WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Alpaca Love.

Posted on September 23, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Today was just gorgeous – a perfect day in every way. The sun was shining, the sky was a vibrant blue and we sure deserve it after a Summer of rained-out weekends, heat, humidity and day after day of dark and gloomy skies. It was even chillier than yesterday, and, because it was only 49 degrees when I left the house, I took a pair of gloves and wore a sweat suit. I wasn’t taking any chances after freezing the entire five hours I was outside yesterday.

I spent all morning enjoying Elizabeth Park, a perfect venue to savor on a sun-soaked Sunday. The water seems to sparkle in this picturesque park. Shh – don’t tell anyone, but I spent three hours stalking shore birds. They were plentiful too, from the Pekin and Mallard ducks napping or preening on various perches around the park, like old dead logs in the water, or by the water’s edge, to the Canada geese that gathered on the grounds, or went airborne as they soared high above my head. I saw an Egret, Great Blue Heron, and another Cormorant (is this the same one, and now he is stalking me?)

It was an enjoyable morning and I took tons of photos to share in a future post, because today’s post is devoted to yesterday’s trip to the alpaca farm on Grosse Ile.

My friend Evelyn lives in Virginia and is an avid knitter. She often goes to fiber festivals and has visited an alpaca farm and watched them being sheared; it always sounded fun, so I Googled around to find if we had any alpaca farms around here. I was surprised to discover that one was on beautiful Grosse Ile, only 12 miles from my house.

It was an overcast day and I should have waited for a brighter day for my visit, but, I think the photos still came out clear enough and I hope you enjoy them.

One look at the alpacas will endear you to them as soon as you see their inquisitive-looking faces, huge eyes and sometimes lopsided grins.

I pulled up and got a parking space, then went straight to the left of the large barn which bears the name of the farm, Gibralter Bay Alpacas. This sign was from one of the trailers.

sign on trailer

There were two huge, fenced-in pastures and plenty of room for me to walk along each pasture’s perimeter to check out the alpacas … or, maybe I should say they checked me out first! I later learned this left-side pasture area was for the male alpacas only.

They were much taller than I thought they’d be and really reminded me of a camel. The alpaca I saw at the petting farm at Heritage Park was constantly grazing so I never saw its full height. I’ve included some pictures of them standing up.

“Peek-a-boo, I see you” is what the first alpaca appeared to be saying just as I arrived.

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He was the first brave buddy in the bunch to investigate this tall stranger lurking by their pasture. Though this fellow had been grazing, he came running over to the fence to greet me. I clicked my tongue at him a few times and sweet talked him a little, but, after he determined I was a friend, not a foe, he loped back to his brethren who were grazing together.

I traveled in the grassy area along the perimeter of the pasture, and it seemed that one by one, each alpaca came over to say “Hey”, or …

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… “Wassup?”

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brown

I tried not to take it personally after my curly-headed, fuzzy-looking friends looked me over, then after 15 seconds, they pointed their heads back to the ground and nibbled on the grass.

whole group

I stood there clicking away with the camera, and talking to them in a soothing voice, trying to lure them to the fence, but “face time” was fleeting. They came over when they felt like it, brushing up against the fence to scratch an itchy head, or to nibble on some flowers near my feet.

eating flowers

I had to smile at the alpaca antics sometimes, and quickly decided we humans are pretty smug about how smart we are next to the animal kingdom, but … which one of you can scratch your left ear with your left leg like this alpaca is doing here? Hmmm?

After spending about one-half hour at this pasture, I trekked over to the other side, past this red wagon and stump, which I thought would make an interesting picture and keep you in suspense until the next alpaca photo.

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Here was a smaller pasture and the alpacas were crowded together, most of them munching on hay. I would later learn from my conversation with the owner, that this pasture was just for the female alpacas. They gathered together to munch on hay, despite having plenty of room in the pasture to roam about, and they resembled a crowd on Black Friday morning. I took a picture of the group …

the girls clustered

… but then one sweet young girl came over to the fence to greet me.

wassup far away

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This area of the fence was made differently and gave her an opportunity to poke her head between the bars, thus affording both of us an up-close view of the other. She gave me the once-over – wow, I wondered if I passed inspection? I know I thought she was cute as a button … but how did she perceive me?

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I watched a baby alpaca nursing, while its mom was just taking in the sights.

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The little one, who was actually almost as big as mom, was busy enjoying its “lunch”, when mom suddenly decided she was thirsty and hightailed it to the water trough, with her baby following at her heels where they sipped water together.

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I spent another half-hour roaming the outskirts of this pasture, then decided it was time to head home. I went to the barn area to deliver my “donation” (an envelope which I entitled “Alpaca Treats” with some money enclosed).

treats envelope

I spoke with the owner, Gail, who told me all donations are used to buy food for the alpacas. Their diet consists of hay, along with all that grass that they seemed to love so much. The hay is infused with vitamins which accounts for their good health and luxurious wool.

And, now a little about the wool. Those alpacas were shorn earlier in the year, with their fuzziness now concentrated around the face and the tail, and even their legs. Gail said that all the wool from her bunch goes to a processing plant in Tennessee. As each alpaca goes through the shearing process, its own fleece is bagged, then labelled with its name. When the wool is processed, the skeins are returned, bearing the particular alpaca’s name. The wool is pure with no color or dyes. Their on-site gift store sells items that have been hand knit from the wool of the alpacas at Gibralter Bay, and knitting classes are held here as well.

Gail asked if I wanted to go into the pasture and mix and mingle with the alpacas. “I’m sure they are tired of me, as I’ve been hanging out watching them for an hour already” is what I told her. But, I know I would like to go back on a sunny Summer day and take more pictures, this time not through the fence, and get up close and personal with these cute and furry alpacas.

