The road trip was long (for me anyway) … it was 20 miles from my house to Oakwoods Metropark in Flat Rock, Michigan. I had been leery of visiting there as so many of our parks are still flooded or swampy from May and June’s incessant rainfall. I figured I’d take a chance and try and make a day of it, so I took my red vinyl boots in case I needed them. It was beautiful weather, with low humidity and refreshingly cool for a late August day. I aimed to take a long hike, then settle in to learn some sketching techniques and implement them on the nearby trail.
Because I sometimes get lost when driving, as I am definitely directionally challenged, I left extra early. Oakwoods Metropark has been on my Trek Bucket List for over a year, so when I spotted this sketching class called “Walk, Talk & Sketch” … well, I was all in. I figured I could also fulfill something on my future Retirement Bucket List, i.e. learning to sketch or paint as a hobby in my golden years. Not only did I treat myself to the event (a mere $5.00), but I bought a sketch pad and some number two pencils too. I thought it would fun, and believe me, I was not ready to quit my day job and become an artist at the end of the day. If you read my most-recent post, you’ll see why. You can click here if you missed it.
I found a place to park near the Nature Center where we were to meet, so I left the art supplies in the car and went off to explore. Outside the building I checked out the enclosures and discovered an Owl and a Red-Tailed Hawk. I’ve never seen an owl before and this one preferred the darkest corner of its enclosure, so mostly all I could see were glowing eyes and tufted ears. I am going to ID it as a “long-eared owl” (no surprise there), but there was no name on its enclosure. I later learned it was injured, then rehabbed and this is its permanent home, since it cannot survive on its own in the wild.
The Red-Tailed Hawk was singing me a song here … it has a rather evil grin, doesn’t it?
I only knew this raptor’s name and ID because I passed its permanent home in the woods earlier that day. Because enquiring minds want to know, I asked Paula, our interpretive guide, if this was indeed “Hawkeye” and yes it is.
I meandered down the pathway where I saw a hut made entirely out of tree bark. I don’t know if it serves a purpose, but, as you can see it was roped off. I peered inside but there was nothing to see.
So what might be awaiting me in those woods anyway?
The preliminary exploration over, it was time to hit the Long Bark Trail. I had researched about Oakwoods Metropark in the past. There are three trails and reviews stated that it was a haven for critters.
So, I started on this trail which links up with the Sky Come Down Trail (one mile long) and the Big Tree Trail (3/4s of a mile long) depending on which fork in the road, er … trail you pick. I wondered what critters would cross my path? Furry, feathered? Perhaps a deer – now that would be nice. What about a friendly raccoon? That would make a great photo op. Maybe a cute squirrel? Metropark rules forbid feeding the wildlife, so I always leave the peanuts at home.
The Long Bark Trail had an overlook at a portion of the Huron River and watershed area.
At this wooden overlook, I could see a marshy lagoon and some pond lilies. Unlike Lake Erie Metropark which has several water lotus beds where the water lotuses rise high above the elephant-ear-sized leaves, these were just large lily pads floating on top of the water and there were no lilies blooming and since the pond lilies and reeds created an all-green and almost blah background in the marsh, it was very easy to see the stark white color of a pair of Mute Swans and a Great Egret who were companionably fishing in the lagoon. They were quite far away, so I was lucky to get this photo.
There were many benches dotting the River’s edge, but seating was also found throughout the woodsy areas. I found it interesting that every one of the wooden benches had a weathered look with splotches due perhaps to lack of sunshine as the wood never completely dries out.
Soon I was back onto a more defined path in a woodsier area. There were mushrooms in many areas where sunlight was scarce.
There was a definite Fall feel in the air and the leaves and acorns scattered about looked more like a September scenario.
The breeze made it seem a mite chilly so at mile marker #2, the sun felt good.
It was quiet and peaceful and the only critters around were the mosquitoes occasionally attacking my bare arms and hands, or buzzing around my ears. Sometimes I’d be startled by an acorn plopping to the ground from one of the many oak trees. It was very still and I saw just a handful of hikers or Saturday strollers as I meandered along, likewise on the Sky Come Down Trail and the Big Tree Trail.
