Living here in Michigan, you have to have multiple wardrobes at the ready, though admittedly, this has been a rather wild week of weather, certainly not like a normal February in southeast Michigan.

I can tell you that Thursday I escaped for a walk in just a light jacket which I left undone most of the time. The temps escalated soon after the sun was high and bright in the sky, making it a delightful Spring-like day.  Friday morning was foggy and soggy with humidity that made it feel sticky, and then the temps soared, fueling two rounds of severe weather just like we have in Summer.  Yesterday, it was beginning to feel Fallish, and today … Winter returneth.  I was back in my down coat, and halfway through the first loop of the perimeter path, I wished I had worn my hooded scarf to keep me warmer, as that wind had a real bite to it.  It was a beautiful and clear day, if you didn’t mind the polar-like temps and a biting breeze that made a “real feel” of 20 degrees, even though I departed at mid-day.  Yikes!!!  Talk about a reality check, yet, I can’t help but wonder, how long Winter will grace us with its presence this time?

Since no trees or bushes have leafed out yet, the winds are harsh at Council Point Park. The stiff breeze caused ripples in the Ecorse Creek, and maybe this was why the mallards were a bit fractious, or, perhaps it was too chilly for a “dip” in that murky water so they were voicing their displeasure.

The walkers were few, but the squirrels were plentiful, and I came prepared to tender peanuts to my pals. I vowed I would leave no furry friends going without treats like the other day.

As usual, the squirrels were quick to greet me, shortly after I stepped on that asphalt path. One chubby fellow scrambled down the tall tree lickety–split, and soon announced his presence at my feet.  I tossed some peanuts and a pair of squirrels immediately went diving for them, the wind raising the silky fur in their bushy tails, as their paws grasped the treat and their sharp teeth cracked it open.

I promised my friend Ann Marie, a fellow walker and a follower of this blog, that I’d get some pictures of the squirrels encircling me to get their treats. But the angle of the sun, probably since I left later than usual, would have my own shadow photobombing every shot … there will be lots more peanuts, squirrels and photo ops down the road, so in the meantime, I’m attaching a blog post entitled “Sole Mate” from a few years ago.  It shows a furry fellow up close and personal.  This little guy had an affinity for climbing up on my shoe in his quest for peanuts.  https://lindaschaubblog.net/2014/06/23/sole-mate/

I didn’t pause too long in one spot and moved on, wanting to get my four miles in today. Dead leaves and spent peanut shells littered the path and skittered along with the wind, which I discovered, when I returned home, had been blowing at about 20 mph.

In the second loop, I passed a copse of trees and bushes across from the inline skating rink. They have been dead as a doornail as long as I’ve been going to Council Point Park, their pale-looking trunks long stripped of bark and bleached by the hot sun or weathered by the wind and wintry conditions.  They sure don’t enhance the landscape or lend to the ambiance of the Park.  As I walked by this area, I heard a loud, creaking noise.  Timidly, I looked up and noticed two large branches were evidently rubbing together, making that eerie noise, like a door with hinges that needed oiling.  I had two thoughts as I hurried past on the perimeter path:  #1 – I hope those pieces of wood rubbing together don’t start a fire (my Brownie and Girl Guide training instincts kicking in all these decades later); and #2 – I think the noise felt like my bones when I got up this morning.  That’s because I spent the better part of yesterday stooping, kneeling and crawling around or behind furniture and under the bed in search of dust bunnies.  This morning, when the alarm rang and my feet hit the ground, albeit reluctantly, I felt pretty creaky myself, and sure felt my age.

[Image from OpenClipArt from Pixabay]