Summer marches on … but not for much longer. How many days ’til Fall arrives?
People may be sipping pumpkin lattes and assembling harvest décor for their front porches, but the weather here in Southeast Michigan belies the fact that Fall is just around the corner. The 7:00 a.m. weather forecast reported a real-feel of 77 degrees and 91 percent humidity.
These days, merely stepping outside is akin to being on a tropical island like singer Jimmy Buffet croons about. So, I wore the lightest clothing I had, and, as I stepped out the door, the humidity enveloped me, just like those filmy spider webs that suddenly appear overnight in late August and September and their sticky filaments settle onto your body. Yikes – I hate that feeling!
So, I was conflicted … do I go to the grocery store to walk where it is cool and perhaps pick up the fixin’s for a coconut bra and grass skirt, or, do I go to the Park and melt into a pool of sweat?
Well, I opted for the latter and pointed my feet in the direction of Council Point Park.
There was a passel of furry pals from the moment I stepped onto the perimeter path. The dew was so heavy that every squirrel that had romped through the grass came over to greet me with a soaking-wet snout and paws. That’s okay, I wasn’t bending down to pet them.
I walked three loops, then began to head for home, and, before I left, I am sure I had fed them all. One of the young’uns grabbed a peanut, then hustled over to the soccer field and began digging furiously. At a glance, his posture, with the slender tail curved into a graceful shape, reminded me of the flamingo yard ornament I pass daily in the neighborhood.
Well, it sure feels tropical enough for a flurry of flamingos to descend on the Park.
As to my furry friends, I counted noses for those squirrels I can identify like Parker, Stubby and Midnight. Everyone was present and accounted for, as are my human friends who have endured Florence, whether as a hurricane, high-powered winds, flooding or torrential rains. Cheryl and Anne in North Carolina and Margaret in South Carolina all came through without incident; Evelyn had some flooding at her home in Richmond, Virginia. We might get a little rain Friday, the tail end of a devastating natural disaster.
Meanwhile … I have to crow about my mileage as it’s been awhile since I gave you a tally. As of today, in 2018 I’ve walked 776 miles and have 275 more miles to go to reach my year-end goal (1,051 miles). I’ve walked my socks off and hope the weather cooperates as the days get shorter.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
As far as i’m concerned, it’s fall now. Some trees are already losing their leaves here.
I used to live (for a little while) on Long Lake in Southern Michigan (near the town of Colon). Pretty area! 🙂
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Tom – today at Council Point Park I saw some leafy weeds along the water with more red leaves than green. Our July drought causes a lot of leaves to fall already. We’ve not had rain for over a week now and it got to 90 day! At least it cools off tomorrow and a cold front will get us to the 60s this weekend.
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That mileage is great! How did you set your goal number?
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Thanks AJ – always one more mile than the year before, HOWEVER, for 2017 my goal was 755 miles (I walked 754 miles in 2016). We had a lovely warm Fall and I kept walking and walking all the way through the second week of December when we had a snowstorm. I made the 1,050 mile goal because it looked like I would get to 1,050 blog posts by year-end, so thought it would be fun to make that my goal. I never expected to get that far last year … to get to 1,050 miles, After the snowstorm, I walked laps in the Park two blocks by my house … no asphalt path just walked on the grass to get it done. Council Point Park does not plow or sweep the pathway unfortunately and it is not always safe walking in the neighborhood as people don’t always clear the snow or there is ice. At least it is safe walking on grass, as long as you don’t step in a dip in the grass.
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Wow that’s a great way to make the goal:) I’m not good about making goals for stuff
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This year I am kicking myself for that large goal last year. I’d have not been scrambling so much if we had not had so many icy or snowy days in late March and April and many days of torrential rain. I’ll blame Mother Nature if I don’t make my goal. 🙂
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I am positive you will make your goal! There is always the grocery store:)
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That’s right – I almost went there this morning but decided to touch it out … I will keep my fingers crossed. My mini-goal for the end of September is 800 so unless the weather is ugly I should be able to get there.
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Yay for goals! I can’t make them as I become absolutely obsessed
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I was really obsessed last year … I decided I HAD to get 1,050 posts and 1,050 posts by 12/31/17 and nothing would stop me. I really took advantage of this last 8-9 days without rain … we have rain over the next two days and hopefully it is not in the morning as I’ve been really busy at work lately and not always getting out of here before 6:15 or so. By the time I get dressed and out the door, I wouldn’t get much of a walk before it is dark.
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Yes it’s difficult now to get a walk or run in during daylight
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I don’t like going out in the dark … not safe, so the sun is getting up later ever day – I am already looking forward to the time change on November 4th.
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I am too! Though then I bemoan it being dark so early😖
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That’s true too, see once I’m home from walking or errands, etc., I’m home for the day. I start work at 11:00 and usually leave around 5:30-6:00, depending on what’s going on. But when I worked downtown and took the bus I hated when I’d leave work at 5:00 p.m. and it was already dark and then walking home from the bus stop – just a few blocks, but still. Crime in the City probably happened back then, but it was nothing like it is today.
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I just live in a wooded area so it’s literally too dark to run without tripping over roots
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Yes, you’re right, you might hurt yourself. When I was on that nature trek a few weeks ago, one of the woman in the group tripped over something on the trail and fell down hard. One of the other guides came in her own car and took her back to her car so she didn’t have to walk. There were large roots all across that trail. You need a miner’s light to help when it is dusk!
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I did have a headlamp, but it stretched out and I haven’t gotten into the city to get another yet
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You know I was kidding – I did not know runners wore headlamps – I know the lights on the shoes or fluorescent clothing … that is a good idea to use one of those.
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Oh ya- don’t go out in the winter without it:)
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Good idea – I would have never thought of that.
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It works great!
