measures 50 to 60 inches (127 to 152 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 82 to 94 inches (208 to 239 cm). Also I might add that the average Cob (male Mute Swan) weighs around 26 pounds (12 kilograms). Suffice it to say that he was huge! And those big feet! His demeanor was so calm that I believe I could have asked someone to take a photo of us together. But, just like the last two times, I was the only one who witnessed this beautiful swan up close and personal.

Posted in nature | Tagged Mute Swan, Park, swan, walk, walking | 43 Comments

Loosey goosies.

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Thank goodness the month of May is in the rear view mirror, though June didn’t begin all that great either. I had some computer issues at work Wednesday and Thursday thanks to Comcast (I was blacklisted at the work site and could not gain access to my desktop). Compounding the problem, was the fact that my boss was going out of town for a week, necessitating a mad scramble on Friday to get all my work and our June invoices done before his departure. Saturday, June 1^st dawned hot and humid, and the spike in the heat made conditions perfect for a volatile storm. Here in SE Michigan, we had two severe storms yesterday, the first at 3:00 p.m. caused my power to go out for almost four hours. When I finally hopped online to try to catch up with what was going on in the outside world (and here at WordPress), storm #2 began slowly rumbling and making its presence known. I stayed online a while watching Tweets from the weather bureau and local meteorologists about the storm’s approach to our area. Finally I just shut the computer off and went to bed. I did get out to walk today, but didn’t take any pictures. The photos in this blog post are from Friday and Saturday.

There was some serious goose-steppin’ going on.

I like walking in the morning because it is peaceful and quiet at the Park and there are more critters out and about. The geese and their goslings are no exception. I love seeing the goslings following after their parents, toddling along, whether it is to the next patch of grass to graze in, across the perimeter path or down the embankment to the Ecorse Creek.

The grass is very long at Council Point Park right now. Normally, the grass-cutting service arrives every Monday morning, right around the time I am ready to leave for home. But, the cutters are way off schedule due to the incessant rain and stormy weather. They haven’t been around in awhile and meanwhile the grass has gone to seed as have the dandelions. The goslings, just like their parents, have been gorging themselves on the tender long grass and a few times I saw the goslings just laying down and nibbling on the grass rather than standing up to graze. I was hard pressed to take a picture when the geese weren’t grazing or preening themselves, thus I ended up with a ton of photos from the last few days. I sifted through about 150 pictures that I took over Friday and Saturday … admittedly I had a tough time winnowing down the photos for this post. I tried to ensure they did not all look alike and to capture some of their antics as well.

Wait until you see how much our fuzzy babies have grown … but wait! Now there is a fourth family and those goslings are still at the yellow, cute-and-fuzzy-ball-of-fluff stage. I discovered the fourth family on Friday, and, in the six years that I’ve been walking at this venue, usually the three or four families of geese spread out around the Park, and do not necessarily congregate together. But, on the two days, when these pictures were taken, all four families were hanging out together – it was a geese and gosling convention! I tried to get a shot of the entire group, but it was impossible.

I took some photos of the geese and their offspring along the perimeter path and these shots will give you an idea of the stages of growth. Note in the larger goslings how their adult plumage colors and feathers have started to emerge, mostly on their backs and tail feathers. It was warm yesterday and many of the goslings, just plopped down, some in the middle of the path, some along the edge. At a glance, you may think the goslings all look alike, but they are various colors and sizes.

Of course, we walkers always have to do a detour around the goslings, or their parents will hiss or flap their wings until we humans obey and follow the proper protocol! It’s no big deal to walk around them and on the grass, but sometimes walkers don’t do that thus raising the hackles of the parents.

Yesterday morning, since it was a weekend, I could take my time watching the families and taking pictures, whereas on Friday, I had one eye on the goslings and the other eye on my watch, since it was a work day. I was a respectable distance away, so as not to anger the gander who stands like a sentry guarding his family (except for when he is bending that slender neck to the ground to grab up grass with that long beak). So I was immersed in the beauty of the geese gathering, when all of a sudden, a person walking a big black dog came along and the families all scattered down to the Creek and into the water post haste. This was one family and some stragglers headed for safety.