I learned a few fun facts and figures about the alpacas from Gail. I mentioned watching the baby and its mother, and she told me that there are three baby alpacas right now and a few “juvenile boys” which are segregated from the adult alpacas. She fondly refers to the alpacas as “the girls” and “the boys” and, when I asked how she herds them back into the barn every night, (in my mind picturing a barking Border Collie rounding them up from the pastures), Gail said she simply goes outside at 4:00 p.m. and calls “c’mon girls” or “c’mon boys” and “time to come in” and they go directly to their stalls and enclosures inside the barn. How’s that for obedient? Smart too!

I left Gail and headed for home. I had researched online about alpacas before going to the farm and read they sometimes “spit” at each other and at humans, so I guess I passed muster as no dust-ups or spit-ups occurred!

P.S. – I walked over six miles both days this weekend … another 13 miles to add to my tally, and my eyes have been slowly sinking to half-mast while compiling this post.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alpaca, Alpacas, Fall, nature, walk, walking | 63 Comments

Glimpses of Fall.

Posted on September 22, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Fall has arrived … bigtime!

Just like that (snapping fingers), a cold front brought in some wicked winds that raced through here mid-day Friday and 75,000 people in Metro Detroit lost their power from those high winds. I was lucky and only lost mine for about ten minutes when winds were clocked at 40 mph.

This year’s weather madness continues. When I left the house this morning, it was 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. Unbelievably, it was only 56 degrees! Obviously, I needed my mom to be here to dress me, because a hoodie and lightweight pants sure weren’t warm enough, and even my hands were cold. Granted, I trekked around the boat harbor right on Lake Erie and when I arrived there, the wind had really picked up and was whipping around at 15 mph and the sun was MIA once again. I went to the boat launch area at Lake Erie Metropark, as it is considered a primo point for hawk migration, especially this week. But I’ll save that story and pictures for another post. Suffice it to say, I was glad to get into the car and turn the heat on full blast to warm up. Next I went to Grosse Ile to the alpaca farm, where I was ready to snuggle up close to a few of those cutie pies just to warm up. I’ll make that visit tomorrow’s post because I have collected a few photos from Council Point Park this past week to welcome in Fall.

I’ve always fallen for Fall …

Autumn is my favorite season of the year, even though it is the harbinger of things to come, i.e. the season I dislike the most … Winter. I love the chill in the air, the harvest décor, even the color scheme of the gourds, jewel-toned mums and the beautiful leaves. I have always fallen for Fall.

Fall has already come calling at Council Point Park.

Before the official arrival of Fall, the color change has been subtle. In the five years that I’ve walked at this venue, I always find it interesting that the first leaves to turn color are the scrappy-looking bushes or swamp weeds that grow along the banks of the Ecorse Creek. During the Summer months, they are rather nondescript looking, but all of a sudden, many of the leaves have begun turning crimson …

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… and, not to be outdone, the yellow leaves have similarly put in an appearance.

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Even the orange-toned leaves, not quite a burnt orange just yet, are present on many bushes along the perimeter path.

The weather this week was like a roller coaster ride … up, down – who can keep up with it? Earlier in the week, we had tropical-feeling weather, Wednesday it was chilly, then Thursday we dealt with torrential rain and storms a good part of the day. That rain wrecked my walk and Friday it was a little soggy and back to the heat and humidity again. That heat and humidity so early in the morning was good for something though … butterflies love the heat.

Migration and Monarchs.

It is amazing how the Monarch butterflies know when it is time to ditch the chilly northern climes and head on down to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. They usually begin their long journey in August, but likely these beauties hung on a little longer due to our warm September. At Council Point Park yesterday, a group of Monarchs passed through there while I was on my walk. There were not a great number of them at one time – in fact, they came through in dribs and drabs. I have not seen a single Monarch at the Park this Summer and I saw two or three of them try to alight on tree leaves on one branch. The camera was already out, but it was so windy they had difficulty alighting on a leaf. I’ve lost track how many I followed, trying to get a close-up, only to have them drift off into the air, or onto another leaf, often away from my view. So, this was my best effort, but what a treat to see Monarchs at nearly every turn of the perimeter path and I saw several as I walked home from the Park too. Good thing they didn’t delay their journey another day – Brrrr!

Friday was fabulous for waterfowl photo ops.

First, I saw fellow walker, Mike, who told me “you’d better hurry over to the cement slab because YOUR heron is there and I’ve passed him twice and he hasn’t moved.” So, I made a beeline over to see MY heron. Usually he bolts seconds after I arrive anywhere near his turf, but he stood there, just like a statue and seemed oblivious to my presence.

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I seized the opportunity to get a photo of him in this pensive mood, then inched a little closer just as he bent over to scope out fish in the dirty water.

heron bending

I decided to press my luck a little more, but he rebelled as I entered his personal space. He let out a squawk that could raise the dead and took off down the passageway.

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Meanwhile, I found another bird to occupy myself with, so I spent the next 15 minutes or so watching him (or her) diving for breakfast in the murky Ecorse Creek water. Meanwhile the heron figured I’d vacated his turf by now, so he took another pass by his favorite spot, only to discover the annoying human was still there. He flew by, legs outstretched behind that scrawny body, and let out another screeching noise, which I took to be his disgust with my presence nearby his favorite perch.

heron flying2

Next up – another Cormorant.

After the heron departed (the first time), I saw movement in the water. It was more than the snapping turtles coming up for air and leaving a trail of bubbles in the water.

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Then, I definitely saw something large and dark streaking beneath the surface, so I stood there, poised to await the muskrat coming up for air.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a huge bird come bobbing to the surface. Its slender neck and long beak reminded me a loon, but I was positive it was the same bird I saw at Heritage Park last week – a Cormorant. That long beak with the hook on the end gave me the clue, since I could not see his big webbed feet, and, this time he was diving and not displaying his large wingspan. This graceful bird, feathers slicked back from diving, continued plunging into the water, and nearly a minute later he would surface as far as 15 or 20 feet away. These are the best pictures I got since it never stayed above the surface long enough to get a good shot.