Here is a view of some of the trees on the latter trail.
I lost count of the amount of trees that had fallen in the forest and I noted they were left as if they had just toppled to the ground. In many cases, those old logs presented an interesting pattern of decay …
…. or mysterious-looking holes …
… and sometimes branches or twigs looked like an over-sized game of Pick-up Sticks.
But what I found fascinating was the abundance of moss. It was everywhere, on old logs, and on the pathway. I’m guessing it was because only dappled sunlight was able to filter through the trees so there was moisture in abundance, especially given all our rainfall this year.
Moss was even on one of the walking paths. The sunlight made all the moss look almost emerald green.
A grasshopper caught my eye when it hopped onto some gravel. Once it saw the hulking human looming over it, that grasshopper went airborne but landed against my leg. A faint fluttering against my shin seemed to stun it and it landed on the gravel and scrambled off for good this time.
Just a gal and her butterfly.
The highlight of my Saturday morning meander was the butterfly which alighted on the ground next to my foot. I’ve never seen a blue butterfly, so I’m guessing, based on my research, that it is a Red-Spotted Purple. Yep, you and I know it is blue, but that is its name. It first alighted near a dried-up oak leaf, as you saw pictured above. That butterfly stayed in place for the longest time and I watched it opening and closing its wings. It was as if it was rejoicing to bask on the warm gravel in that patch of sun. Back when I had my butterfly garden, the experts advised to place large flat rocks around the garden so butterflies visiting your garden can bask in the sun. It was a chilly morning, by August standards, and this was the only area of the trail that was not moss covered or mulched up and in the direct sun. So Mr. (or Ms.) Butterfly was enjoying those sunbeams that were streaming down. It stretched leisurely, opening and closing its wings, then leaving the wings spread out, its beautiful colors displayed. It was during this display of colors that I noticed this poor creature’s wings were tattered in many places. However, when it finally flitted away, it did so by delicately landing on a wildflower without any hint of wing impairment.
I insisted on taking a selfie with my fluttery friend, albeit a shadow selfie.
The butterfly had his/her own shadow magic going on.
I found the most human activity at the paved bike pathway which winds around the Park. There were many bicyclists out and I walked along that bike pathway when I was done with the rustic trails. The flowers interspersed with cattails blowing in the breeze was picturesque considering it was a ditch.
It was a large park, 350 acres altogether, and I would have explored it more, but I didn’t want to get lost or be late for the sketching event at 2:00 p.m. I would have liked to visit the Butterfly viewing area and Monarch waystation on the other side of the Park, but I was lucky enough to see the blue butterfly so no need to stop there.
Meanwhile back at the Nature Center …
Had I arrived just a few minutes earlier to the Nature Center, I would have witnessed the release of four Monarch Butterflies into the woods behind the Center. I entered the building and saw the back door open and a few people gathered at the doorway. A Monarch butterfly was sitting on a woman’s hand and as I reached for my camera, she said “here, let him sit on your hand and I’ll take a picture of it.” Remembering what happened with the last friendly butterfly, I jumped at this chance and extended my hand only to have to fly up into the air. Maybe next time. The butterfly exhibit inside the Nature Center still had one Monarch that had just emerged and several chrysalises where caterpillars hung in their pale green sacs and will soon emerge as Monarch butterflies and be released just as these were.
I took pictures of the snakes and turtles inside the Nature Center, but this post is way too long already, so I’ll write about them my next time to this venue. We had a very rainy morning today – not lucky for racking up steps, but with a stormy day ahead, at least I was able to wrap up and put a bow on this post.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Linda:
Great photos; some frameable!
Fred
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Wow – thank you Fred! The moss was the most unusual shade of green, especially considering it was darkish in that part of the woods and this moss lit up the area like a Christmas tree.
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I agree – fred- especially the leaves and butterflies!
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Well thank you Yvette – that butterfly was a nice surprise as it stayed with me a long time without fluttering off. That was fun and some of those leaves – you’d think it was the end of September, not August with those hues.