Actually, dogs are not permitted in this Park, but that law is not enforced. The appearance of the pooch on the perimeter path caused the gaggle to head to a part of the Creek where the brush and high reeds make it difficult to get a clear view of the water, but I did my best to take pictures anyway.

Down at the ol’ swimmin’ hole.

Once again, capturing the images of a contingent of four geese families was a challenge, so I had to limit myself to just a few parents and/or offspring at a time. And, I want to mention, that often geese are very loud – they honk as they descend from the sky to the grassy areas, or when they splash down on the water … even when they are conversing with one another in the Park. But these last two days, they were very quiet, whether grazing (yup, I guess their mouths are full) or swimming along in the water. The peace and tranquility of them swimming was amazing to me – no one made a peep, as they followed the leaders.

Here are some pictures of the geese and goslings in the water.

I suspect there will be a few more geese family posts, but I have taken a lot of other Park critter pictures recently and will be sharing them in the coming week.

Posted in nature | Tagged geese, Goslings, Park, walk, walking | 44 Comments

Express yourself!

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Here it is, the last day of May, 2019 and a mere seven more months to reach my goal. So, I’m just like this girl featured above, trying to get my steps in and keep a smile on my face at the same time. I’m up to 362 miles (583 km) as of this morning’s walk. After it got lighter in the morning, I was able to add an extra mile, even a mile and a half to my daily tally. If it was a storm in the morning, and it cleared up at day’s end, I walked after work. Just this week, I had computer issues at work and two mornings were spent dealing with our tech, so I walked in the evenings to not lose any steps. In the evening, it’s not the same ambiance and experience at the Park, and I knew that would be so, but I went anyway. So onward and upward to meet my goal – fingers crossed I make it, but I must admit my confidence is sagging a wee bit. Sure, there are seven months left in the year, but December cannot be counted on for regular walks due to potential snow/ice, sometimes even November for the same reason, and, when the sun rises later in the morning in late September/October, my steps get cut down. And there is always the weather to factor in. I understand we will have a cool and rainy June, a dry July and a very hot August. I still have 880 miles (1,416 km) left to meet my goal – there will be a whole lotta walkin’ goin’ on for this gal!

I saw a story on Michael Posner, the walker I told you about that is trekking across the U.S. on a 3,000-mile (4,828 km) journey. Mike took a few days off this week to visit his home state of Michigan for a wedding and a benefit concert, then he was back on the road again. This side trek means he is not walking through Michigan near me now. That’s a bummer, as I thought I might like to join him for a few miles if he was close by. This was purely a social visit in his hometown and no walking was done. You can click here to see a recent article The Detroit News did on Mike’s walk across America.

My favorite meteorologist says this is not the wettest Spring on record, though it sure feels like it – we had rain 25 of 31 days this month. I hope that June will be drier, but I’m not going to complain as the weather across the U.S. is not just abysmal like ours – it is also deadly. It takes my breath away to read about the damage from the worst tornado outbreak in a few weeks’ time in history. Some tornadoes were in Ohio and Indiana, essentially states that are Michigan’s neighbors

Another casualty of so much rain, often on the weekends, is there has been no chalk art on sidewalks and driveways to photograph and share in my posts. Perhaps the kids don’t want to waste an afternoon creating chalk artwork that the rain will just wash away. I can’t say that I blame them, do you?

I made a grand find last Sunday at Council Point Park. Some enterprising young artist (or maybe more than one) had taken their chalk and created a slew of flowers and abstract images, including this girl featured at the top and bottom of this post. They were smart to draw under the pavilion roof where their artwork is protected from the raindrops. The drawings were vivid and the artist(s) left some of their chalk behind, and I was tempted to be like my friend Ann Marie who often leaves a message in chalk when she sees chalk drawings.

Just like the first picture below that features the sun, we are also enjoying a sunny day today.

Hope you like the flowers and flourishes in the images below. I’ll leave you with this quote:

“Look at life with the eyes of a child.” ~ Henri Matisse

Posted in Uncategorized | 86 Comments

Memorial Day 2019.

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Today was the Island Road Runners’ Memorial Day 5K/8K Run/Walk on Grosse Ile, Michigan. (That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?) I saw it advertised in the online version of the local paper a few weeks ago and thought this might be a chance to check out another venue for walking, so I signed up. The Island Runners are a group of Downriver area residents that formed a group of runners back in 1981 and this Memorial Day Race has been in existence for just as long. I understand there were between 500 to 600 participants in today’s event.