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I zigzagged around the Park, feeding my regular nutty buddies, but with an eye toward the Monarch butterflies that kept flitting around the trees and bushes.

Time slipped by way too quickly and I glanced at my watch and knew I’d have to hustle to get home on time to start work.

The neighbors have begun hauling out their harvest décor. Hopefully we don’t return to the hot weather again or those pumpkins will turn to mush long before harvest season is over. As to the cool weather, it sure is welcome because …

FALL!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fall, nature, Park, walk, walking | 46 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Summer marches on … but not for much longer. How many days ’til Fall arrives?

People may be sipping pumpkin lattes and assembling harvest décor for their front porches, but the weather here in Southeast Michigan belies the fact that Fall is just around the corner. The 7:00 a.m. weather forecast reported a real-feel of 77 degrees and 91 percent humidity.

These days, merely stepping outside is akin to being on a tropical island like singer Jimmy Buffet croons about. So, I wore the lightest clothing I had, and, as I stepped out the door, the humidity enveloped me, just like those filmy spider webs that suddenly appear overnight in late August and September and their sticky filaments settle onto your body. Yikes – I hate that feeling!

So, I was conflicted … do I go to the grocery store to walk where it is cool and perhaps pick up the fixin’s for a coconut bra and grass skirt, or, do I go to the Park and melt into a pool of sweat?

Well, I opted for the latter and pointed my feet in the direction of Council Point Park.

There was a passel of furry pals from the moment I stepped onto the perimeter path. The dew was so heavy that every squirrel that had romped through the grass came over to greet me with a soaking-wet snout and paws. That’s okay, I wasn’t bending down to pet them.

I walked three loops, then began to head for home, and, before I left, I am sure I had fed them all. One of the young’uns grabbed a peanut, then hustled over to the soccer field and began digging furiously. At a glance, his posture, with the slender tail curved into a graceful shape, reminded me of the flamingo yard ornament I pass daily in the neighborhood.

Squirrel Tail

Flamingo

Well, it sure feels tropical enough for a flurry of flamingos to descend on the Park.

As to my furry friends, I counted noses for those squirrels I can identify like Parker, Stubby and Midnight. Everyone was present and accounted for, as are my human friends who have endured Florence, whether as a hurricane, high-powered winds, flooding or torrential rains. Cheryl and Anne in North Carolina and Margaret in South Carolina all came through without incident; Evelyn had some flooding at her home in Richmond, Virginia. We might get a little rain Friday, the tail end of a devastating natural disaster.

Meanwhile … I have to crow about my mileage as it’s been awhile since I gave you a tally. As of today, in 2018 I’ve walked 776 miles and have 275 more miles to go to reach my year-end goal (1,051 miles). I’ve walked my socks off and hope the weather cooperates as the days get shorter.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fall, Flamingos, Heat Wave, nature, Squirrels, Summer, walk, walking | 54 Comments

Discovering doors.

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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While I am still on a high from yesterday’s waterfowl extravaganza at Heritage Park, today I’m going to focus on the historical aspect of that beautiful venue.

Last year I visited Heritage Park for the first time, after many decades of whizzing right past it while enroute to Southland Mall. On that hot August day in 2017, I spent a half-day familiarizing myself with the Park, between trekking the path that encircles the Park, and wending my way through the historical village, as well as wandering over to the petting farm and botanical gardens. I’ve made many return trips since that first visit.

As I mentioned yesterday, things were hopping around the three-acre, man-made pond known as Coan Lake, which is in the heart of the historical village area of Heritage Park. It was peaceful with all the waterfowl, so I was reluctant to leave there to walk on the perimeter path which follows along the fringe of the park. I decided instead to revisit and take pictures of the vintage homes and objects, and their signage, which gives a synopsis of each one’s historical value to this village. While taking nature-related photos is usually more my shtick, I wanted to participate in a fun blogging group consisting of unique door devotees.

I have been following a couple of bloggers whose Thursday columns feature beautiful doors they have discovered. Janis Heppell’s blog Retirementally Challenged focuses on doors she has discovered while vacationing in the town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Janis has amassed such a large collection of door photos, that she has divvied them up into weekly categories of doors that are rounded, adorned, weathered or carved, and much much more. Last Thursday’s post, at the above site, was about chapel doors. All are unique and in exquisite colors!

One day after I commented on these amazing-looking doors, Janis steered me to a blog by another door aficionado. Norm Frampton, a Canadian who hails from Montreal, Quebec, has apportioned an entire page of his blog to door enthusiasts and features doors which are often severely weather-beaten, ornate, unusual, or even extraordinary. Norm also invites fellow bloggers to submit photos of any interesting doors to add to this burgeoning collection. Here is Norm’s latest post on interesting doors at the Annapolis Royal Courthouse in Nova Scotia: Click here

So in that vein, and now that you are familiar with the backstory regarding today’s post, I thought it would be fun to turn this into an assignment of sorts, and then submit this post to Norm’s page about my own door discoveries.

Historical Heritage Park.

Not every building in the scenic and historical village area of Heritage Park would be classified as vintage. A few are reproductions of old buildings, recreated to meld into the village atmosphere. For example, the Little Red Schoolhouse is colorful and quaint. It was used for confirmation classes way back in 1882. It has been restored, but, as adorable as this building is, its door is nothing special, so I did not include it in today’s post.

However, some vintage buildings and artifacts are genuine, i.e. the “real deal” … so here they are.

Where does this door belong – any guesses?

One glance at this weather-beaten door with the red background would suggest it might belong on a barn, right?

