No, this is not another post about delectable donuts or bonbons and blooms, but … it was just nice to get out and about on a mid-Winter day, without tippy-toeing across the treacherous ice, or shoveling mounds of snow.
It was the first day the car and yours truly ventured out since February 3rd due to the never-ending snow and ice. I put four miles on both the car and my feet.
It was early morning and the sky was layered in pretty pastels, ribbons of pink and blue like baby shower décor when the gender is still a mystery. I had the camera with me, but I was still in the neighborhood, so did not have a clear view of the sky. I guess I’ll carry the image of those gorgeous colors in my mind instead.
As I rolled along River Drive toward Council Point Park, I saw a single soul huffing and puffing along the perimeter path – that would be Todd, who never misses his weekend jogs, no matter the weather. So, I knew my trek today would take me out of the neighborhood and to the “naturehood” just as those public service announcements from www.discovertheforest.org suggest you should do.
Since I packed my jacket pockets with Ziploc bags of peanuts, I was hoping the path would be clear enough for a walk at my favorite nature nook. Those bags peeked out of my pockets, ready to dole out to my furry peanut pals – after all today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.
I was glad I wore my hiking boots with the lug soles in anticipation of some potential icy patches along the perimeter path. The walking shoes just don’t cut it when ice is present, even though I have long legs and can step over most of it, but why take a chance? With the hiking boots, I simply hop off the trail and walk in the snow when I encounter glare ice.
I wasn’t at the Park long until I pulled out that first Ziploc bag of peanuts, so I was ready for my “admirers” but they were strangely absent. In fact, I was halfway around the first loop, wiggling my bag of peanuts as I walked, just as I usually do, when suddenly I saw one of my furry pals scrambling over toward me. He was running quickly, his sharp claws sliding on the glazed pathway, those small paws skidding this way and that. “Take your time!” I told him. “I’m not going anywhere and it seems that you are I are the only two in this peanut game today anyway.”
I dumped a pile of peanuts at his feet, as if he were a little prince, and he snagged one in record time and happily started munching. I wondered if he was “Parker” my favorite squirrel who joins me on the trail, or beside my car, as soon as he sees me. He has no distinguishing features, just his loyalty, which rates high with me. I stayed there thinking his missing pals would come over lickety-split, but they stayed away, perhaps up in their nests. He grabbed another peanut, cracking it and clearly enjoying it, while sitting companionably at my feet. Before I left, I slipped him a few more to take up into his tree, telling him “better squirrel them away little buddy, as Winter’s sure not over yet.”
I moseyed along then hit the trail at a good pace since there was a long stretch that was ice-free. It was so peaceful in the Park, albeit a little desolate looking these days.
But soon the peace was disturbed by bird calls. First, it was a couple of angry crows, buzzing overhead and squawking incessantly, then the jays started in, at least a half-dozen of them, screeching from up in a tall tree. The jays were clearly agitated about something because they were dive-bombing around the tree, and swooping in and out of it with no rhyme or reason. I wondered if they feared the crows, or, they were aware of a predator of some kind, like a hawk or a falcon. I scanned the sky for telltale signs of either of these predator birds, but saw nothing. I left the jays some peanuts on the trail, and noticed the next time around, they were all gone. Then I remembered my jay back at the house – the sidewalks and driveway were treacherous for a good four days last week, so I wasn’t interacting with him, as I walked as few steps as possible. I decided to look for him when I returned home.
I left the jays behind, and near the cement landing there was a mess of mallards in the only portion of the Creek that was not frozen over. They were quacking their heads off, and some had stepped onto the ice and were snoozing or preening themselves. I was rattling another bag of peanuts for anyone who was interested, and must have spooked a heron, who suddenly flew up out of nowhere and took flight, a blur of gray as it headed down the narrow Ecorse Creek passageway.
Two entire trips around the Park and I was about ready to head home. It wasn’t the sunniest of days, but at least it was cold and dry … that is ‘til we get that promised dusting of snow tonight. Any snow can stay away in my opinion.
Before I departed the Park, however, I had one more stop. I left about ten peanuts along the grooves in the picnic table under the pavilion roof. Treats for a rainy day for the gang. We’ll have a couple of those rainy days on Monday and Tuesday, along with temps in the low 60s, which means Mother Nature is just going a little wacky.
On this Random Acts of Kindness Day, here’s a quote to make your new mantra …
Kindness should become the natural way of life. Not the exception. ~Buddha
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Miss Linda…………………….thanks for the “walk through the park,”………………….I enjoyed it……………….so Mr Buddha is smart besides being spiritual!
