I hope we will never be without flowers or butterflies, though I will tell you that this Summer has been devoid of these delicate creatures hovering and flitting about. I’ve seen a couple of Cabbage Whites and that is all. It could be because it’s been such a gray Summer. I rejoiced as not only was it clear, dry and cooler this weekend, but the sun was also out.
Today I planned to return to scenic Elizabeth Park, but then decided, since it was cooler, I’d visit my favorite nature nook and maximize my walking miles instead. With the end of July in sight, this leaves me five months to walk almost five hundred miles – gulp. Of course I must factor in November and December’s often-wintry weather into that equation. I did well today – I walked nearly six miles, and, with yesterday’s total, I added ten miles to my tally this weekend.
Walking through the neighborhoods enroute to Council Point Park was quiet and peaceful. No cars rolled down the street and all I heard was the songbirds twittering, the squirrels chattering and the rhythmic sound of my shoes as they hit the sidewalk while wending my way down to River Drive. It was just 65 degrees, so most homeowners had opened their front doors and/or windows, to give the A/C a break and let the cool, fresh air circulate throughout their homes. Occasionally, the smell of bacon frying or even toast, wafted through the still air, and I sniffed appreciatively as I walked along.
At the Park, there was a handful of walkers, and I started on the trail, only to be met with a trio of squirrels. Well, just like old times! I rounded the bend of the first loop to find a pair of my furry pals scurrying over to see me. I was happy to indulge them in peanuts and noted it was all older squirrels, not a youngster in the pack.
I was pleased to see a young couple walking on the path with two children, while introducing them to Nature’s gifts. The kids, probably about four or five years old respectively, were enjoying themselves as their parents (presumably) pointed out the turtles sunning themselves on a log, then they watched as some fish splashed in the water. The kids giggled when a bullfrog made himself known in the background. They watched me feeding the squirrels, so I had my back-up bag of peanuts and gave it to the kids and said “don’t hand feed them, just toss them out gently.” Their parents thanked me and just then a squirrel came running over, and he noticed two different Ziploc bags – theirs and mine. His head swiveled first to the little boy, then to me, so again I said “just throw some peanuts on the pathway and he’ll come to see you.” The kids weren’t afraid in the least and there were a few squeals of laughter as the squirrel scurried off, clasping two peanuts between his front teeth.
I took no pictures at Council Point Park today, and Parker is still missing in action. Ever since the rogue robin picked on Parker and that fracas of fur and feathers ensued, I’ve not seen my favorite peanut pal. Hopefully he’ll turn up soon.
Today’s post continues yesterday’s trek. Heritage Park has beautiful Coan Lake where the mallards’ reflections cause one to ooh and aah, and historical buildings, like the mill, little red schoolhouse, and even the covered bridge, take you way back in time. This Park has a picnic area and a huge family reunion was taking place under one pavilion as I trekked by on the circular path. It has a woodsy area where you can veer off and disappear from civilization in a heartbeat and you come out on the other side, feeling like you’ve vacationed deep in the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Heritage Park also has vast fields where soccer and baseball games are played; in fact, Heritage Park hosts the annual Junior League World Series next month, where teams arrive from all over the world to compete in Junior League baseball from August 11th through the 19th.
Tucked in the far corner of Heritage Park, next to the Petting Farm, is the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Its many flowers and plants are maintained by a local garden club and those beautiful specimens may be found in the domed Conservatory, the Terrace, Knot Gardens and the Grand Lawn areas. In the Summer they have weekly music fests where people come by to enjoy the blooms and beats by local bands, as well as light fare which is catered in.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, in the many times I’ve been to Heritage Park, it is always on a weekend and there is usually a private event scheduled, so you can’t access the Conservatory and grounds, just the terrace area out front.
But, I lucked out this time because I was able to walk in and enjoy all that this venue has to offer. Toward the end of my stay, they were arranging for a private party and setting out chairs, so the timing of my visit was impeccable!