This is actually a door on a railroad boxcar at the entrance of the historical village area. Just look at the weathering on the door and imagine what cities this car has rolled through. Now you see the door at a distance – it’s too bad that silver object has been hung on this door, as it distracts you from the severely weathered look.

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The old barn door.

Well, if you guessed wrong about the weathered door above, and you were thinking it was a barn door, I’m glad you’ve stayed with me here, because below IS a real barn door. The way it is barricaded shut makes you scratch your head and wonder whether that object is to keep the barnyard animals and fowl from escaping, or the two-legged prowlers from breaking in?

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Admittedly, the barn and the fence could stand a new coat of paint, but that would surely take away from the weathered look which drew me to this spot to take the photo in the first place. Here is a shot of the whole side of the barn which is located at the petting farm within Heritage Park.

DOOR FAR AWAY

A modern photography studio.

Another very old building located within the village is the Sell/Schonsheck House which was built at this location in 1909. Its current owner is Rosecrans Picture Perfect Photography. The door looks a little weather beaten, but that entranceway, just like the windows with their old wooden frames and opaque panes, all contribute not only authenticity, but a lot of charm to this 109-year-old home.

door

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sign

The jewel of Heritage Park is an 1800s log cabin.

We all know the saying “home is where the heart is” and how many of us have strayed away from home, only to return to our roots many years later? Well, I’ve saved the best for last, because here is a structure which was built around 1850 and is the City of Taylor’s oldest existing home.

The weathered-looking door matches the logs of this tiny cabin which sits within the confines of the historical village.

front door use this one

I stepped back and took a picture of the house at a distance. Check out the windows on each side of the door; those pinned-back curtains probably are many decades old.

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The left window features an ad for an October 6^th celebration of the City’s 50-year anniversary, where you can actually go inside these historic buildings. Many of the buildings received new roofs recently, thus preserving them for many more years to come.

Then, I went to the side of the log cabin to check out the windows …

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… and the rear of the structure to see the rustic-looking back door.

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It’s always fun to revisit the past, whether you are time-travelling by simply flipping through the old family photo albums, visiting places associated with your past, or just chattin’ it up with relatives.

Getting a glimpse of the olden days makes them seem like golden days – to me anyway.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Doors, vintage | 74 Comments

Play misty for me.

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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The morning was murky, with a fine mist which permeated the air which was already thick and heavy. Today is the halfway mark for September, and unbelievably, it was 97% humidity and 70 degrees at 8:15 a.m. It was overcast, so the sun would not make me overly hot on my morning walk, but that dull-looking sky would not be great for picture taking either.

I decided to head to Heritage Park as it never disappoints, no matter the weather.

The backdrop of trees that frames the Park and seems to stretch for miles, looked like dark blotches in the very misty setting. I noticed that the water-powered mill’s wheel was illuminated and turning slowly, and, with that misty background, I knew immediately this was destined to be the main image for today’s post.

I decided to head to Coan Lake first, as I recalled the gentleman who arrives at the same time daily with his bag of cracked corn to feed the mallards. Well, I missed that man … but barely. The mallards were still scrambling about, enjoying the remains of their treat. Other ducks were lazily preening, or sleeping in groups around this man-made pond.

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Every visit to Coan Lake brings a sense of calm and peace. That beautiful bridge cast a reflection on the water, even with the gray sky. Barn swallows dipped and dived from beneath the bridge roof, and I stepped over to see if there were still nests and little ones inside, but I could find none.

bridge in mist

It sure was a mixed bag of waterfowl today.

The Canada geese were carrying on, squawking and raising a ruckus – it was as if they could not stand the tranquil setting, so they set about creating a little noise to liven things up a bit.

The many mallards satisfied my hankering to see a few ducks, because there must have been at least 150 or more of them, divided equally between the water and land.

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duck on rock

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Seagulls also were mixing and mingling with their feathered brethren.

I’ve been to Heritage Park about a dozen times in the last year, and the usual ducks, geese and seagulls are always around, but today there were two newcomers … well, for me anyway.

I’m curious about these guys – are they Cormorants?

My attention was drawn next to two birds with exceptionally large wingspans, wide webbed feet and unusual-looking beaks.

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I was mesmerized by their actions and it seemed to me that they were putting on a display for anyone who cared to watch them.

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The pair hogged the cement platform that rises out of the water. From that perch, they alternately preened, stared into space, or appeared to be airing out their wings in the moist and humid air.

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airing armpits with ducks

I spent at least a half-hour at the water’s edge, plus took about 30 photos of them to ensure I got a good enough image to identify the pair, which I believe are Cormorants.

Well hello Mr. Heron!

You’ve followed my tales about the elusive Great Blue Heron at Council Point Park. He catches sight of me and bolts, no matter how hard I try to sneak up on him. I’ve gotten a few fairly good shots of this heron, when he was daydreaming and didn’t see me approaching. Today, after picking my way through the very dewy grass, full of feathers and goose poop, I was about to head back to the path that winds through the historic area of Heritage Park, when I saw a Great Blue Heron. This was the first heron at Heritage Park for me. He blended right into the retaining wall of Coan Lake. I took some pictures, but his gray body morphed right into the cement wall.

blending in.jpg

I stood there patiently, without moving a muscle, to see if he might pick a better location. Fifteen minutes passed and, finally, he began walking slowly on those spindly legs toward the middle of the lake. Excellent! Perhaps I could observe him there and get a better picture.

He began stalking something in the water. Coan Lake is stocked with fish, and people fish for sport, as it is “catch and release” only, although I assume herons don’t necessarily abide by the catch-and-release rule. He jerked his head and plunged it into the water, but came back up empty-handed, er … empty-beaked.