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🙂
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it does seem more September like – which by the way is days away – crazy
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We have coolish days for a few days and that is good for walking … I know the people with swimming pools are not a fan of the weather, but we’ve had enough heat and humidity this Summer to satisfy that contingent of people too.
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😊
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A lovely adventure where you followed a green dirt road (yellow brick road…). Glad you got to finally check the place out and get some miles in too! Lots to see there, you captured wonderful photos to remember it by!
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Yes, I did “follow the green dirt road” just like Dorothy and her pals did Shelley. It was a perfect weather day so that helped to enhance details along the way as well. The butterfly was so friendly and stayed nearby for at least 15 minutes.. I am glad you like those photos. I took many more and had to eliminate them as the post was way too long already.
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Just think of all the material you’ll have for your winter musings! 🙂
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At the rate I’m going Shelley, I should have stuff saved up to churn out all Winter. I had that all-day excursion two or three weeks ago … two parks and then the Ford Fairlane Estate. I’ve not even looked at the pictures yet, nor taken them off the card. In a few instances, I was able to make two or three posts out of past trips where I would normally just have a long post like I did with the last two at Oakwoods Metropark. I don’t think I’ll be going back there this year and the leaves were already starting to turn, so had to use those photos up.
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I’m positive you’ll put all of your efforts to find material to good use!
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I hope so Shelley!
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Sweet Red Spotted, though a little beat up (wing-wise) which is to be expected this time of year.
The area really fondly reminds me of Sandridge Nature Center… where i often visited as a kid many years ago. 🙂
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Yes, is was so sweet Tom and its tattered wings didn’t keep it from flitting around, but it actually spent more time at ground level just poking around at leaves and perching on gravel. It sure was beautiful and I got a great look up-close look at this butterfly – it seemed so content to just bask in the sun. I am glad it brought back fond memories and I have to tell you that there were many parents there with kids – good, perhaps instilling in them the wonders of nature, and that was not only on the trails but at the Nature Center as well. Lots of turtles, three snakes – lots of “wow!”
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What a beautiful place to hike and get your miles in. I love exploring new places. Your butterfly looks like he might have tangled with a bird, but got away relatively unscathed. Just a few little bits of his wing are missing. Too bad you missed the monarch release. That would have been fun to see!
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It was beautiful Laurie and a perfect weather day too. I like how there were different trails, ranging from rustic, to wooden pathways, gravel pathways, tree lined or through a woodsy forest-type area. So, there was something for everyone. Lots of kids there too with parents, either hiking or on bikes. Yes my butterfly was missing many parts of his wings and birds tangling with it sounds logical as they are big “bites” or tears. I was bummed to have missed the release and caught the tail end of that last Monarch heading out on that sunny day. He was sitting on that girl’s hand so daintily.
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What a great adventure Linda. I loved the trails among the tall trees. the owl (I’ve never seen one close up), the moss and the blue butterfly…….not so keen on the early signs of fall, but it’s coming, so you made them very picturesque! Sounds like a great day out.
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Glad you liked that adventure Joni. It was a picture-perfect day. Those trees were so tall and you feel so insignificant next to them. The moss was amazing, brilliant green deep in the woods, especially that soft moss pathway. My first owl unbelievably. The blue butterfly kept flitting around by my feet – it had no trouble lifting off, but was sunning itself on the gravel where the stones were warm and it was chilly that morning. I’m not keen on the idea of the Fall arriving too soon, especially after hearing the Farmer’s Almanac’s predictions yesterday – ugh!
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I don’t want to know the Farmer’s Almanac predictions – so please keep me in the dark!