It was hard to choose which photos to use of my favorite blooms, as there were so many, but here is my pick of some of the beautiful flowers in the Conservatory.
In the Conservatory, the floor consists of paver bricks inscribed with the names of donors and in memory of loved ones.
I liked this cacti dish garden too.
I had hoped the warm sun would bring out more butterflies, but I was lucky to see one Tiger Swallowtail that spent a lot of time in these purple flowers in the terrace area.
I believe this is a Red Admiral that blended right into the leaves and stems here …
… and, just as I walked away it spread it wings to add a little more color to the plant.
Most of the flowers and plants had name tags on them. These flowers are called “Bear’s Britches”:
Many flowers and plants I recognized like these “Snowballs”:
It was an enjoyable way to spend an hour and appreciate Mother Nature’s beauty, a stark contrast to the previous hour spent meandering around the barnyard and checking out the critters at the petting farm. 🙂
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Beautiful
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Thank you.
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You had some lovely shots. I enjoyed your sharing your peanuts with the children.
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Thanks Anne – I liked doing that as these kids really were enthusiastic about what their father was showing them … how to peer between the trees to see the turtles, then they climbed down on the cement landing (you see it where the heron stands) and they had a better view. They were wide-eyed about the fish too. They were getting a kick out the squirrels, so I figured they’d like feeding them. The parents were all smiles. I did it once last year for a little girl named Fatima and she spoke no English and I don’t think her mom did either, but we communicated perfectly. 🙂 I guess I could have linked to this blog post … but it was fun watching her:
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That was a lovely story about Fatima and the squirrels.
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Thanks Anne – she was really cute and sweet. I don’t know if I’ve seen her this year … kids grow up so fast, she’s likely out of the stroller so they may no longer walk there. On the other hand, there is a little girl on a pink two wheeler with training wheels – that may be her.
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How awesome!! That’s great you added so much mileage:). At my school we have class garden boxes and the kindergarten teacher planted a butterfly garden
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I love butterflies and I thought it would come out bigger than it did. It would dive and swoop and was difficult to keep up with it.
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Miss Linda………………………….those were some beautiful close up pictures of the fabulous flowers found right here in Taylor’s botanical Gardens…………….thanks for your tour!
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Glad you liked it Ann Marie – did you take your students here as well when you were still teaching? I know you said you’d been with them to the historical part and also where they decorate with the Santa’s Wonderland – this was very beautiful.
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Beautiful pictures of the flowers.😊 I think it’s quite difficult to photograph flowers so they are doing well in photos, but you’ve been doing great!😊 We have a park in the tivoli park called the health garden. There are several small gardens with different flowers, among other things a rose garden with over 100 different varieties of roses. Have actually forgotten to visit it this year but walked through it since it is located almost in the center of the city.
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It is beautiful there John … there is a lot to see in that Conservatory and you can only see those flowers, many of them tropicals, during the Summer months. The domed Conservatory has no glass so all the plants and flowers have to be relocated once the cooler weather arrives.
The back area is like an English country garden with its hedges and flowers inside. I am glad you like the photos. This was actually my first time taking pictures of flowers – I tried the flower setting on my camera. I liked how the flowers are large but a little blurry in the background. I wish I had close-ups of the butterfly though. In Tivoli Park, are they able to maintain the flowers with the lack of water, or do they have a donor perhaps who is trucking in the water to keep the plants/flowers in good shape? I imagine it is not only a beautiful sight for the City, but also a tourist attraction. Here is a video of the botanical gardens and you can see what I mean about the outer gardens … my photos did not do it justice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtczZ4Ol_I
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I think they can take water from the river, Helge, floating along the tivoli park.
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That’s good as it would be a shame to lose all the flowers and the roses especially. I am glad the City made an exception.
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Wow how gorgeous is the gardens!!!! You are so lucky to be able to visit there!
