As to Spring – we’re not there yet folks, contrary to the fact that I’ve been sneezing my head off, despite decades of allergy shots and popping an OTC Alavert every morning before I head outside. Right now the pollen count is high – the leaf count is not and trees are still bare. I see plenty of maple tree dander scattered on the streets and sidewalks, but leaves have yet to unfurl, with buds still tightly closed.
While we enjoyed a handful of days when temps reached above 70 F (21 C), today our temps dropped like a rock and tonight a wintry precip will arrive. We have it easy though in SE Michigan, nothing like other Midwestern states which will endure blizzards and another bomb cyclone and possibly snow measured in feet, not inches. Winter is stomping its foot and refuses to let go.
A few things appear to smack of Spring as I walked through the neighborhoods. This morning I saw a Robin playing tug of war with a worm who desperately tried to stay put, but eventually gave up and the Robin gave one final tug and went backward a bit, almost cartoon-like.
Likewise, the sun’s rays glinted onto an iridescent trail that showed me the slugs have already begun their slimy journey across sidewalks and driveways. Still missing from that concrete are the chalk art drawings which I like spotlighting in my blog posts – just wait until the kids get pastel sidewalk chalk in their Easter baskets and these budding artists will be out drawing once again.
At Council Point Park, though it is ten days into April, the landscape remains bleak looking.
I did a walk around trying to find a sign of life (other than the critters of course) and pickin’s were slim indeed.
A duo of drab-looking ducks had an early morning swim in the Ecorse Creek.
No sign of life from the turtles and frogs yet. I have my fingers crossed they did not perish like the gizzard shad that died en masse due to lack of oxygen when all the aquatic plants beneath the frozen surface didn’t survive the Polar Vortex.
The water level at the storm drain at Council Point Park is almost to the top after the ice melted and all the rain we’ve had. The mallards usually stay under the storm drain to keep warm in the Winter months. The water level is so high right now, they would bump their heads.
I pity the people who are still dealing with flooding issues from this last bomb cyclone and now will face another one beginning tonight.
The only dribs and drabs of color were found at the memorial trees.
At Erica Sharick’s tree, the tulips were up about six inches – eventually the bright-yellow tulips will bloom the same time as her flowering tree which will erupt into white blossoms.
At James Compton, Jr.’s tree, the vacancy sign remains, with no takers yet. Someone moved the birdhouse and fastened it securely onto a branch – previously it was just wedged between two big branches.
You will recall I’ve spotlighted Brian Skinner’s memorial tree before. Well, since hockey season has ended and the Tigers are playing ball, this tree is now sporting a baseball wreath.
The rest of the Park looks tired and Winter weary right now. Even the trees are looking a little raggedy.
The City needs to organize a clean-up effort for the Creek where there is debris like old fishing tackle tangled up on fallen trees, or even a wayward ball like this one.
I think we all need a pick-me-up as we trudge through April and toward May.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Hey I’m actually seeing this before sleep. I hope you’ve finished work for the day.
I loved the baseball tree. I hope the city do clear the dead stuff. It makes me sad that they’re all broken:( and the water way too murky…
Hope tomorrow is a springier day…
Love light and glitter
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes I posted earlier today – I got caught up last night early so I did all the photos and wrote the post … so it was ready to go tonight much earlier …. I wanted to ensure we were still going to have the wintry precip, which we are. Were you following this blog when I did the other stories about Brian Skinner’s memorial tree? His family changes the wreath every season. If not, I’ll send you the other links. Well today is not bad until overnight – we are not getting what many of the Midwest is getting – it is called a “bomb cyclone”. Someone is cutting their lawn before it snows tonight. 🙂 It hopefully gets warmer on Friday. Love light and glitter back at you – hope I caught you before bedtime.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw some of the other pictures, I doubt I saw all of them.