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Our trusty weather guy says it is all nonsense and on social media the comments were flying that he and the other forecasters often can’t predict three days ahead … this is true as they are never accurate half of the time. I feel cheated by our Spring, and the Fall of 2018 which arrived with a hard freeze the third week of September and then we had snow in mid-November. Then an early Winter, and it never wanted to leave. Cheated by weather is all I can say – yesterday it cleared up beautifully by 10:00 a.m. – too late for me and we had a rain and rumbles in the afternoon. Walking every day will be easier when I’m not working – in the Winter the sun comes out and melts the ice (sometimes) and you could venture out. We have three beautiful days and maybe four because no rain til Saturday night. Will walk, walk, walk but get other things done too – will aim to get more miles racked up … hopefully anyway.
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The whole year has been a write-off weatherwise, IMO. This morning I went to the Farmers Market for peaches, for the first time in ages, and by the time I got home at 2pm, intending to sit out on the deck and read, it had clouded over and was cool, north wind……so frustrating. Lots of clouds in the sky, and the weekend which was supposed to be all sunny, now has rain. You’re right – they can’t even predict a few days ahead, let alone a whole season.
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It was really windy in the a.m. yesterday and always windier at the park. But it was refreshing to walk after all the heat and humidity the past few months. Your forecast sounds like ours – the beginning of the week we were told “a beautiful holiday weekend!” and now we have a rainy/stormy Saturday afternoon and evening and into Sunday morning, but the rest of the holiday weekend will supposedly be better. Now, they say our weather will be impacted next week and next weekend by the end of the hurricane and I hope not as I’ve got some things scheduled and pre-paid for next weekend. I should have thought about this being hurricane season and we get the dregs of the hurricanes about a week or so later. You’re right, a write-off is the perfect way to describe it and it’s been like that for two years now – unpredictable and erratic weather swings … I may not remember prior to that 2016-2017 season, but there were some events in the tail end of 2017 which I remember now being a fluke. My good friend/neighbor passed away that year and I recall speaking with her son on what would have been Marge’s 80th birthday (December 3r, 2017). We were outside that afternoon, him in a short-sleeved teeshirt and me in a light sweatshirt, and people I passed by in the neighborhood when walking home were stringing up holiday ornaments in weather that would be more like an early October day. I remember I walked twice that day –
in the morning and then came home and did some things and went out a second time – it was that beautiful. That was the first time I really recall saying “this weather is not right” … I had spent the late Summer/early Fall working in the house, just walking and coming home to clean up insulation mess, three plumbing disasters, repainting their plumbing messes, and remember saying to myself – well I’d be inside the house anyway because it is so hot. – it was sickening hot every weekend and before I didn’t always come home from walking and head straight into the house and stay there in those days.
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Today was nice and refreshing, but tonight has a touch of humidity in the air again…….sigh.
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It is cool this morning but humid – the weather this weekend will be nothing special and now they say we may have the dregs of the hurricanes next week – hope it is done by the weekend. If it rains for the lighthouse this time, I’m not booking a trip next year … no refund if it rains. That’s why I got the season pass for the sunflower garden – it is good for four different days, as opposed to booking one day and it is crummy. It cost a little more, but that’s this year and includes the pumpkin patch event – I’ll think on the lavender event for next year – one time and that’s it and nothing else next year – the weather is too unpredictable and the weatherman are not accurate enough half the time. Usually you have to book a long time in advance.
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That’s the problem with all of these things, so far in advance – nothing spur of the moment.
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Exactly and if you wait til the last moment, it’s all filled up. If the dregs of the hurricane cause rain, that’s it – I’m not booking it again and for that matter, any other things next year (but the lavender and that’s a one-time trip for me). The weather is just too iffy. When is your harvest festival?
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Mid-Sept. I hope it’s not too cool by then. Last year they had it late Sept. to coincide with the full (harvest) moon, but it was cold by then. You can already feel fall coming, and esp. the evenings getting dark sooner. It had better be a good meal for $40!
