The air temperature was a brutal 16 degrees and snowflakes were flying when I left the house, bundled up to the hilt but happy to be walking again. In fact, I was downright ecstatic to lace up my walking shoes as it had been way too long … nearly two weeks since I last took to the streets.
I didn’t have two braids hanging out beneath a bandana because my hair was twirled up under a warm woolen cap, but, like Willie, I had a song in my heart as well.
It was a fairly short jaunt this morning, as I wanted to ease back into walking and not overdo it, so I went just beyond the border of Lincoln Park and Wyandotte.
Long before I arrived at the footbridge, I saw a flock of geese flying overhead in V-formation. They were quiet, as geese go – I didn’t hear a single honk out of the bunch. I was curious about them since they kept circling ‘round and ‘round over the water, as if they were seeking a place to splash down and could not. The nearby grassy area had some snow, but not so much that they could not graze a little, or take a breather at least. They seemed confused. I watched as they made one pass, then another … and still another, until finally they flew off to parts unknown.
Once I arrived at the footbridge, which separates the two cities, just as I suspected, the water was frozen solid. There had some activity in the Ecorse Creek, but not by my feathered friends. I tried to identify any of the myriad of paw prints that peppered the light coat of snow on the icy surface. There were many prints, of all different sizes, but no tunnel marks that might have identified a muskrat’s long, dragging tail, so I suppose it was possums or squirrels using the ice to cross from one Creek bank to the other without needing to scramble up to street level to do so.
Speaking of squirrels, I saw many of them as I walked up and down the Boulevard. As usual, they were scurrying to and fro to hit the houses where the homeowners offer them peanuts. That way they don’t have to get their paws dirty or cold trying to remember exactly which lawn or garden they hid last Fall’s food treasures.
It is Squirrel Appreciation Day so I saluted this little guy with his prized peanut when I passed by.
I returned from my walk with rosy cheeks and a rosy disposition to match and now I am once again even-steven with my car mileage.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I know how you feel about getting out. Leaving the warmth and aromas of our home to lung opening cold, crisp, clean smelling air, is a wonderful treat. I am glad you could do it.
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Me too Marge. I did not want to go much longer because I did not want to have to start from square one again. The past two Springs, since we had such brutal Winters, I had to start back at one mile and gradually work my way back up again. Went again this morning and it was just as cold and it had snowed, just traces though.
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Dear Miss Even-Steven……………………you mean yesterday was Squirrel Appreciation Day?…………thanks for telling me………………………………those geese have to find open waters so they’ll be gone till the waters thaw……….but I read that next week its going to be in the 30’s…..it’ll feel like spring for us…………………I have a good kick in the pants reading your blog………I do have to get out and start walking…………………………actually I’ve been just cleaning around the house…………..
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The sun was out today and it was beautiful wasn’t it? Did you get a walk in today Ann Marie? Because I am such a Winter Weenie, when it is nice like it was today, I decide to be proactive and get some errands done with the car to give it a run. Went to Meijer and walked some laps in the store … not as nice as walking out in the sunshine, but managed to get 3 miles logged today by the time I lugged my groceries into the house and walked in the store. Next time you are at Meijer (or a sporting goods store), get yourself a pedometer. You will be surprised how many steps you take in one day without even walking outside. I especially rack up miles on a grocery store run so I always put on the pedometer. I often park the shopping cart and run around the store and return stuff to the cart and get some miles in that way, so it is not a wasted walking day. You do alot around the house, and your church activities, soup kitchen, etc. – and all that baking you do. One thing for sure is that Digger won’t be saying “You’re a slacker!” anytime soon. 🙂
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