Hope you finish early again today!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Everything is starting to leaf out around here, and the tulips are almost finished! It’s raining again, but at least there’s some color. Once things start to bud and bloom, you’ll forget all about this grey, drab landscape, Linda!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oddly enough someone is mowing their lawn in advance of this light snow tonight … there is no green grass, but they have a service and probably under contract to start cutting and they won’t be able to cut for the next two days. I am looking forward to a nice Spring Sabine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Won’t take for the green to show and the flowers to bloom. Just a little longer….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll hang on a little longer Kate – we have a wintry precip tonight and the neighbor’s lawn is being cut by their service now as I write this. I guess they must cut before the snow arrives. They say it will stick only on grassy surfaces.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good news. My husband’s kids all live in Denver and they are having a snowstorm with temps in the mid 20s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mother Nature has a bee in her bonnet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She has the whole hive in her bonnet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Linda,
A wintry post in the middle of Spring. But I can see peeks of green through the drab trees. Maybe the storm will pass you by and leave you all alone. Did you see Parker and friends at Council point ?
Also how is Grady and the other squirrel ? And Impy ( no posts about him for long?)?
And the birds- the robins and cardinals?
Susie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Susie – The grass is getting a wee bit green, but not very. More in the neighborhoods because people are fertilizing it. I saw Parker and pals, and Grady when I came home – he was funny, he thought he’d get a peanut and was very late and came around the corner, saw me and just freaked out and ran into the backyard. I called to him but “Grady” doesn’t really register with him – Parker maybe reacts to his name as I call him that so much. I’ve not seen Impy anymore either with that very black nose. I’ve seen cardinals in the trees – easy to spot as the trees are still very bare. The red-winged blackbird got peanuts – he flits from tree to tree. The robins can finally pull worms and grubs out of the ground as it thawed with the recent warm temps and rain. Mother Nature has a real bad attitude this Spring!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wondered how ragged your trees could be, and then I saw all the photos. Impressive, messy trees!
Keep us posted on your bit of the storm. Hope it won’t be bad.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those trees are really bringing down the appearance of the Park. In the past we had a mayor who organized a clean-up effort twice a year for this Park. This was before I began walking there. Not only that, the Boy Scouts helped with a clean-up effort as well. I do understand there has to be some fallen logs in the Creek to help shelter turtles, frogs and even fish, from waterfowl who are looking to make a meal out of them, but the banks of the Creek and the debris really should be taken care of. This nature nook is a gem for the City – it is right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I lived here 47 years before I knew it existed, because you could drive right by it and think it is just a playground and soccer and baseball fields. They were celebrating the 250th anniversary of an Indian tribe’s landing at the Park and I heard about it on the radio and went to investigate – I thought “where have I been all these years? I don’t know what is wrong with those two trees with the strange-looking bark. It must be diseased with that bark peeling off – they are not birch trees. Everything looks drab right now – not just there but in the neighborhoods, with the exception of crocuses, snowdrops and a few daffodils. How the daffodils made it this far, I have no idea. We did not get any wintry precip, or it melted already, so I will walk this morning – as for Robb … he is still headed to the Upper Peninsula tonight after work and told me yesterday the Mackinac Bridge may close and he may have to spend the night in the Lower Peninsula and cross the Big Mac Bridge tomorrow morning.
LikeLike
Spring is coming. Really, it is!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll hold you to that Anne!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The park all looks very drab Linda….but at least it’s not white…..yet! My lawn grass is greening now but I don’t see any leaf action on the trees here. I had to take my mother to London for an eye appointment on Monday and there wasn’t a sign of green anywhere along the highway.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, that is one good thing Joni. Hopefully you did not get any snow as a result of the tail end of this bomb cyclone either. I looked out this morning, expecting to see a snowy covering on grass and bushes as they predicted, but there was nothing, just damp, so it must have melted overnight. I will be able to venture out for a walk, maybe just in the neighborhoods as the temps got low last night and it may be slick at the Park. Usually by this time of year, you can count on better weather – I am mindful of other Midwestern states and their snow measured in feet, not inches and I am grateful we did not get this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to laugh at your description of the robin and the worm having a tug of war. This morning I watched out of my patio door, where I have a planter with chives growing. I let the planter out all winter and the chives come back every spring. Anyway, the robin was fishing worms out of the planter, one after the other. The planter was filled with potting soil from a bag, not garden soil! The deck is on the second floor. How did the worms get in there? Beats me, but that robin sure found them!