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Yes it is Diane – and very peaceful as well. There are many private events, and photo shoots for weddings at this spot, so it is rare to be able to get there on a weekend and enjoy the flowers and ambiance. Here is a video that shows how large it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtczZ4Ol_I
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Wow how beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing the link! I want that around my house…lol
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It is impressive isn’t it Diane? Years ago my backyard looked a little like that – I spent hours every day working out there. My mom would say “no one goes in the backyard except you to weed, water and feed the birds/take care of their birdbaths” but I didn’t listen. Then, I finally saw her point and I lost many of my plants and bushes after the first Polar Vortex. It takes forever to maintain a garden like that – the deadheading alone!
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I can tell how peaceful and beautiful it can be! The photos are cool I must say. Thanks
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Thanks Sharon – I am glad you like this post with its beautiful flowers. It is very peaceful. They have benches scattered throughout the back gardens where you can sit and take it all in. This video shows what I could not in my pictures … it is a walking tour through the entire area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtczZ4Ol_I
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Linda- Lovely Park – looking at the Conservatory pictures is it old or modern? In the close-ups, it looks new but in the distant pictures, it looks Victorian.
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Hi Andy – it is not very old, built in 2001. The City of Taylor is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and they added this Conservatory and the gardens out back thanks to donations by our state’s largest energy provider, DTE. The gardens out back with their shaped hedges and flowers inside the hedges resesemble an English country garden. I took several pictures of the back gardens but my photos did not do it justice so I left them off the post. I am going to attach this video so you can see a walk through and these gardens. The domed Conservatory is beautiful but they have no glass or covering for Winter so all the plants and flowers must be removed once it gets cooler; many of the flowers are tropical. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtczZ4Ol_I
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Hi Linda
Your walking goal has really helped you know your community. Your adventures because of your exercise goals are amazing!!! So, 500 miles in 6 months. That’s about 20-ish mikes a week. That’s hard but do-able. Walking allows you experience life more while exercising to the equivalent of a 5 miles walk at the YMCA accomplishes the goal in an hour to an hour and a half. How long does a mile take you to walk?
I need to get back to my exercise goals after surgery.
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Thanks Jennifer … I have had stumbling blocks with the weather this year … so many rainy weekends and we had a late Spring here in Michigan and were still dealing with snow and also sleet up through the end of March/early April. In the past, I have walked in the Winter, when it is clear and ice-free, but I didn’t have many opportunities to do that this year. Sometimes in the Winter, I have to just stay in the neighborhood because the asphalt path at the Park is slippery – it has been known to get black ice as early as mid-to-late October and on the turns on the loops, it is easy to wipe out. Years ago, they had a special plow and brush to clear the perimeter path, but they no longer do that, so on weekends I walk later when the sun has come out and helps to melt some of the ice.
It takes me 20 minutes to go one mile, but I am not hurrying, just walking at a regular pace. I stop to take pictures or feed the squirrels and then it takes a little longer to go one mile.
Hopefully you’re back to those exercise goals and feeling better soon.
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Beautiful flower pics! What an awesome place! 🙂
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It is Tom – you would enjoy it there with so many blooms to photograph up close. My pictures do not really do it justice, especially in the back gardens which are set up like an English garden with the hedges cut into designs and filled with flowers. An aerial view would capture it better, but this photographer did well with a video camera to give you the ambiance in and around the Conservatory. No glass panes … it is all open, so come Fall, the tropicals and all the plants have to be removed. I should have asked where they overwinter them. Like the petting farm, it is somewhere I always wanted to go and finally got the opportunity: is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BtczZ4Ol_I
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another great trip for your self & camera Linda!
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Glad you liked this Wayne – I wish I had hauled out the long lens for that Tiger Swallowtail butterfly though. I figured that butterfly would flit off in the time it took me to get the lens out/changed. It was the first time I used the flower setting on my camera though – I liked how it was clear as a closeup and blurred a little in the background. Baby steps!