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And I hope your weather cooperates. I had some concern that we’d have a rainy weekend next week due to the end of the hurricane as that usually happens, but one meteorologist was asked that and he said we will not be impacted. Thought that was interesting as we usually are. I never thought about it when booking these few events … I hope it is nice and if not, that’s it, I’m done with doing it and the angst of worrying about weather, and working walks and events around bad weather, and now with this EEE virus, there is concern about going to any parks which are soggy, swampy or woodsy. I will be going more to Council Point Park until we get colder weather or stay on the paved pathways going forward. The sunflower event if you booked one day came with a donut, but I got the season pass so I could go any of the four days and also all through October to the pumpkin patch. It was not that much more to do that than book one single day … so I guess no donut. 🙂 Fellow blogger Laurie is going to a sunflower fest in Pennsylvania where she lives and they get a sunflower to take home. I think it would have been fun doing the harvest moon though – but chilly.
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What is EEE virus? Never heard of it – is it something new. I am seriously behind on my medical reading, like one year’s worth of journals I keep stacking up and never open.
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That sounds like me with the AARP magazines … they come monthly … one month a magazine, the next month a newspaper – they pile up, year after year, and go unread. I say to myself “when I’m retired” but likely there are things to read about as to Medicare, etc. that should be read now. I thought maybe you knew about it as Ilene mentioned it the other day – she keeps her grass down low and weed whacks all along her fence as she is so afraid of ticks for her and the dogs. (She lives in a rural area in Kingsville.) She mentioned it the other day and it was on their news station.
It is a mosquito-borne illness, worse than West Nile Virus, and can kill horses or make you very ill, even paralyzed. I never heard of it before this week and now it is all over the news. Here is some info: https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/0,4579,7-186-76711_77442—,00.html
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Never heard of it, but yes encephalitis. Windsor is bad for ticks and lyme disease. Maybe because their weather is always warmer and rainier, as it’s the most southern part of Ont.
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It is scary and worse than West Nile which we also have here and for which several people have died in recent years, but more in the northern suburbs which are more rural. You have to drive out in the county to get rural areas and at least a 15-mile drive or more in Wayne County where I live. I won’t go to Crosswinds Nature Preserve and Marsh as they are likely a mosquito haven. Second year in a row I’ve not made it there but they had some flooding as well back in May/June so I’ve held off going. Here is the story on this girl: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/08/28/eastern-equine-encephalitis-virus-eee-michigan/2140998001/
I have a lot of photos stored up for posts so will stick with Council Point Park weekdays and do the weekend events I have planned. The sunflower farm would not be problematic (hopefully) and they pull wagons with tractors, not horses. The weather and its consequences have spun out of control. I likely am going to avoid any big parks until we have a hard freeze.
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I read the article – that is scary. Have not seen any mention of it here in the papers, just the West Nile and Lyme Disease which are one of the reasons I didn’t go on the Plein Art trip a couple of weeks ago as the locale had too much bushy areas.
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See I assumed you knew about it since Ilene had mentioned it being so bad, and she said she heard it on the news. She is out in the country. She buys Skin-So-Soft by Avon and combines it was a mixture of other ingredients to apply to her and her dogs when she takes them tracking, as she doesn’t like using anything with Deet or other chemicals. This is really scary with this woman and I had not heard a peep about this EEE until her story. You were smart to cancel and I’d have not gone to Oakwoods had I known. We had rain most of the day today – it was sunny when I went out, five minutes later … rain and off/on all day and very gloomy. Always on a holiday weekend, but I’ve been good getting things done in the house. It was chilly this morning, just 60.
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Miss Linda…………………………congratulations on getting out to Oakwood Metro Park……………………….you took some awesome pre-autumn pictures………………………..I’ve never seen a Red-Spotted Purple butterfly before……………………cool
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It was longer than my usual journeys Ann Marie. And such a perfect pre-Autumn day to do it. I’m glad you like the pictures and that was a first for me seeing that Red-Spotted Purple butterfly. It sure was cool and he liked to pose even more than Parker does. 🙂
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You had all kinds of gentle adventures! I enjoyed reading about your day.
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Thanks Anne – glad you enjoyed it. It was a long day, but a peaceful beginning – so very quiet in the woodsy area, just the acorns plopping down.
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Nice park with lots of nature. The picture of the butterfly is so beautiful Linda!😊
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Glad you liked it John – you would enjoy walking in this park and it was a very beautiful day and almost chilly in the morning for late August. That butterfly stayed near me for the longest time and was enjoying basking in the sunshine.
