All Winter, as we endured that 61-inch snowfall here in Southeast Michigan, I moaned and groaned about the endless shoveling that I did because of my “deal” with my next-door neighbor – I shovel both properties all Winter, then he mows both properties during the growing season. Unfortunately for me, his property is twice as big as mine, with more driveway, deck and pathways to shovel. I sure am grateful that my turn is over and now he taking care of the lawns until October or November, especially in lieu of all this rain. Jeff just mowed the day before the incessant rain, and today the grass blades are way past my ankles, and halfway to my knees. The lawn is looking thick and lush … those weeds are looking pretty healthy too. The grass is starting to go to seed, as are the dandelions, with their wispy puffs adrift when I walked along on this still morn.
I was happy to step outside where it was sunny and surprisingly warm, since it was chilly in the house and I had put the heat back on. I headed down to the Park, and along the way the neighborhood was filled with a cacophony of loud noises … lawn mowers groaned mightily as they munched up grass, weed whippers whirred and blowers blasted as lawn services hustled to attend to their customers’ properties, after the overlong spate of rainy weather. In record time, their powerful yard equipment had already begun to neaten up those homes. There must’ve been at least five of those lawn services enroute to the Park, and the noise was deafening.
But, once at the Park, the familiar feeling of peace and quiet was evident. I heard the woodpecker drumming a near-hollow tree and the red-winged blackbirds calling to one another from their respective trees. I think it was quiet enough to hear the tap, tap, tap of squirrel toenails scrambling down bark, or racing across the asphalt path for peanuts. I was willing to accommodate those furry friends, and had tucked an extra bag in my coat pocket, figuring that no other walkers had frequented the pathway since last week due to the rain, and the squirrels were probably starving. The bushes that bear black raspberries, and the apple trees in the Park are a long way from producing any fruit goodies for our pals and it was a pitiful sight to see a squirrel holding a dirty walnut in his mouth and another one chomping on a pinecone. “Poor babies” I called out … “come and see Linda.”
While we humans were weary of all the wet weather, this is why ducks and geese are called waterfowl. All the rain and wet weather did not deter them from sliding into the local swimming hole. While it wasn’t warm or sunny enough for people to apply sunscreen before heading out and jumping into a pool, the geese and ducklings seemed content to plop into the Ecorse Creek for a quick dip.
Hmmm – do I take the plunge?
I’m going for it!
Duckling swimming lessons.
I decided not to overdo the walking since I’d not been on the trail in days, so I just walked one loop, plus my round trip to the Park, so a little over three miles. I’ll do more steps tomorrow – it’s supposed to be another beautiful day.
It was a blissful morning and over way too soon.
I’ll leave you with this quote:
For happiness, how little suffices for happiness! … the least thing precisely, the gentlest thing, the lightest thing, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a whisper, an eye glance — little maketh up the best happiness. Be still. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I’ve never been to Michigan. Your land and weather
are mysterious to me.But, you made me look it up.
Nebraska’s record seasonal snowfall is 59.4 inches.
No comparison. Kudos to how much you shovel at your age. 😉
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We had a record snowfall this year and the past few years it has been much lighter. We had something like 65 degrees on December 3rd (I remember the date as it was Marge’s birthday and I went over to see her son as he was in the garage – would have been her 80th) … anyway, less than a week later, we snow and ice and, with the exception of a few times when it totally cleared up, that set the trend for the entire Winter/early Spring … we still had snow in April. I’m not sure I want to do it this year though – going to think hard on it. It was a little too much this year … my house is quite small, so easy to handle. I bought a lithium-powered snow blower which is easy to use but I have nowhere to put it as my car is tethered 24/7/365 to a trickle charger in the garage as I don’t drive it enough. It is next door, but I didn’t like intruding and going into the garage to get it and wanted the exercise instead. Global warming is what they said has caused the strange Winter and cold Spring.
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Great Nietzsche quote! 🙂
I used to live in Colon, Michigan, on Long Lake.
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I like that quote too Tom. I had to look up Colon Lake and it is in St. Joseph County. I’ve never been there before. Michigan does have some nice property thanks to their many lakes which sparks their tourism trade.
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Hmmmm.. I think you got the raw end of that deal 😜. I’d much rather be outside working when it’s warm than when it’s freezing… although our temperature swings aren’t quite like yours. Nice quote!
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After this last cold and snowy Winter, I thought so too … the mild Winters and little snow were okay, but this was rigorous this last Winter. I like that quote too – it was how I felt today. Very quiet and peaceful at the Park and happy to be there after five days of rain.
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We get around 150 inches of snow in our area (Northwest lower Michigan) in the winter. I enjoy the colder climate. I melt in heat. We haven’t had much rain this Spring so it’s very dry and the fire danger is “Very High.”
I’m glad your geese are doing well!
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We are getting more rain this weekend – Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon – I’d be pleased to send some your way TJ. We had that fire danger a week ago on day when it was very dry and windy before the five days of rain (5 inches of rain). The geese are doing well … no hissing or wing-flapping today. A good day.
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Whelp, it looks like we’re finally getting your rain. It’s been raining all week. There has been major flooding in Frederick with cars being swept away and roads destroyed! It’s nice to see the sun is back out where you are.
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I heard about a town in Connecticut this morning and a tree that was 100 years old and had some serious damage … plus at one point they suspected a tornado. Yes, the Northeast is now getting what we had (except the tornado). Hard to get traction on this walking regimen Michelle – nice today through Friday afternoon, then a rainy weekend again. It was nice to see the sun today … I’ll make the most of it while it is here. They say this weather is here until the end of May.
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It has been rainy here, but not all day. I’ve still gone out a few times this week during breaks in the rain. 🙂 Tornados in Connecticut is crazy.
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The weather all across the U.S. and even Europe has been crazy this past year. I have to walk around the rain this weekend as it is unpredictable and they keep changing the “rain times” several times already.
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Miss Lind…………………………I’m glad we like the little things
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Yes Ann Marie – sometimes the little things mean the most, don’t they?
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There is nothing better than a nature walk!
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That’s for sure Diane – it clears the head and makes you feel good and at peace.
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In Sweden we got a lot of snow, but in the town I live in we had snow only about two weeks the whole winter! If you drove just a few miles from te city there could be 8-10 inches of snow, very odd, but I didn’t complain about it.😊 I think I had to remove snow from my car 2 or 3 times in the whole wither, and we had dry air so maybe it was ice on the window maximum 10 mornings before I had to drive to work. But the winter was one of the worst winter I can remember, one day 50°F the other day 10°F.
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I was just commenting to a blogger who lives in Maryland about all the rain and ugly weather, because she is also a walker and the Northeast had violent rainstorms and much damage, even a tornado – Connecticut was hit hard. They had a rough Winter for their state. They are now having the rains that we had for so many days. We have rain coming in again Friday through Sunday, but not all day like last weekend. You are lucky you live with the minimal snowfall – that is how it was the past few years before this last horrible Winter. Before that we had the back-to-back Polar Vortexes which caused much damage and I lost most of my perennials and bushes in the backyard … I did not replant them because I figured they had been there since 1985 when I redid the entire yard landscaping – took me an entire Summer of lugging home landscape ties, putting down bark, dirt, planting … and if plants/bushes that were about 30 years old were not established enough to make it, then new plants would not make it either. I had rosebushes that looked half dead, but I cut them to the ground and they did come back, but not like they were. I don’t like to drive in Winter so I try not to take the car out too much. That is because I took the bus to work so many years and now work from home. Here in the States they call me a “Winter Weenie” … a person who doesn’t like to drive in Winter due to the ice and snow. :).
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