It would be fun to take some pictures of the same spots in the park that are drab-looking now in 2 months just for comparison.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like watching those robins digging for worms too Laurie. They will stay at it, and I have sometimes stopped to watch as they almost appear to have a scowl on their faces the longer it takes them to get that worm. Have you ever been walking or running and you’ll see a big, juicy worm with a robin guarding it? The robin will see you coming and it is afraid of you, yet is looking forward to eating that worm and so it will guard that worm and scowl at you from a respectable distance. I have written about it in blog posts before, as well as how I have warred with the robins when they insist on building their nests in the coach light over my front door and their wet mud, grass and poop will fall down onto the mailbox lid and my head when I open the door.- it is quite a mess and I will tear it down, only for them to build it back up in a matter of hours … the robins will glare at me when I walk outside. How did the worm get to the second floor pot of chives? Maybe a robin carried a pregnant worm there one time and put it there for safekeeping, or there were baby worms in the potting soil? I think the compare and contrast would be fun – I’ll use this post and something new and colorful in about a month (hopefully one month’s time will do it). I took pictures of a fork on the road at the beginning of the walking path over the course of four season and featured it in this old post as the header picture: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2015/02/07/me-myself-and-i-one/
LikeLike
Dear Miss: “Pick-me-up”……………………………..yes I do have to admit our first steps into spring are still dull and drab looking…………………………..but everywhere I see green plants growing……………..and just one or two trees have large buds on them……………………we’re getting there……………………..I can’t wait
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t wait either Ann Marie – why do we seem so impatient this year, because Winter was overlong, or it was cold back in the end of September? I know I never shut off the outside tap or put the hose in the garage in late September before, nor have I had snow on the rosebushes in early November. I have not even looked to see if there is a sign of life after the Polar Vortex. You might remember a few years ago I thought the rosebushes were goners and I cut them down to the ground in anticipation of yanking them out – they rallied back. Hope they are fine. We will get a walk in this morning – no snow but just damp conditions – any snow must have melted overnight.
LikeLike
It’s almost here! My daffodils are blooming, my red bud trees have buds and our grass is green! Another sentimental memorial tree in the park.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, these relatives/friends of Brian Skinner are diligent about maintaining his tree and swapping out wreaths to go with the seasons. I saw daffodils in the neighborhood and wondered how they made it considering how cold it’s been. My grass is not green yet, but I don’t fertilize it, so that’s probably why. You have Spring erupting around you – still dismal looking here, but no snow this morning – yay for that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like you’re having a late spring, hope it arrives soon. Best of luck with the allergies as well, hope you get the good weather but without the high pollen count.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our Spring is very late getting here Clare and we had an early Fall – late September we had a hard freeze and I don’t recall that ever happening.
We were promised an El Nino Winter – it was anything but that, though we did not have as much snow as last year. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a nice Spring. I have a few 5Ks I want to walk in and I’m reluctant to sign up for them/pay in advance in case we have a rainy Spring/Summer like last year – several of those 5Ks were torrential rain and I didn’t walk in them. Do you walk in the rain Clare? I am trying to change my ways and walk in the rain (in warmer weather) but will take some getting used to. I took the bus for years and had to deal with bad weather so I’m reluctant to start that business of walking in bad weather again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For everyday walking, to the shops for example, my car too often tempts me when it’s bad weather. If I go for a long walk in the countryside, I try to remember my waterproof trousers, as well as my waterproof jacket. It’s not very nice to be out in the middle of nowhere with no waterproofs and the rain is pouring down! I think it depends how much I want to go, whether I’m going with someone else and how bad the rain is. Drizzle is fine but I’m certainly not keen on a heavy downpour!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am going to have to change my ways, because torrential downpours aren’t for me (like we have today) but I’ll need to learn to like a light rain.
Otherwise there will be fewer walks, and, like you, I’ve set a goal and I sure won’t make it, not to mention going without the joy of walking. I have the shoes now, but must see what I have that is waterproof enough to withstand the rain and keep me dry or get something else – we still have temps just above the freezing mark and I’m not going to walk in that in the rain either. Must be a little warmer. I have now signed up for three charity 5K events this year … just hoping they are not torrential rains that day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bummer that your allergies are kicking in! I love how you ended the post with Wilson – that’s too funny! Hope the storm we’re getting misses you!!! Stay warm :-)!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, all these years of shots and still sneezing. But I would recommend allergy immunotherapy to anyone who has allergies as this will subside and I used to be much worse before I started. Stay safe during your storm Shelley – I hope this is Winter’s last gasp as it bullies Spring once again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I lucked out on the allergy scene. My youngest has allergies, though, but not bad enough to need shots. We’ve been safe, it has been rough, but we’re glad its over! (WE HOPE!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s lucky he did not need the shots. My grandmother had them for years for Summer allergies. Stay safe Shelley!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, you too!