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you’ll be shooting on manual soon enough!
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It all takes time – I don’t like to admit to anyone that I took photography classes in the early 80s and used a 35 mm camera for about 3-4 years. The small cruise is scheduled for this Sunday afternoon – they are calling for rain and thunderstorms. I was already apprehensive a little after the duck boat tragedy … I know if that weather report remains the same, I will not be going … maybe next year instead.
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why are you ashamed of your previous photographic work?
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I just didn’t think my recent photos are as good as they could be, given the fact that this was not my first time dabbling in photography. I was not impressed with the farm pics … but when we were talking about photo “boo-boos” the other day, I remembered a big one I did back in 1982. I took a Panama Canal cruise and one day we went to the San Blas Islands. It is a very colorful and picturesque place where the Kuna Indians live. We had to access the island by tender as the cruise ship could not get close enough. I had just bought a wide-angle lens. The island was small, but I wanted the whole island in the picture as they had all these colorful tapestries and fabric hanging on trees … and a beautiful day. Put the lens on, took several pictures, then we were told to get ready to leave the tender, and go onto land. It was wicked hot – maybe temps in the 90s and sun beating down and very humid and it was in October.
I was so hot that I never thought about that wide-angle lens being on and for the entire time we were there, maybe 2-3 hours, here I was snapping pics of the village and their wares, and all the pics were outlined in black when I got them back. I was disappointed and in those days, I could not just crop out the edges … I never did that again. I did get one pic that was representative of the island … the ship’s photographer tagged along on every port visit and he took this picture with two native children which I wrote about in the post: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2016/08/11/island-girl/
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what happened is called “vignetting”.Not sure why it happened?
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Well, if memory serves me right I had a “lens hood” on the lens. When I took the photography classes it was a store that repaired cameras and had classes. They did sell new cameras or accessories, just reconditioned cameras. So they suggested “gear” and lenses to get … I had just bought both the wide-angle lens and the lens hood. Put the lens hood on for the water to keep water reflection away – I think the wide-angle lens “saw” the black hood. It was a dumb thing to do and I never noticed it while taking pictures. Lucky I had the photo in this post that was taken the ship’s photographer. I have pictures of the the fabric – interesting fabric and the women wearing them and it was like going somewhere primitive. Then, I took an entire roll of 24 pictures transitting the Panama Canal. I got up very early to pick a spot on the boat, that was not too hot yet good for taking pictures. It was very hot that day and people taking pictures could stay at their “spot” and the crew would bring around sandwiches or cold drinks so they would not lose their place. The passage took many hours … I took all my rolls of film into a place in my office building that developed film in an hour. Went to pick it up and one of the 9 rolls of film was missing. Only 8 packages of developed pictures. I said “I brought in 9” … they said “8” … I examined the packages and that is the one that was missing, the entire roll of film. I was reimbursed one roll of film as they pointed out the fine print “we are not responsible for lost film, we will reimburse with a like roll of film” … how does a roll of film get lost when it never left the premises?
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incompetence to be honest.People who do not know what they are doing & there are more of them out there than you want to know!
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Yup, and all the time the manager kept pointing to the little piece of paper/receipt that you keep from the envelope and saying “read the disclaimer” (as I raised my voice louder; they no doubt wanted me to shut up so other customers to hear me).
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so you never did find the film eh? I bet someone screwed the entire roll up some how & they threw it out? I use to operate those one hour labs.I can see someone who didn’t know the machine “well” doing something or not doing something.
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No, and I checked every day as I worked in that building. I always thought maybe it fell behind some cupboard or equipment that was not movable, but, what you say makes sense – they screwed up the entire roll. I would have been mad about any roll of film, but that one especially since I never moved the entire transit through Canal to get a bird’s eye view and nice pics. At least I saw the transit.
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yep,somebody screwed up & you know theres no way they are going to admit to it!