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Dear “I walked my socks off’………………………………………..I preferred you to have chosen the…”coconut bra and grass skirt”…………………………………
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Ha ha – At least I would not have been as hot and might have been able to walk another mile or two Ann Marie!
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I loved your pictures of the squirrel and flamenco. Those curves are remarkably similar.
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Thanks Anne – I was hoping I was not the only one who saw that resemblance. People might be wondering about my credibility otherwise. 🙂
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You Go girl!
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Thanks Fred – I hope to get this goal done, but we’ve had so many totally rainy days (torrential rain), a late Spring arrival after 62 inches of snow, all which has wreaked havoc with me since January 2018. By mid-to-late October, you have to watch for black ice on the asphalt path, so another consideration as well. I’m willing if Mother Nature cooperates.
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miles clicking up. 👍👍
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Hopefully the rain and snow stay at bay to get ‘er done.
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Yeah for your achieving your goals and the positivity radiating throughout your post. You did it despite the weather. And all the snouts and furry paws are accounted for- what could be better ?
Susie
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This is true Susie – I did another five miles this morning and I hope rain does not get into the way for tomorrow or Friday morning. I am going full steam ahead right now. I have to count noses every day … I was walking home today and a squirrel in the neighborhood came bouncing over to see me. I sometimes feed him if he is out and about and I guess he recognized me. So he comes streaking out of the tree, bounding over … I gave him some peanuts and he ran into the middle of the street (must be a squirrel thing) … I shouted “no, come back here” … so he did, but the truck, a huge pickup truck, probably sensing my angst stopped anyway. 🙂
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There are good people in the world, Linda.
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Has walking your socks off forced you to go barefoot? I love going barefoot in the grass when the weather is warm. A coconut bra and grass skirt might make an interesting blog post might even go viral. LOL.
Congratulations on so many miles Linda. That is very impressive.
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No barefoot yet for me Ruth, but I am so scared of bugs that I would be afraid to go barefoot anyway You are brave! I am okay with worms, and most bugs, but centipedes and spiders just terrify me, inside and outside of the house. Right now, all those sticky webs that the big garden spiders build from tree to tree, have me looking up as I walk along the sidewalk, and the path at the Park. I thought it would be an interesting look too – next year so I have a whole year to get that outfit together. Parker would not recognize me … he’d scratch his head “who is that?” We had a cool day today, but we knew that was coming and now two more hot days and cool again. Thank you and I hope to make that year-end goal unless bad weather interrupts the walking regimen. Last year I was walking til that first snowstorm in December, around the 9th or 10th and then it was all downhill from there and I walked at the Park two blocks away – just laps in the snow, but got ‘er done.
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I think Parker would know you as long as you had your bag of peanuts. LOL!
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I think so too Ruth – he is a “man on a mission”. 🙂
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I vote for coconut bra and grass skirt! We (finally) are having a lovely day. Moderate temps with low humidity. Hopefully it will last for a few days.
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I’ll work on that over the Winter Kate so it is ready for next Summer. 🙂 We had a nice day today as well – it was enjoyable to walk this morning, but two more hot days are coming starting tomorrow.
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Oh, there he is, our lil’ squirrel!
That is some serious mileage!!! Congrats, Linda! And I love that flamingo- so cute.
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Yes, he’s a cutie for sure. Thanks Mackenzie – each year I try to best the year before. Last year I only needed 755 miles, but we had a beautiful Fall and I kept on walking and walking. Hopefully I did not bite off more than I can chew. If the weather cooperates I think I can do it.
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You can dooo it! So inspiring, truly!
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I’m hoping so Mackenzie – right now a torrential rain out there … my feet get a rest today … hopefully tomorrow it is better weather. This is an all-day soaker.
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I can’t believe how far you have managed to walk! That’s an amazing achievement. 🙂 xxx
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Thanks Heather – I am hoping I can reach my goal – if Mother Nature does not have any tricks up her sleeve, like a lot of snow or ice, I think I can do it. We had a beautiful Fall last year, so I really racked up the miles and I always try to beat the year before by one mile. Push, push push … that is thanks to many days where we had torrential rain and I never ventured out, so miles were lost.
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Great mileage! I know it will be harder to keep up in the winter, but you don’t lack motivation! I love the curve of the squirrel tail and the flamingo!
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Thanks Janis – I am hoping a nice warm Fall will make up for our lackluster weather this entire year. My goal last year was just 755 miles and the weather was great so I kept walking and walking until the first snow storm around the 9th or 10th of December. Then things went downhill. But I wanted to get to 1,050 blog posts by year end and decided to match the mileage as well so I really pushed myself. I saw that squirrel tail and thought it looked just like the flamingo in the ‘hood – had to post those two pictures!
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Well done on that mileage. How amazing ❤
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Thanks Zena. I hope to keep pushing on – yesterday morning’s rain was unfortunate but I guess we did need the rain, despite all the rain we’ve had this Summer; we have had some horribly hot days.
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If I was you I would feel guilty if I didn’t make it to the park to feed your friends. I think if I went to the store to walk I would still stop by the park just to feed them…hahahahaha
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I should do that, however … on the weekends, I have to tell you that I will stop at the Park after I visit another Park and look around for my pals … sometimes they are already gone to other places in the Park, but I do make an appearance. 🙂
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I knew it…..lol
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I’m such a softie … translation: sucker, for those big brown and pleading eyes!
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Your mileage – WOW! Well now I *FEEL* like I’ve walked that far – since my bf came to live with me we’ve had to go out and do tons of errands and stuff, with no car. Lots of walking, buses, metro etc. etc. Whew, so tired! But in a good way! 😀
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That’s good Ellie and once he gets all settled in, would he be interested in a daily walking regimen with you? How is your finger doing?
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