LikeLike
Too cool and windy here today. Our little dog, Lola, didn’t even want to walk around the yard on a leash. I really don’t know how the butterflies that have emerged early can stand it?! Super-unnatural winds!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t blame Lola Tom. I heard those winds buffeting the house and it is supposed to be that way on Sunday as well. This new norm for weather has me shaking my head. It is the constant extremes – you think the mild weather is here, then the temps drop 20+ degrees and you have snow. We have an inch of rain coming Sunday along with the winds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Expect far more erratic weather in the future. And many say that there is no such thing as climate change (due to man). I feel very sorry about what young children are going to face.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gone are those easily identifiable four seasons we have become accustomed to in the Midwest for most of our lifetime. I am a weather worrier and these more frequent tornadic conditions in our state (three nearby in 2018 alone), plus this last Polar Vortex, sent me into a tailspin quite frankly. Sometimes, sad to say, youth is not in our favor Tom.
LikeLike
Such lovely photos and interesting reading. I have nominated you for a sunshine blogger award, thankyou for your support and friendship.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked the photos and narrative Mirian and thank you for nominating me for this award as well. I have enjoyed getting to meet you and read your tales with the children and otherwise. 🙂
LikeLike
Sorry Linda,that ain’t “Wilson” as its a basketball. Must be his cousin “Willard”?
LikeLiked by 2 people
It was actually a white-colored ball Wayne so I don’t know if it was a basketball and weathered from being in the Creek all Winter or a different kind of ball. No hand print so it wasn’t “Wilson”, but being his cousin “Willard” works for me!
LikeLike
I recognize the pattern,Its a basketball guaranteed!
LikeLike
Well it must have faded due to Winter, though it was still inflated, you’d think it would have deflated from the brutally cold conditions we had this past Winter. It did not just land there – it was too dirty, maybe came from another body of water though. I have removed the reference altogether from the post because guess what? Wilson was a volleyball! Who knew? And who would have thought it was on Wikipedia? A volleyball would likely not make it to this Park as it is not a beach-type park. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_Away#Wilson_the_volleyball
LikeLike
it looks like its got covered in mud.On the really cold days during the winter it would of deflated somewhat but with the warming of the Spring it would resume its size as the air expanded.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really – see I would have thought that cold air (when we had a whopping -45 windchill) would have deflated it for good. It was too dirty to have just gotten there recently – another one of life’s mysteries!
LikeLike
yes,it would of deflated but how much is the question? Once it warms back up the ball would resume its original size.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just remembered that I wrote about a ball floating in the water before … I called it a basketball and I referred to this as a friend of Wilson’s … thought this was funny as I must’ve looked on Wikipedia as I referred to Wilson as a volleyball. Maybe my brain was less cluttered in those days – the picture is up top – in those days I usually only used one picture: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2015/08/20/i-wonder-if-this-is-one-of-wilsons-pals/
LikeLike
Let’s hope spring will spring soon there as it makes all the difference when nature comes alive. I love the baseball wreath. How uniquely special ❤❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so too Zena – we’re getting an all-day rain Sunday, so that will “feel” like Spring anyway. The northern suburbs will be getting snow, not us though – whew! The memorial wreath for Brian is really nice and his loved ones sure put a lot of effort in keeping that memorial tree cheery looking and well kept.
LikeLike
Hey, I think there is a clean up effort for the city of Ecorse coming up unless it passed already there is on in may. Where they are doing the creeks. Hear say but either way it sounds like a good time Fishing for trash.. they are also doing this on the big river.
those Memorial Tree’s are very cool looking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I saw it on your blog or your Facebook site about Fishing for trash. That would be good if Ecorse does the creeks on that day. The former mayor in Lincoln Park (Pat Krause, a woman) had an organized clean-up campaign plus the boy scouts did something as well. I wish more people did their memorial trees – this one guy gets a new wreath for every sports season. The family just took down the Red Wing wreath.
LikeLike