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Ann Marie – I enjoyed returning there – it had already been two weeks. It was cold, but I was bundled up so I didn’t really feel it. I was hoping that dusting of snow would not happen overnight as predicted, but it did, and the roads are now very slick with accidents, so that nuisance snow will not be good for a walk today. I do like Mr. Buddha … he was wise and this quote perfectly fit the day!
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I loved your comment about putting four miles on both car and feet. Your peanut walk was lovely.
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Thanks Anne – I love that Park as it is not all that large, just 27 acres, but it is right in the middle of the our City, so you can disappear into a nature nook in the blink of an eye. The Ecorse Creek is actually part of the Detroit River and draws geese, mallards, swans, herons, fish and turtles so it makes for an interesting walk. As to the squirrels, sometimes I am walking along like the Pied Piper of Hamelin with a trail of them behind me saying “more peanuts please!” The other walkers get a kick out of that. They have other people who feed them, two retired men, and they generally walk later than me. It is my favorite place to walk as it is close enough to home that I can walk there and back plus one complete trip around the Park which is four miles. In the Summer, I try to go to different parks, on the weekend, which we are lucky to have several near by. This morning we have an icy mixture on the roads and sidewalks, so I sure am glad I got out yesterday.
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Goodness! You walk four miles! We have only one route, and it is two miles long. There is one long, steep hill that takes my breath away.
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Anne – I try to walk four miles every day (except in bad weather) … in fact, this is the first time I returned to my computer since this morning when I wrote you. The snow melted and I went on a five-mile walk. It was beautiful today, sunny and cold. I took a ton of pictures, of which 1/2 dozen will probably be good.
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We take Sundays off and don’t walk. I hope you will post some of the good pics.
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I just did my post Anne – I hope you enjoy it. I put in more pictures that I intended to, but I think they help to tell the story. It was really a beautiful day and now I hear there may not be any snow in the forecast for two weeks, not just one. I am ecstatic.
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No snow! Super!
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It’s good to jog and walk through a saw jungle sometimes, especially when a trusted friend is around.
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Peter, it just makes my day when I see the critters at the Park. I enjoy interacting with all of them, even the geese that like to hiss and flap their wings at me. Those little squirrels following me around on the trail make my day!
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It’s always a good experience. Buy my fear is about the safety of such a place?
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It is safe – no wild animals and one side of the Park (there are two one-mile loops … the whole park is a figure eight) it is not as open, but I never walk there in Summer when the bushes and trees make it a little more dense. Then you have to worry about humans … crime abounds in our City all of a sudden, well .. .the last five years or so. I walk with a whistle and pepper spray just in case … hopefully never need it. All Summer I walk at generally the same time and it is the same group of walkers on the trail. Now with the Winter months, many of the regular walkers walk at the mall or have a treadmill inside their home.
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I love the whole idea, he who put it I’m place, and those that have found it worthy of visits.
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I wish they would take better care of it though Peter. Our City was in dire straits for a few years and we had an emergency manager. There were no extra funds and they cut first responders which was bad enough, but now they don’t keep up the Park as they should. But it seems to grow and thrive in spite of that. I do enjoy it and many others do when the weather is nicer. I walked today, and will write a short post – I don’t write a post every day, but we are having three days of rain, snow melt and potential flooding, then cold, so it will get icy on the trail, so I likely won’t be back for a while. I’m looking forward to Spring.
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Whoa! Thanks for intimating me about why is going on over there when I my place Jere on Nigeria, we have about 35 degrees centigrade. Wishing you the best.
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Oh my! I just went and converted that … 95 degrees. Wow, that is our August weather, but after this very cold and snowy Winter we had, I told people, including readers of my blog, that I will not complain about our “Dog Days of Summer” come August. Of course by then, we tend to forget about the cold weather. 🙂
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I said about 35. Notwithstanding, I wish you above all things good health.
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Thank you – I wish the same for you. Now I am going to sign off. We have torrential rains out there and all day yesterday and tomorrow as well. No walk today, but I go out to run my car daily as I don’t drive it enough (9 years old and only abouy 4,700 or so miles) so I have it on a trickle charger and I have to at least start it every day. Pretty soon we need an ark out there. You have a good day.
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Thanks. Love talking with you. It’s not a waste of time. Lot of lessons!
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the animals can feel your intentions,so they allow you to get close.
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That’s why you are so successful with the eagles as they trust you … birds are so skittish. I told you I had two canaries … I adored them and showered love and affection on them, but they were always wary of me. Parakeets are much more accepting of human interaction.
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each animal has a unique personality.
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Kind of like people, though animals are kinder than people sometimes. The daily news reports tell me that I’m sorry to say.
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all animals battle each other.It weeds out the weak.
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Well, that makes sense … like the runt in a litter of puppies does not always survive.
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