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I got a few shots in, then I was greedy for some close-ups, so I inched forward, being careful not to slip into the “drink” as I was precariously close to the water’s edge. Behind cover of a tree, I got to see him in silhouette.

silhouette

silhouette better

Just then a mosquito or some other pest, landed on my ankle and began to drink thirstily, and I had to swat it. My movement caused the heron to bolt, but he left gracefully, without the horrid squawking noise that usually accompanies a heron’s takeoff.

With all this waterfowl activity, I was reluctant to head over to the walking path that encircles Heritage Park. I didn’t want to miss anything, and besides … that heron never got his fish – I knew he’d be back.

Well he stayed on land this time, perhaps he was tired of having wet feet.

on land

I walked along the path that goes through the village area once again, keeping my camera close at hand in case any Kodak moments arose. I chatted with a couple of people who came over to ask me about the pair of birds and what they were. I told them I was curious too and had taken enough pictures that surely I could identify them once I saw their image on the computer screen, but I believed they were Cormorants based on a bird flying overhead at the nature walk two weeks ago. We also discussed the heron as they’d not seen him before either. Suddenly, the woman raised her arm and pointed – “look over there, the heron has landed.”

Of course you know I followed it, hoping for a picture of that heron by itself, with an uncluttered background.

Suddenly, the sun pierced through that veil of gray, and just like that, it got uncomfortably warm. I know I should have gone earlier since I knew it was going to be hot and humid, but the morning mist held me back. Once the sun made an appearance, a warm glow bathed the entire Park … how many sunbeams does it take to light up Heritage Park I wonder?

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Whenever I see the heron at Council Point Park, it is by itself, a solitary figure, either standing knee deep fishing in the cold Creek water, or standing statue-like on the cement precipice. This heron was socializing – walking with great strides amongst the gulls, geese and ducks.

mix and mingle

And then he grew weary of the crowd and went airborne again to be by himself at the Little Red Schoolhouse, a mere grayish streak after he landed near the old-time schoolyard.

solitary figure

I finished up on the path and decided to head home as I had a few errands to do along the way.

As I was about ready to head out, I watched a flock of geese take off – they didn’t go far, circling high above Heritage Park in V-formation, then, one by one, they plopped into the water with a big splash, and fanfare to announce their arrival.

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I stopped near the Park’s historic West Mound Church, where a woman and three kids were clustered around the wishing well – were they making wishes and tossing coins in there? I went over to investigate and say “hi” to them. I learned the children had discovered two painted rocks in Heritage Park and they were re-hiding them. I asked to see the remaining rock and the young girl displayed it for me.

JOY

Joy in the journey …

I asked if I could take a picture of the rock before she hid it because the words were just a perfect way to describe my morning meander with the mallards and their fine-feathered friends.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ducks, geese, Gulls, Heron, nature, Peace, Summer, walk, walking | 42 Comments

Sleuthin’.

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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Well, despite Parker’s antics that I described in detail yesterday, I did not don a disguise after all. Instead, the high dew points and humidity made me subtract clothing – I shed two layers and I was still warm. Slowly, these past two days, we’ve inched back to the uncomfortably warm weather again, but I won’t whine about it since Florence trumps ALL weather at this time.

I do my best thinking while walking back and forth to the Park, and, except for watching out for cars and uneven pavement, most days I just let my mind be a blank canvas as I walk along and enjoy the sights along the way. As you know, once I’m down at the Park, my furry pals pre-empt any woolgathering on my part.

Today was no different. I did my three loops, and, at the tail end of the trail, fellow walker Mike called out to me: “Hey, you missed the chicken hawk – it was back near the beginning of the trail, same as before.” I sighed and told Mike I’ve been scanning the skies ever since the big hawk swooped down on Stubby back in early August, just minutes after I fed him. Luckily, Stubby ran under the picnic table in the pavilion and escaped. I know I will rethink putting small apples out for my little buddies when they are cheap and plentiful, as I usually do each Fall, because I don’t want the squirrels being sitting ducks for the hawks – perhaps I’ll hide them under the picnic tables. In the second loop I saw Stubby and Midnight, then Parker again before I left the Park, so, in counting noses, I know those three were present and accounted for. I worry about all the squirrels getting nabbed by a hawk. I can’t really I.D. most of the squirrels – there are way too many of them, and, finally the youngsters are coming around and are not so timid as before, probably taking their cue from the adult squirrels who are similarly in hunting-and-gathering-mode.

It dawned on me enroute to the Park, that perhaps that hole I saw adjacent to the turtle nest might have been the escape route for the hatchlings. I’ve been following the larger parks on Facebook this Summer to check out local nature events. Last night, a post by Crosswinds Marsh Wetland Interpretive Preserve about turtle hatchlings made me stop and ponder that post, then take a screenshot of it.

crosswinds info

I wondered if these baby snapping turtles, just the size of a quarter, did indeed climb out of that small hole, and not the big nest area hole, to make a beeline to the nearby Creek? Brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that before?

So, I went past this morning, peered into the hole to get an idea how deep it was, but I couldn’t tell and didn’t want to disturb anything. I decided to reach out to Crosswinds and see if that might have been their exit route. When I got online, I sent a picture of the nest as well as the adjacent hole and an enlargement of the small hole. I said I wrote a blog about walking and many people were anticipating the “birth” and growing anxious.

Nest showing hole

Hole by nest

Soon I received a nice reply from Jennifer, which I’m going to share, because it was full of facts and since so many of you have been interested in the turtle hatchlings.

crosswinds info part two.JPG

When I thanked Jennifer, I told her I knew those eggs had to be incubated properly due to our very hot Summer, so she responded to me with this turtle tidbit:

“Yes, with this hot Summer, there were probably a lot of female turtles coming out of that nest! Most turtles have temperature dependent sex determination – hotter incubation produces females (usually those eggs at the top of the nest) and cooler incubation produces males (usually the eggs at the bottom).”

So the takeaway here is “girls rule!”

