Who has not clutched a “bouquet” of these sunny-looking “wildflowers” in a chubby fist, then presented them to Mom when you were a kid? I think we’ve all done that at some point. For me, it was dandelions in Springtime and buttercups later in the Summer.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, when I was two years old, my parents and I moved from an apartment in Toronto to Sandmere Place, a cul-de-sac in a new subdivision in Oakville, Ontario. The area around was still undeveloped and at the end of our street, there was a huge meadow where neighborhood children would play. There was a creek where we’d scoop up tadpoles which became pets until they grew legs, then they were put back into the creek again. We frolicked like young colts, thriving in nature, as we flew kites, played tag, sipped sweet clover blossom nectar and picked wildflowers. To us, dandelions, buttercups and even Queen Anne’s Lace were flowers, not weeds. My mom was ready to accommodate the “bouquet” with a wide, Red Rose sweet pickle jar, or a tall, skinny apple butter jar.
Every year when dandelions dot the lawns and Park grounds, I have fond memories of presenting a dandelion gift to Mom all those decades ago.
We’re having a week of gray, gloomy and rainy weather again, although this morning was an unexpected treat as it was sunny when I headed out. The wind has knocked the petals off many of the magnolias and flowering trees, and the pounding rain has left the daffodils and tulips less than perky. I sure am glad I sauntered out the door without a care in the world last Saturday and Sunday. The dust and disorderliness can wait … the older I am, the more I understand the phrase “Carpe Diem” or seize the day.
These are a few dandelion and fuzzy friends photos from Sunday. Looking at them reminds me that sunny days do exist in Michigan amidst all these soggy Spring days … sigh.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Skip spring and get right to that Michigan Humidity!
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Ha ha – you remember that Michigan humidity – last year we had it by Memorial Day. Ugh – like the Dog Days of August!
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It scares me… The very though of breathing in my daily water, lol.
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I think I’ll move to West Virginia. 🙂
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It’s a nice happy middle. Still gets hot.. but not nearly as much humidity. Gets cold but barely any snow. I think we got maybe an inch that stayed 4 days (?)This year.
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I would like that – our weather is terrible. Flooding everywhere and it’s made the national news – unbelievable with 14 feet of water at the Southfield Expressway at Outer Drive last week. Water receded and 5 vehicles at the bottom! Most of the lakes, rivers and streams will flood again tomorrow after our torrential rain tomorrow. West Virginia sounds great to me!
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Uhg, it floods bad here also in parts. You have to look around for the high lands. Mountain state, flat Land is hard to find (that won’t flood) and of course it’s a coal state reaching for that poverty stick. So it has its drawbacks. But it is beautiful here. We like it… our little town of Kenova is quiet. No more big city gunshots or 10 feet of snow
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It all sounds good – the snow was not as bad as last year (62 inches) but Winter lingered on and on and we are still in the 40s except for the occasional warm day. And we had that Polar Vortex with the 45 degree below zero wind chill. I think my roses did not survive, not a bit of green on them, though they looked bad after the Polar Vortex about four years ago. I’ll have to cut them to the ground and see what I can do with them. The rain has been constant – just not the Michigan Springs you’d remember – those are long gone.
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Yeah, the weather is so messed up everywhere. Scares me…
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Me too – worldwide too.
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Maybe even seize the moment. The weather is so erratic every sunny minute counts.
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You know I actually always thought that expression meant “seize the moment” and when I went to check I spelled it right, it said “seize the day” … I remember doing expense accounts when I worked at the ad agency and the writers and art directors got a “per diem” for each day’s meals, but I have always thought otherwise. I do feel like you must just enjoy yourself when the opportunity presents itself with this weather lately. The constant gray and gloominess saps your spirit after our over-long and cold Winter. We have to enjoy each good weather day because it seems they are few and far between.
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Miss Linda…………………………….those are Picture Post Cards the close-ups of Mr. Parker by the dandelions………………………….I enjoyed them……………….thank you
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Thanks Ann Marie – sometimes the dandelions are really beautiful, especially after such a drab Spring that we’ve had and all the rain. Glad you liked Mr. Parker sittin’ pretty in the dandelions.
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Linda, your childhood memories sound so much like mine. We did have so much freedom in those days, didn’t we? We were freer to roam and explore than kids are today. We were lucky!
I agree with you -dust and disorder can wait. There are parks to explore and squirrels to feed! 🙂
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Yes Laurie – the kids in the neighborhood went down to this meadow and played and no one escorted us down there, we just walked, on our own, or as a group. No worries about getting abducted, stranger danger – none of that. Pure, simple fun. I’m glad for those memories. Today I had a great time at the Park – the first gosling sighting of the year, so there went some walking steps to ooh and aah at the goslings for awhile. In fact, I was trying to take a picture when some hungry squirrels got impatient with me for ignoring them in favor of the goslings. Oops!