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I should have pursued it to the owner of CPI but I probably would have gotten the same song-and-dance about reading the fine print. But, you can bet that I disparaged them to everyone I met. Before the one-hour photo stores began popping up in malls and around town and then being able to go to the drug store to get film processed, I can remember sending our film to Kodak in Rochester, NY.
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the owner would never tell you the truth as it means more money out of his pocket. However,even if it was due to negligence he still would only owe you a new roll of film.They would not provide monies for a new trip.
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It sure teaches you to read the fine print doesn’t it? But who reads the fine print? I dropped off many rolls of film in my day at that store, and I used my pocket camera a lot in those days. I always had it when we visited my grandmother’s house or taking pictures with friends and co-workers. Never did I check the portion they tear off the envelope and hand to you. And I’ll bet that is the same line they give to everyone when something bad happens to their roll of film. Nowadays on social media, people are more careful as they know their the reputation of their business could be ruined by a bad picture or video on social media. We had someone in Detroit post pictures of dirty practices at a fast food chicken place. I’d never heard of the place, not KFC or Church’s chicken, but she took pictures, posted them and the health department shut them down.
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This scenario is very common.If it hasn’t happened to you,your lucky.Back in the day anyone dropping film off sooner or later had a roll or two go missing.Which is code for “we fucked up”! The rolls were damaged by the machine.Did you ever get a roll back damaged (not poorly exposed)……..I doubt it.
The usual mistake made is that someone mixed up the chemicals.They put the wrong chemical.A film requires a series of chemical baths. Usually developer,stop,fix, wash.If you mix up the baths the film is screwed.If they were to hand you the film someone with a trained eye would be able to explain to you what had happened.So you never ever see the film.Your told the film has gone missing & that they will kindly replace the roll for you, all the while smiling.
This scenario is more common than you think.
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Wow – see, since you worked at one of these places, you had hands-on experience. So, some worker had their mind elsewhere and rather than say they screwed up my photos, and lose their job. threw the damaged film away (or hid it in their pocket or purse and took it home and threw it away) then lied. Nice! I had no leg to stand on when I kept saying how many rolls I dropped off (while waving my little stack of receipts from each envelope). The more I insinuated that one cannot lose a roll of film in an in-house developing store, the more they stood firm with their “see the fine print!” Now I know the story 36 years later. Thanks for enlightening me Wayne. I never went back there as you might suspect.
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well…..those days are done at any rate.About the worst they can do now is lose your digital file….but than you can resend so maybe its not that bad.
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Yes. I load all my photos onto Shutterfly on the day I take them and need to weed out the photos I’ve already used on the blog, though there is unlimited free storage there. I also put a copy of all the old albums and scrapbooks images on Shutterfly until I can put them into final order. After that incident, I will take no more chances on things getting “lost”.
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all our pictures will pass just like we will.
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Yes, no one is concerned with who is who, or what is what after we are gone. Sad when you think of it.
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just walk the cemetery & ask where did all the stuff from these people go? The good stuff was taken,the rest thrown out.I suppose all my external drives (12 terra bites) will be wiped & used by someone else.
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Well, you could write a letter and place it with them that they go with you. I hate the idea of someone else having something that I have cherished or have an emotional attachment to, even though I’m not going to use it again. That is a lot of images Wayne … Audubon Society would give their eyeteeth for that treasure trove of images.
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no,I learned a long time ago that we are all just building castles in the sand.
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That’s very well put and true Wayne.
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That was just lovely! So nice to see some colour and green things. What happened to Parker in the fight with the Robin? I didn’t think Robins would pick on squirrels?
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Thank you Joan – that Park is lovely when everything is green. Now it looks desolate. Parker was so scared after that encounter that I didn’t see him for a long time. He was spooked by that robin and I didn’t know robins attacked a critter bigger than them. The first time I thought it was accidental – then I realized it was intentional.
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