Grosse Ile is the biggest island in the Detroit River and accessible via a main bridge or toll bridge and also by boat. The whole island is only 9.6 miles (24.9 km).

We assembled at Grosse Ile High School on probably the most gorgeous day that we’ve seen in 2019. We enjoyed a flawless blue sky, brilliant sun and cool temps, about 60 degrees at race start time and no humidity or wind. With the exception of a few stragglers, we were all ready to go by 8:50 a.m.

After hearing the national anthem (including a few yowls from a white poodle at the high notes), then some comments from the race coordinator …

… the 5K Race/Walk began promptly at 9:00 a.m. and the 8K run followed five minutes later. The flag bearers marked the solemn remembrance of Memorial Day with huge flags, Old Glory and one representing the servicemen who are POWs/MIAs.

We headed down Grays Drive toward the Detroit River.

It was a conglomeration of runners and walkers, women pushing baby strollers, kids holding on to mom or dad’s hand … or holding their own by racing with the adults, and finally, a few dogs tagging along with their owners.

Along East River Road, which runs parallel to the River, there was plenty of police presence, including vehicles that blocked off all the streets where we walked. Officers and volunteers on bicycles rode alongside the shoreline, keeping pace with all of us. They were carrying boom boxes blaring music to get runners and walkers pumped up along this scenic trek.

The water at the river was sparkling and the occasional pleasure boat drifted by and its occupants gave us a wave. Some boats and docks were dormant awaiting more activity later perhaps.

The houses to our left were exquisite, with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful landscaping. A few homeowners waved and shouted out words of encouragement as we passed their homes.

Next, we turned into a neighborhood, and it was very shady, which was already welcome as it had gotten warmish on the short walk along East River Road in the full sun. It seemed at every twist and turn along the way were well wishes shouting out “good job” or “doin’ great or “just a little bit further and you’ll have even more shade” … that was great news as the runners were already red-faced and looking a little exhausted, especially the ones who had donned the long-sleeved race shirts made for this event.

This guy and gal were wearing patriotic-looking duds.

These sweet young ladies were our “water girls” and eager to pass out tall cups of water.

And this young man had a bird’s eye view of the activities from a tree in the front yard.

At Meridian and Lowrie Roads, with barely a mile left in the race, a classic car caught my eye. It was parked alongside a few more well wishers, one of them waving an American flag. Now I wouldn’t necessarily recognize a Plymouth Road Runner at first glance, but a few things gave me a clue here as you see below:

You might remember the Road Runner cartoon character from Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner? Perhaps this car was the mascot for the Island Road Runners who have a Road Runner logo too. I stopped to visit with Paul, who has owned this car since 1976 when he graduated from high school.

I didn’t want to linger as we were smack in the middle of the sun and it was getting warmer by the minute, so I rounded the corner onto Grays Drive for the last leg of the journey.

As we neared the end, people lined up to either clap or say “good going” or something similar and to tell us “the end is near” which made me wonder if we all looked that weary? The 8K runners were coming in the same time as me, but I had meandered along, taking it all in and taking photos for this post. As with prior 5Ks I am more interested in the ambiance than getting a good race result (good thing because I came in at 1 hour and 10 minutes for my official time – yikes!)

There was a medals ceremony and refreshments, and an announcement of where our registration fees were donated (various Grosse Ile schools and Special Olympics), then the event was over. To garner some additional steps, I left the car at the High School and went up to the River and strolled along East River Road to get a few more miles in. I enjoyed this beautiful weather day, especially as we have storms rolling in tonight around 9:00 p.m. and the rainy/stormy days will continue through Thursday.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

[Island Road Runners Logo from their Facebook Page]

Posted in 5K events | Tagged 5K event, Memorial Day, walk, walking | 70 Comments

My Nutty Buddies.

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Linda Schaub

The weather outside’s been a bit frightful, as is often the case on a holiday weekend. But, rather than whine about the weather, as I am often wont to do, I just skipped Saturday’s saturated walk, even though I am sorely lagging behind in steps for 2019 thanks to the weather. I still aim to get on board with walking in the rain, especially now that I’ve got all my various soggy weather gear in place, but I must embrace that idea slowly – it appeals to me more now that the weather is a little warmer.