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Beautiful photos Linda. I recently saw a flutter-by with ragged wings like that and wondered why. How nice that you caught this one sunning. It is rare that they stay still long enough for me to get photos. I see many different types and I think I need to dust off our insect book and start identifying them.
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Thank you Ruth – it was a beautiful park. I’ve never seen a blue butterfly so dug around to find info on it. I have heard that butterflies get torn wings from snagging them on rosebushes, or thorny thistles and it rips the wings and one blogger said birds might have pecked at it. It did not seem to hamper it in the least. I wish I’d seen the butterfly release and was kicking myself for not going there sooner. I looked online for this butterfly although I do have a moth and butterfly book from when I had the butterfly garden. Google makes me lazy: “blue butterfly in Michigan” and had my answer in a couple of seconds. 🙂
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Did you see a picture of it. My book shows the underside of the wings have a red spotted pattern, which explains it’s name.
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Ruth – no, I haven’t looked yet in my moth and caterpillar book yet, as I have to dig it out since I put it away downstairs with my other books in a Rubbermaid tote after I lost my entire butterfly garden after the first polar vortex event. I still have the two butterfly houses in the garage – two wooden houses with slits for the butterflies to seek refuge on windy days or against predators.
They are on tall stakes. I’m gong to take my book out before next year though, so I am more knowledgeable about butterflies. Like wildflowers, I only know a handful of wildflower names – same with butterflies. I just Googled around to find this butterfly’s underwings – very impressive and beautiful. So now I understand how it gets its name. See, it was opening and closing its wings a lot, but I was watching the top of it with the pretty blue. Even in the one picture I used with the wings up it was too dark to see the spots. Did you see in your book that this butterfly’s caterpillar stage resembles a bird dropping thus keeping it protected? http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/red-spotted_purple.htm
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Have you thought about replanting a butterfly garden? I didn’t actually have time to read about that butterfly – just noticed the picture.
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If I do Ruth, it would be when I am retired and have more time to fiddle with a garden. Back when I had a garden in the backyard, it was the entire perimeter of the yard, and it was mostly perennial flowers, and I had three butterfly bushes – all these items died. I was pretty upset. I have lost all but one clematis, including one I bought 15 years ago as my mom loved that flower and it was huge, climbing up a trellis all the way up a tall pole where I had an ornamental log cabin bird feeder on top. Lost everything and all that is left now are roses and hydrangeas. I began my walking regimen at Labor Day 2011 and the following year I decided to buy silk flowers for the front and side yards which I planted in ornamental pots – that gave me more time to walk, less time to deadhead, weed, trim and water. When I worked on site, I spent 2 hours every morning before I left for work, working in the garden watering and keeping the annuals and perennials looking good, But I
lost almost everything and didn’t have the heart to replant. It would cut into my walking regimen in the a.m. and since blogging interaction has picked up, I would have to mess with the flowers in the evening after I leave work. I don’t always leave work until 5:30-6:00 p.m., maybe later if I have a rush document to finish. I’ll make a decision after I retire, but that’s not for awhile yet. I will tell you that the butterfly bushes were a real magnet for Monarchs, Red Admirals, Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, Painted Ladies … I was constantly outside with the camera taking pictures of them. I would get some of them again. They are not a lot of maintenance, just clip them occasionally as they grow wayward in a short amount of time..
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It sounds like it was beautiful Linda and a hard loss. I certainly understand the time and commitment involved in maintenance. My prayer garden which could also be called a pollinator garden sometimes gets over grown with weeds. I could probably work it full time and it would still not be completely weed free. Before we had the farm we had a couple of butterfly bushes planted at the house but lost them one winter so I never planted any at the farm. We do have many plants (a lot of herbs) that attract butterflies and bees. My challenge is finding things that attract pollinators that the deer and rabbits don’t like.