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Those squirrels will let you know when they need attention!
I think one of the best things about the way we spent our childhoods is that we had to learn to work out our differences. There were no adult referees. Kids had to learn to solve their own problems. Now parents (or other adults) swoop down to solve all of the problems for the kids. They don’t have to learn.
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I agree with you Laurie and I listened to a talk show recently where a child psychologist stated that parents are interfering so much that many young adults don’t have a clue how to function without a “game plan” anymore. They mentioned that at competitive events for elementary and middle school children, whether they are scholastic or sports related, teachers find it necessary to reward kids for just showing up, even when no ribbon or award is merited. Otherwise the kids go into a tailspin and feel inadequate and part of this “reward system” is because the parents feel it is needed for their kid’s well being. That’s sad in my opinion.
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Lovely photos of dandelions, fuzzy friends and sunny days! I didn’t know squirrels ate dandelions. Around here, I often see them munching on pine cones to harvest pine nuts.
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Thanks Rebecca – yes, Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. Those are rare any more. The dandelions came out overnight, so maybe they were not only something to munch on, but a novelty … until the peanuts came along. I’ve seen them munching on pine cones too. We have quite a few evergreens in the Park and they hold them in their paws – so cute.
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Did your mom ever have dandelion greens salad? I made that and it wasn’t bad at all! I still want to try dandelion wine. Did she ever make that?
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No my mom didn’t make dandelion greens nor any type of meal that had flowers in them either. Nor dandelion wine. But a school friend of mine back in the day, his parents made dandelion wine all the time. Wonder if it is bitter?
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I would think so, I will let you know IF I ever find time to try it…lol
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If we don’t hear from you in awhile Diane, we’ll know you made a batch and like it a lot. … a whole lot 🙂
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In that second photo Parker looks like he is eating a dandelion! I remember looking for tadpoles in the pond in the spring, and flying kites. We’ve had lots of brisk winds this spring, I wonder if anyone flies kites anymore?
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I saw that too when I uploaded the photos and Rebecca noticed it too. It was the first day they were out, so it is possible he was eating them. (Perhaps to show how hungry he was and needed peanuts!) The dandelions were everywhere. I never see kids flying kites anymore, and this Creek at the Park is really brown and murky looking and not somewhere where you would want to dip your jar into … I am surprised the birds can find the fish in there to eat. We had fun in those days. We are having bad storms early a.m. and tomorrow afternoon. Going to go to bed and unplug the computer. I got some pictures at the park today of the goslings so hope it is not storming as I want to upload them for a quick post on Friday. Good night Joni.
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I wondered if the dandelion was right behind him, and it just looked like he was eating it? Good night Linda!
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That could be true too – now I’m leaving, I put the news on for the weather. They were giving “birthdays” … Melissa Gilbert from “Little House on the Prairie” (loved that show) is 55. Half-Pint is 55 – where did the years go?
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That does make me feel old. Good Night!
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Now I’m off too! Good Night!
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I grew up in a small town and we played all over the place in vacant lots and untamed backyards. Like you, dandelions, buttercups, and Queen Anne’s Lace were vase-worthy flowers. I rarely even see any of those plants anymore.
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I don’t remember seeing buttercups in decades Ally and I thought maybe they were just something that flourished in Canada. I’ll bet you never had issues with ticks either – nowadays if you walk through foot-high grass, you have to worry about ticks and West Nile virus too. We’ve had several deaths from West Nile mosquito bites in recent years. I think we all were made of sturdier stuff back in the day.
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Portraits of Parker — lovely!
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Thanks Anne – he sure is cute sometimes and is like having a pet trailing around behind you.
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Dandelions are so fun – I remember them as a kid and I loved it when my kids would bring me bouquets. And we’d give each other dandelion kisses on the cheeks – the pollen rubs off on the skin and leaves yellow kisses. I have a picture of each of my kids, at 1 year of age, sitting in the yard in a patch of dandelions, just like how you captured Parker – they were cute too! 😉
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That’s a sweet story Shelley – you should write about it; it would make a nostalgic post, maybe for Mother’s Day and besides … you love the color yellow, an even better reason! I like seeing a carpet of dandelions in a park, a never-ending sea of yellow.
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Aw, thanks for the idea, Linda! 🙂 I appreciate you remembering my love of yellow, too!
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I think it would be fun and meaningful for you to do a post, this year, or another year for Mother’s Day- yup, you like yellow, just like Trail Walker Carolyn whom I follow – she is a photographer who lives in Ohio and loves her yellow birds and in her comments mentions she is “partial to yellow” as well. See this post of this beautiful warbler: https://skip22037.com/2019/05/08/warblers-have-arrived/
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You’re right – it could be a nice theme for the day. Hopefully, I’ll find some dandelions in the yard before Mr. mows them down! LOL! Thanks for the link – you’re right, Carolyn, captured some beautiful shots of the birds!!