Perhaps there are still turtle eggs in the nest, so, I will keep my eyes peeled for these hatchlings. I’d better still watch where I step or put up a sign “Turtle Crossing” … just imagine these quarter-sized critters streaking across the perimeter path!

P.S. – The header picture for this post is a card I got from my friend Carol several years ago. I liked the verse and the picture and have it in a small frame where I can see it every day.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Summer, Turtles, walk, walking | 30 Comments

Acting Squirrelly.

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Admittedly Parker is a squirrel, but there are some days when the moniker of “squirrelly” really fits him.

Today’s post features pictures I took of my favorite Park pal yesterday. The sun was out in full force – what a great shadow day! He and his brethren were all lined up along the perimeter path as I did my morning meander. Today was rain-free, but a very gray day.

My worries about my little buddy following me out of the Park and into the neighborhood are not unfounded. For three days in a row, he has found me both inside and outside of the Park. While I am flattered that he loves me for myself, my cache of peanuts and/or the extra attention I pay to him, today he was just beyond squirrelly.

I’ve been pushing myself to get my daily five miles walked as we zoom through September – that means a round trip from home to the Park and three loops … two loops in the woodsy area where most of the critter activity is and one loop on the other side of the Park.

I saw Parker at the start of the pathway. He hurried over.

nuts please

nuts please1

I tossed him a few peanuts to enjoy, knowing he’d likely catch up with me again.

got nuts

The other squirrels wanted part of this action too. Check out the fancy footwork … almost as fast as a racehorse coming down the track.

mom1

My goodies and me were being checked out at all angles.

i see you.jpg

i see you1.jpg

Next, I headed to the second loop, on the other side, which is boring, but that’s where the turtle nest is. (I’m sorry to say, that as of this morning, no hatchlings yet.)

I was ready to leave the perimeter path for home, when I stopped to chat with another walker as she approached her car. I always look around for my little buddy before I leave the parking lot and cross the street to head home. “Good” I thought, “no Parker, so no worries he’ll tag along at my heels behind me and go out into the busy street.”

However, not one minute later, a pickup truck rolled up to the stop sign and he waved me to go ahead. I thanked him and then that driver rolled down the window and with a big smile on his face, he said “looks like someone followed you out of the Park!” So, there was Parker, right at my heels, crossing River Drive with me. I smiled and patted the Ziploc bag of peanuts I had clipped to the side of my fanny pack and called out “it will be his second treat today, so don’t let the sad eyes fool you!”

So, Parker and I went to “our rock” in the neighborhood across from the Park, so I could dole out more peanuts while he waited beside my feet. Knowing his M.O., he’d grab one or two and streak back across the street to the Park to bury them, only this time, he climbed onto the rock that sits on the homeowner’s property.

favorite stomping grounds.jpg

I got the peanuts ready, he ran down, grabbed one, then scrambled back up the rock and turned his back on me to eat it. Hmmm – not good manners.

bad manners.jpg

I went to leave, and he grabbed another peanut and beat it across the street.

homeowners lawn.jpg

But, did he cross the street, like the proverbial chicken? No, he ran to the middle of the street and parked himself there to eat a peanut. I called out “are you crazy – get over to the other side!” I had to run to the middle of the street myself and chase him to the grass in the Park. He looked at me. Was this a ploy for more peanuts? Well, it worked. The sucker that I am, handed over more peanuts, depositing them on the grass, and said “please stay put!” I know he waited until I walked away, then hustled back to the rock and got the rest of them.

Tomorrow I will wear a disguise.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Squirrels, Summer, walk, walking | 35 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Sunny … yet sad.

After a few days of dreary and drizzly weather, today was a real winner.

In the past 16 years, it seems as if it has rained on this day, or been gray and gloomy, so I have associated that dismal-looking sky, or rain, with our mood and sadness we feel on each successive September 11^th anniversary.

But, today dawned just as sunny and bright as on that fateful day. I vividly recall walking down the driveway that morning, enroute to the bus stop and thinking that I needed to cut the lawn after dinner. Little did I know I’d be home from work much earlier than usual to tackle that chore. Our law office closed an hour after the first attack, and, we had a client emergency, so my boss and I were the only ones left in the office finishing up some documents. He drove me home, taking only surface streets, and I arrived around noon. I still remember what we were working on, even what I wore to work that day – all silly and trivial things, but I think we’re always going to remember the specifics of that morning’s events, not to mention the horrors we saw on TV and in the newspaper, for as long as we live.

Is it soup yet?

This morning, while eating breakfast, I heard the weather report and it was only 56 degrees out. I had the furnace on since yesterday and it felt good, but, even though it was a little chilly outside, I sure was not prepared to don a sweat suit just yet, so I layered up in three t-shirts and swapped the shorts for capris – that worked perfectly. Unfortunately, we’re getting warmer and more humid weather as each day progresses, so no use dragging out a lot of heavy clothes yet.

While walking down to the Park in the chilly air, and anticipating whether the baby snapping turtles had emerged from their hidey hole, I got to thinking about the popular Lipton’s soup commercial from the early 70s, which featured the tag line “is it soup yet?” The kids were sitting at the dinner table waiting for Mom to bring them their bowl of Lipton’s chicken noodle soup and when it was ready, Mom would announce “it’s soup!”

I was thinking that that commercial and its theme could be applicable for the chilly air which left goosebumps on my exposed arms and calves, but, also since that commercial is all about the anticipation of waiting on something special. It is, after all, 90 days today since Mama turtle dug the nest and laid the eggs on June 13^th. This would be the last day in the suggested window for the hatching time of those little nippers.