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My mom liked bleeding heart plants and so I got three and the rabbits ate them. Thought I’d try the following year – same thing, so that was the end of that. The squirrels dug up all my father’s tulip bulbs the first year we were here and when we had tomato plants, the squirrels and birds pecked them, so that was the end of that. I thought the butterfly bushes were hardier and my neighbor had hers for years, never covered them, but one side was against the garage, so maybe that’s why hers were okay. Mine were the middle of the yard all together (two in one group were purple, one dark purple/reddish color on the other side) … I was very disappointed this happened. Not only the expense of losing flowers, but you spend time nurturing them for them to all die. I will make a decision though – when I have more time because then I can devote portions of the day to more than just walking, work and writing which is all I seem to accomplish anymore … housework and any yardwork has taken a backseat once blogging picked up. I never interacted with anyone on my blog, except for two non-blogging friends, the first 4 1/2 years, only since November of 2017 have I been “active” in WordPress.
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This has been a fun adventure to read about and to see. It’s great to experience nature in doable chunks when walking through a park like this one. The photo of the red leaf is either encouraging [less humidity] or bittersweet [no more long evenings]. Can’t decide which– maybe both.
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Thanks Ally – I’m glad you liked that adventure. It was a beautiful park and so much to see. I saw a lot of kids with parents at this Metropark, some hiking, some riding bicycles. They have a nice paved bike trail that is 30 miles long and you can connect to several Metroparks in the area. The red leaf – yes, too red for this early in the year, but after reading the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” and our SE Michigan prediction, I’m sorry I complained about the heat and humidity (7 major snowstorms, one or two Polar Vortex events and a late Spring with Winter-like weather extending into April – ugh).
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Loved this – and the title – oh my – you nailed it – fall feel
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Glad you liked it Yvette. It was coolish, almost chilly here last weekend, very refreshing and that’s how it was again this morning after a few hot and rainy days. I originally intended to put the oak leaves with the acorns as my header image, then when I saw the butterfly next to the dead leaf, I thought it showed the end of Summer is a’comin’.
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🙂
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So much nature, just beautiful Linda! There must be a lot of trees down everywhere because that was the first thing I commented on at our parks. It’s amazing how similar the parks all are.
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It was a beautiful trek Diane. I was surprised about how many trees were down in this Park. At Lake Erie Metropark, I’ve not been on any of the woodsy trails in 2019 as that park has had lakeshore flooding since Spring. There are plenty of paved paths to walk on or just walk on the grass instead (but then you have to worry about ticks). This park had lots of trees, and all sizes … that one picture of all the trees left standing where the others of the same size were on the ground, gave me kind of an eerie feeling. I wondered if it was the winds because they didn’t look damaged by disease?
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Awesome!!!! Glad I got to read through this.
Love, light and glitter
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It was a really long post – you could have your whole breakfast and a couple of cups of tea while reading it – now you know why I didn’t post for a few days afterward!
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💕💕💕
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I saw a shelter someone made. thirteenth from the bottom.
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I just looked at that Wayne- you mean for a person who is homeless and staying there? Or maybe a Boy Scout survival exercise? We have had some horrible wind storms this year so it surprised me some of these piles of wood were so neatly piled or arranged, so maybe that explains it. I wonder what the purpose of the igloo-shaped bark structure was for? Tomorrow night we have some severe weather and possible tornadic conditions predicted. That is odd as peak tornado season is in June, July and sometimes in August, rarely in August. Something else to have angst over as if the Winter 2019-2020 predictions were not enough.
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yes,it looks like someones attempt at doing a night out.Maybe Scouts?
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The smaller lean-to areas with the sticks too? That looked unnatural that those trees just had their branches and twigs fall like that.
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yes,thats the one. Twigs do not fall like that.
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I should have known that – they looked unnatural. I guess it would provide a little shelter if out in a storm and you were seeking shelter. Our storm is just starting now -rumbling a little, raining and the wind has picked up. Hoping the severe weather fizzles before the 11:00 end time predicted.
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they most likely had a tarp they spread out over that lean to.
Check that weather site I sent you.
