You must indulge me annually on the Fourth of July when I use the rather archaic term of “constitutional” to define that morning’s walk. That said, I hit the ground running about 7:30 a.m. to embark on my constitutional, having decided my destination was the corner of Emmons Boulevard and Biddle Avenue along the Detroit River. It was only 56 degrees when I left the house and my clothes combo was certainly unique because I was determined not to don a jacket in July, so I layered a tee-shirt over a short-sleeved flowered shirt and topped it off with a plaid long-sleeved shirt. Well, I hope no one studied me too closely but I was comfortable and that’s all that matters. I am loving these temperatures and we are slated for a high of only 76 degrees, which it is as I write this post. Well, that’s a patriotic number for our temperature on this, our nation’s 238th birthday. This is certainly my kind of weather, and though it is silly to say this, I wonder why every Summer day can’t be this beautiful … a sunny, cloudless sky, no humidity and coolish temps. This made walking a real pleasure and I personally congratulated myself on passing mile marker 220 today. I originally hoped to attain 250 miles, or half of my hoped-for 2014 goal of 500 miles, by June 30th, however, abysmal weather in the Winter and Spring spoiled many potential walking days. Rain has plagued me the last few months, and it seems there must be at least one day a week reserved for errands or grocery shopping, albeit with my pedometer clipped to my waistband, but … still the miles didn’t seem to be piling up. At least I have kept ahead of my car mileage so far this year, having driven a mere 130 miles thus far in 2014.

On this Independence Day, there were many homeowners proudly flying Old Glory, or the front of their homes were abundant with bunting. I photographed about ten of the homes and these four were my favorites. For a little fun for “Flashback Friday”, I’ve included a picture of myself in the inset of this collage. The photo was taken in 1975 when I visited the Statue of Liberty during Easter Break from Henry Ford Community College. Five other HFCC students and I were participating in the National Model United Nations Conference at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City. It was a week-long event and we had afternoons and evenings free. Our HFCC group spent an uncharacteristically hot-for-April afternoon visiting Liberty Island. I remember climbing up the very narrow staircase, all the way to the crown, in the sweltering heat, almost feeling like I would pass out. It was worth it though and the vantage point gave us an unforgettable panoramic view of the harbor. I do believe Lady Liberty struck a better pose than me however.

In 2014 we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. There was a big parade in downtown Wyandotte beginning at 10:00 a.m. today and I saw several bicyclists with collapsible camp chairs tucked neatly into their canvas bag and then slung over their shoulders or back. All of them were pedaling furiously to arrive in advance of the parade to pick a perfect viewing spot. They, like the rest of the parade goers, will pause to reflect on what this day means and place their hands over their hearts when they hear our national anthem.

The cool air was so invigorating that I felt as if I could have kept walking forever with endless energy like the Energizer Bunny. I kept going and going and going, that is, until I hit the dead end which was Biddle and Emmons and I could clearly see the Detroit River sparkling in the background. It is private property at this junction so I had to watch the water and the many pleasure boats from afar. I stayed awhile, then turned around and headed back home. As to miles walked today, well … I put in five on the Fourth.

Have a great Independence Day everyone!