Parker did not meet me at the parking lot entrance and I cut through the lot, then stepped onto the trail with no sign of him. It seemed that squirrels came running from every corner of the first loop of the perimeter path – they were hungry, as I’m sure no walkers were down at the Park yesterday during the all-day rain, and, I guess my furry friends can only eat so many pinecones and mulberries. I stopped and talked to each of them, fed them peanuts, then moseyed on. Leaves were scattered everywhere on the path, giving the morning a real Fall-like feel. The air was crisp, the sky was blue – one could not ask for a prettier day, after we have contended with oppressive heat, endless rain and just plain ornery weather most of the Summer.

I moved onto the second walking loop, eager to see if it was indeed “soup yet” and whether the snapping turtles had hatched. Nope, there was the hole, just as smooth on top as before, with the dirt still damp from at least 24 straight hours of rain. No need to take the camera out of the case as no turtles were breaking out and running for their lives to the nearest creek. Perhaps tomorrow it will happen, and, just as the old adage goes: good things come to those who wait.

Kids … what are you going to do with them?

Waiting was the name of the game for little Parker too, because I was still carrying my Ziploc bag of peanuts as I exited the parking lot at Council Point Park. Well, I didn’t have to wait, or wonder, anymore about Parker. He had apparently missed me walking down Pagel Avenue, so he ran across the street, out of that nearby neighborhood to see me. I cringed as he raced across busy River Drive to meet me. I bent down to talk to him, as if he might understand my warning that it was better not to run across the street, and he should either live in the Park, or the ‘hood, and stay away from the busy roads. I don’t like to be a “helicopter mom” and I am sure it falls on deaf ears, but I did my very best to suggest a permanent address going forward: Council Point Park or Pagel Avenue.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Park, September 11th, Summer, Turtles, walk, walking | 31 Comments

Flora and Fawna.

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Well, I was ready to head out fairly early with three options for my morning meander. I peeked out the door to see if it really was as cloudy as the weatherman said … yup, another gray and gloomy day. At least no rain was predicted, but it was blustery and only 60 degrees.

I mentally ticked off today’s excursion possibilities: the “Old Car Festival” at The Henry Ford, which I had planned to attend since I went to the Model A event last month. It would be fun with all the vintage cars, old-time food and ragtime dancing in the street, all geared to mimic days of yesteryear. Elizabeth Park and Heritage Park were also options, but with a gloomy and sunless sky, it would not be a stellar day for picture-taking at any venue.

All Summer, I’ve been hankering to go to “Saturdays in the Park” where six miles of Hines Park is closed to vehicular traffic.

hines park official sign.jpg

I have lived in Michigan 52 years, yet I’ve never been to this popular park, which features a long trail that encompasses 15 miles over six cities. For me, the closest way to access Hines Park was in Dearborn Heights, so this drive was about a 25-mile round trip for me. Luckily I found a great place to park because they had already set up the blockades within the Park.

road closed

I began on a pathway that ran parallel to Hines Drive. As I walked along I thought “well it could be a little bit warmer” and then I wanted to slap myself, after complaining about the heat and humidity all Summer. But truly, that blustery wind was whipping around and the sunless sky made it feel like a late September/early October day. Almost everyone was wearing hoodies with the hood flipped up. Yikes! I was in short-sleeves and shorts and probably could have layered up a tad more.

There were plenty of people enjoying full access to Hines Drive without fear of a vehicle running them down. I saw walkers, joggers and even a contingent of teens who were rollerblading along the smooth pavement. I must have seen 100 or more bicyclists, even a few on recumbent bikes.

bicyclist

I meandered along, glancing here, there and everywhere for something interesting to include in today’s blog post. The woods was rather dense in places.

dense

winding trails.jpg

I heard some blue jays screeching noisily at one another and I was prepared to toss out a few peanuts for them, or to any squirrels, but no one paid me a visit.

There were a lot of trees down in this Park, but not the result of recent storms, and, in some cases, it didn’t appear they had been uprooted, but just toppled down and left there for effect – it didn’t look all bad, and the way they had rotted away was rather interesting as well.

small tree head

Up close, some of this rotted wood made me wonder if a woodpecker or two had had a go at it, or it simply rotted away from the weather?

woodpeckers delight.jpg

This fallen tree was so perfectly sliced, I wondered if someone cut it down and forget to haul it away? I was trying to count its rings, but it was difficult to do so, because of the dark-colored edges.

counting rings.jpg

I kept trying to catch a glimpse of the water between the trees and brush and I noticed even more fallen and submerged trees crisscrossing the water. I walked about ½ mile further and saw a bridge where I could cross and get a bird’s eye view. I thought the trees forming an arch across the water looked interesting.

If you look closely, you can see the water rippling in the breeze.

rippling water.jpg

As you can see, this sign is a mileage marker, but someone added a little impromptu artwork to it … is this the twiggy equivalent of those cairns, or stacked rock piles, that you see along some hiking trails?

twiggy artwork

I saw many leaves down along the path, no doubt the result of that drought-like weather we had all of July, and the hot weather we’ve endured all Summer.

look at all the leaves.jpg

In my blog post headline, I mentioned “flora” … so, here you have it, probably the only colorful blooms I saw at Hines Park. It was a huge group of Goldenrod which was covered with bees. I had to be careful as there must’ve been a bee or two per bloom and I wanted a photo of them, but I didn’t want to bend over too close in case they buzzed up my shorts!

So that was the flora part of my trek; the fauna part … well, that was a whole other story. My “Kodak Moment of the Day” was a pair of deer I saw near the bushes, across Hines Drive, and rather far from the trail I was walking along. Knowing deer are more fleet of foot than me, I took their photo from across Hines Drive and hoped for the best. They watched me and posed nicely, even gave me a profile view, then, with at least three decent shots under my belt …

all eyes forward

pair of deer.jpg

… I decided to cross the street and get a closer look at them.

Well, you see how that worked out.

Oops! This bicyclist not only photobombed my deer shot, but it spooked that doe and her fawn, and they leapt into the woods, flashing their white tails. I walked over to the edge of the brush where they had been grazing but they had vamoosed in record time.