Saying the weather is a little warmer is an understatement. Yesterday it was downright sultry – in the 80s. Today was not as warm, but it was very humid. I had just returned from my walk, got in the house and it began to rain. It’s drizzling now and a storm is on the horizon. We have stormy weather every day through Thursday. But, though the rain is a pain, it is not severe and devastating like other parts of the U.S.

It is finally ice-cream eatin’ weather and the truck has been making its rounds in the neighborhood … there must be lots of kids on nearby streets because the song is already an earworm. I was thinking of these “Nutty Buddy” treats in conjunction with hearing that ice-cream truck’s song.

Do you remember them and did you like them back in the day, or are they still a favorite?

In my recent posts, we all oohed and aahed over all the sweet babies … goslings, Robin hatchlings and even the Great Blue Heron. I am way overdue in showcasing some of Council Point Park’s peanut-eating pals I encounter on the perimeter path daily. A bag of peanuts gives a lot of pleasure to a cast of characters that you know as Parker, Stubby, Midnight as well as the Northern Cardinals and Red-Winged Blackbirds, who choose to swipe a peanut or two from under the squirrels’ noses. Feeding these furry and feathered critters gives me a lot of pleasure too.

So, please enjoy this parade of my Nutty Buddies, whose images I’ve been collecting the past few weeks during my Park treks.

Parker.

No one is more appreciative of peanuts than Parker. Take a look at the smile on his face.

Stubby.

I’ve been following the antics of Stubby since last year when I saw he was missing half his tail, hence the moniker of “Stubby”. I can’t tell the Fox Squirrels apart … Parker usually will run to see me, and the rest of them all look alike, except for Stubby. His tail is not so raggedy looking now with the white fur tip.

Midnight.

Midnight is awfully timid and I’m still working on gaining his confidence. You’ll see how he is always mindful of my presence, a little bit of fear in his eyes. I daren’t make a move as he’ll bolt.

Northern Cardinal.

This beautiful male Cardinal practices “swoop and swipe” … from his perch he watches for an opportunity then swoops down. I laughed at these pictures when I downloaded them and was previewing them. There’s plenty of peanuts more his size, i.e. a pipsqueak next to the squirrels. That peanut is almost as big as he is, reminding me of the expression “go big or go home!”

Red-Winged Blackbird.

The male Red-Winged Blackbird watches the peanuts, the squirrels and the Cardinal and decides when to make his move. Sometimes he just lands on the perimeter path in front of me – hint, hint … I’m here and ready for peanuts. The female Red-Winged Blackbird doesn’t resort to these tactics … I assume she waits for her better half to bring home the bacon, er … peanuts.

[Nutty Buddy ice cream courtesy of Pinterest]

Posted in nature | Tagged birds, nature, Peanuts, Squirrels, walk, walking | 57 Comments

Road trip!!

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Linda Schaub

It’s the first long holiday weekend of 2019, and, while we are all mindful about the real reason for the Memorial Day holiday, we are also anticipating a little R&R as well. What are your plans? Are you sneaking out of work early today and heading to a cottage, have a mini-getaway planned, or just staying home and doing yard work and planting some flowers? Maybe you’re just relaxing? If you’re headed out, I’ll wish you safe travels.

In the meantime, I want to share some more pictures I took on Tuesday morning. The goslings are growing up quickly! One family has a trio of goslings that are still in the cute-and-fuzzy stage and the other two families have goslings that are teenagers. Tuesday was a gray and gloomy morning as I watched one family of geese marching across the perimeter path, through the spent dandelions, enroute to the Ecorse Creek. The Creek is not that wide and the family made the trip to the other side in about 15 minutes. As I stood there (forsaking any walking steps) to capture some photos of their little trip, they reminded me a bit of the children’s book about the Country Mouse and City Mouse. I decided that these geese were the Country Cousins who were going to visit their City Cousins yonder across the Creek. I watched the meet-and-greet at the other side, then suddenly the homeowner started up his lawn mower and the loud noise made the City Cousins and their goslings scatter and the Country Cousins never got out of the car, er … water, but instead just continued on their way.

I’ve captured their road trip in the photos with captions below.

[Header image by “National Day Calendar”]