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Hopefully you’re lucky, if not next Spring – we’ll always have dandelions. They mowed at the Park this morning and where they had mowed, every dandelion was sheared off. It looked like a different Park. It scared the critters off – I saw the geese and goslings out in the water and no one else was there. Likely the noise as they have about 4 riding mowers going at one time.
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Ours are starting to pop up now, I should have plenty to see during the day today. Aw, those little guys must be so fun to see! Even if they’re hiding from the noises of the mowers.
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Hope you find some – I have some on the lawn, more violets than anything.
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Yes, today there should be more, yesterday a few popped up but not a yellow yard full yet.
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They will back in full force again! You can have an “evergreen” post to use any time since you are using old pictures. We have a very ugly day today – using it to be productive inside (for a change).
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I agree – that is such a nice memory 😉
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Aww always love hearing your stories !!
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Beautiful photos of the dandelions and squirrel (Parker?) the fur colors are so pretty
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And linda, such a nice childhood memory 💛
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Thanks Yvette – I think our childhood memories are golden, like these dandelions. 🙂
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😊
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Cute squirrels!
https://nataliesdailylife.wordpress.com/
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Thank you – glad you liked them.
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I didn’t know squirrels ate dandelions…
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I didn’t either Daisy Dust – it may be an optical illusion and the dandelion is behind his paw. I am not sure and some other people remarked on that too – I can’t see him eating something bitter like a dandelion to be honest.
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Adorable squirrel pictures, Linda! I imagine that squirrels would eat dandelions. I watched ours up in a wild apple tree eating the buds and blossoms. When I mentioned it to a birdwatcher, she said she’s seen them do it too.
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Glad you liked them Sabine. Those bright-yellow dandelions seemed to light up the Park and they were everywhere. I thought Parker looked very cute amongst them. I guess the squirrels get used to foraging if no peanuts are around and they live in the neighborhoods – some of those dandelions are bit too – they’d provide lots of nourishment.
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Yes, they dandelions are nutritious and the greens make a great addition to a salad. They taste rather bitter! There are red and green dandelion greens available where I shop. Squirrels are smart to eat them!
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Interesting – I didn’t know they were red as well. I didn’t realize they were that nutritious – someone mentioned in a blog post that they were good for liver function.
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Yes the are good for liver function and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. The darker the leaves, the more nutritious they are!
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Very interesting – someone who visited the Park could get a lot of dandelions there, though I see some of them are starting to go to seed already.
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I don’t know if I’d want to eat them from a park. I’d worry about spraying, and also dogs and other critters in the grass. One thing’s for sure, there probably won’t ever be a shortage of these bright yellow flowers!
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No, I wouldn’t eat them from a park either, and to be honest, not from my front or backyard either. Lots of squirrels and birds for sure – if you didn’t spray in our own yard, maybe if you really washed them well? I’ll bet they grow the dandelions in hothouses or under pristine conditions for those purposes of salad greens and/or wine.
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With all the critters coming through here, I think store bought is probably better. I’ve plucked some young leaves when they occasionally pop up in the raised beds. And in the summer we have a bunny that comes through and feasts on them! I wouldn’t want him to go hungry! 😉
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Ha ha – yes, the bunnies love chewing on the green stuff. I bought bleeding hearts for my mom years ago – two plants to make it full and for my mom as her birthday was Valentine’s Day. Bunnies ate them, first stripping off the hearts, then the rest of the green. Stupid me, tried again the next year and the same thing happened … no more bleeding hearts in the yard after that!.
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My bleeding hearts are out front and doing well. I guess no bunnies there!
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The Lincoln Park, Michigan bunnies decided bleeding hearts were on their menu unfortunately. I’ve not seen many bunnies in the neighborhood or park this year and am keeping my fingers crossed it is not due to hawks.
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Well now, I have never seen a squirrel eat dandelions. That is just awesome. See there is a reason not to spray your yards. Dandelions have never bothered me in the yards. I don’t like to spray all that poisonous stuff on the grass. The bees love the flowers and now I see the squirrels do also. 🙂
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Yes, they do Sandra – glad you got a smile from this post. Yes, the squirrels like playing with them too. There is a photographer who studied squirrels in his garden over a long period of time – he took amazing photos. I just looked for the story and it is here – very cute pictures of red squirrels:
https://brightvibes.com/1130/en/photographer-follows-red-squirrels-daily-for-six-years-here-are-30-of-his-best-and-cutest-shots
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I saw these beautiful bird photos as I went to close out of the site – this is why I am perpetually behind Sandra 🙂 You will like these:
https://brightvibes.com/1164/en/beautiful-birds-30-stunning-photos-by-award-winning-photographer
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