I stayed on the trail that ran parallel to Hines Drive until I reached 2½ miles on the pedometer, then I made the return trip to head back to the car. I got a great cardio and legs workout as it was frequently hilly, so all that up-and-down trekking was good for me, since most of the trails I walk are flat. You can see the steep incline in these photos below.

steep incline.jpg

steep inclines 2.jpg

I stopped at Council Point Park before heading home and added another 1½ miles to my total, by searching for hungry squirrels and checking on the status of the turtles. Hungry squirrels I found – Parker was not around, but a few of the youngsters bravely came over to visit me. The baby snapping turtles have not emerged yet … if they were smart, they would stay put until it warms up again next week.

So 6½ miles added to my walking tally, a deer sighting and I’ll sleep well tonight.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Deer, nature, Summer, Trail, walk, walking | 60 Comments

I was on “cloud nine” this morning because …

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Linda Schaub

HEADER

… finally, the rain and heat took a hike. I hurried out of the house as soon as it was light outside.

But, I opened the door to a mottled-looking sky and immediately thought “not this again” as it sure looked like it would pour any minute. The song “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” rambled through my brain. It sure didn’t look too inviting with a sky that seemed to be a bit conflicted, as it was half gray and half blue.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

I ventured out anyway, even foregoing the umbrella and putting my faith in the weatherman. The clouds were crisscrossing the sky as my feet followed that familiar trek to Council Point Park.

STRANGE SKIES

As I walked along, the odd-looking sun you see up top, made a valiant effort to peek through the clouds. I guess Ol’ Sol was absent today. On Wednesday, several school districts cancelled classes as it they had no A/C in the classrooms, so the kids were excused on the second full day of school. I wonder how they classify this “off day” from school? In Winter, you have a “snow day” or, if it is brutally cold with wind chills below zero, the schools also close. So would this be a “heat day”? A yellow school bus chugged by, its diesel smoke leaving soft gray puffs in the already dull-looking morning. It was carrying a load of kids whose faces were either sleepy or bored.

As I wended my way through the ‘hood, it dawned on me what else has been amiss on my daily jaunts. I’ve seen only a few chalk art drawings and that was months ago. The past few years, I was always capturing images of the whimsical artwork on sidewalks and driveways and featuring it in my blog posts. I suspect we’ve had rain so much, the kids decided not to waste their time doodling in pastel chalks or the newfangled spray chalk, to create a drawing that will be running down the sewer grate before anyone gets to admire it fully. Also, incredibly I only saw one of the decorated rocks this year at any of the parks I’ve frequented, so perhaps the painted rock craze is over.

It is a week today since I was at the Park and there was some road construction on the street I usually take, which forced me to zig-zag all over Pagel Avenue. I really don’t know why they ripped it up since it was under construction a good eighteen months over 2016 and into 2017. I’ll bet those folks are mad, as they finally got their landscaping looking good again, only to have it torn apart. I saw the street filling up from a small stream of water as a hose was draining from a homeowner’s backyard – someone decided no more pool time in 2018. A few birds fluttered around the hose as the water slowly trickled out. Just another sign that Fall is on the way … that draining hose, and the sadly mangled or deflated pool toys poking out of the garbage cans on garbage collection day.

Once I arrived at the Park, I hoped I did not have to re-introduce myself to Parker in case he forgot me, but no worries. You should believe that expression that “absence makes the heart go fonder” because just as I crossed River Drive and entered the parking lot, there was my little fella, racing toward me. Yes, I wanted to bend down and pat him on the head, like he was a faithful dog, but I resisted. I lavished peanuts on him, and, just like before, he is in “hunting and gathering mode” and decided to plan for the Winter ahead, so he grabbed two peanuts “to go” before I got to sweet talk him. I watched his paws flipping the dirt aside, busily digging a hole, but he didn’t return to me, nor his pile of peanuts, so I continued on my journey.

I walked the first loop, passing out peanuts on the left and the right-hand sides of the path, providing breakfast and who knows … maybe a mid-Winter snack as well. Then I headed to the second walking loop. I wanted to check out the snapping turtle’s nest to see if the babies had hatched. It was still intact though I noted a few fissures on the surface.

turtle nest.jpg

You’ll recall the huge snapping turtle dug a nest and laid her eggs back on June 13^th. When I researched how long it would take for the eggs to hatch, I discovered those turtles will break out of their leathery shells and hit the ground running after 80-90 days. So you don’t have to pull out your calculator, those turtle babies should hatch between September 1^st and 11^th. I’m sure all this heat has baked them in their underground nest, so they had excellent conditions for the incubation period. I would love to walk by and see all those baby turtles scrambling across the pathway to the Creek, just about 20 feet away, but unfortunately it may happen overnight.

I was in the middle of the second loop, about to round the corner, when I saw a dark object in my peripheral vision – hmmm, a wild turkey perhaps? People have been spotting those gobblers and posting their pictures of them on the local Facebook crime site. Those turkeys may not be dangerous, but more of an oddity around here. Well, this brown object ran like greased lightning but this was no turkey, it was a woodchuck. Yes, they look nothing alike and yes, I have new glasses … go figure. But, I took off after it, traipsing across the grass, then belatedly hoping I’d kicked up no loose ticks or chiggers in my quest for a photo for today’s post. Fancy that – me a paparazzi on the tail of a woodchuck. But, this critter was not in a mood for posing, or any interaction, because, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared either into a burrow or the bushes. Maybe next time.

It’s already Friday and whenever we have a long weekend, it always takes me a day or two to re-adjust my mind to what day it really is. Well, Friday works for me, and the weather outlook for this weekend is just so-so. Saturday promises no rain, but no sun either, and we’ll have a rainy Sunday, with those raindrops lingering into Monday morning. Sigh.