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I see – it wouldn’t have been too comfy with all the twigs. I just looked – thank you. I see a lot of green but orangy-red moving toward Detroit – that color is not good. I’m going to leave that site up. I need to check Paul Gross on Twitter – he has been filling in for a morning guy but usually Tweets warnings for all “zones” – they call them zones according to direction. It is still rumbling out there and I have the news on, but they are not saying anything severe right now, but I am still uneasy.
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I do love a good storm! Where the lightening hits and you hear it right away and the windows in the house rattle!
We never get storms like that out here! I do miss them!
They are showing that service pony on the evening news. How big can a animal be? What If I have a service bear?
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Well we have had storms like that and you watched the sky with the lightning strikes and marveled at it – but now it seems the storms have to go and get violent. It is as if someone said to Mother Nature “I give you an inch, you take a smile and overdo it!”
My news station said the miniature horse was three feet tall but they didn’t say the weight. They didn’t say if the pony wore a muzzle for a harness or a muzzle like your service bear would wear. You know everyone would want a picture with your service bear – they’d think it was Smokey!
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Mother Nature is pissed off because of Trump!
She’s had enough!
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Yes, she’ll likely spare his club but gave him plenty of heartburn to worry about it in the interim. She should show him who’s boss as to her poor choices about the environment.
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he needs to be spanked by her with a tree
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That poor tree.
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with any luck he’ll have a 6 foot sliver up his……..
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I thoroughly enjoy getting to come with you on your adventures Linda, your photos show all the things a lot of people miss. I am impressed with all the parks that you can get to. I need to look more closely in my own area as to where all the parks are.
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Thank you Sandra for saying that … I like writing in detail so it seems like you are walking there with me. I just looked to refresh myself about this post. I remember now – it was the part two to a prior post. It was the first time at Oakwoods Metropark and I went for a class about sketching. I went out on the trail for a while and checked it out before the class was slated to start. I was just infatuated with that butterfly – poor thing had such tattered wings and alighted on the ground for the longest time. I do try to make my mind a blank when I go out and take it all in … the local Metroparks are great, that is three I’ve been to and there is another one or two in my area – the others are farther away and you have to take the dreaded I-696 expressway. Gee, it is nice to see all the green isn’t it? Despite our mild Winter, three days of snow has left the ground covered again – as of now the cement is clear, despite last night/early a.m. snow, but not for long with tomorrow’s snow and freezing rain. I walked almost five miles today and walked in the street to get that done. I took more pictures today, including a small snowman I built to entertain the squirrels (and me) and then I walked to/from and at the Park. I had not planned to make a post tomorrow, but have it half done as I wanted to see my pictures of the snowman. I used the DSLR for that but just the small camera at the Park – not looked at that photo card yet – still have photos from last week re: the heart-shaped cookies I’ve not looked at. That is tomorrow’s project. I am glad you’re enjoying the posts – now, I’m so late, but going to start at the beginning and catch up now.
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The butterfly was so pretty, cant wait to see them again. The excitement of spring right around the corner soon. I also have lots of photos I have not got to yet. Soon as I get back from an outing I do put them on the computer right away. In folders with dates and a name. So I can find them easier. We were just watching a movie, and I read a little in between.
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I had a butterfly garden before the Polar Vortex in 2014 wiped out my perennials and butterfly bushes – I loved going out in the backyard and see them everywhere. There is a butterfly garden walk-thru event I go to every year. A woman in a nearby city has a huge backyard and it is a monarch way station. She has lots of perennials and annuals as well, plus a pond with koi fish. Once a year she has an event where people can walk through her yard and the “donation” to do this event is to bring one or more items on a “want list” for local animal shelters. She gets a ton of supplies and some artists and photographers contribute their creations to be raffled off to make more money. It depends on whether it is a sunny day as to how many butterflies show up in her yard. That was a first for this pretty butterfly – never saw a blue or purple one before. I usually do that with the pictures, but I took so many and then left them on the card as a “backup” and have to separate the different days to make it easier.
My camera card used to do the separation but it stopped doing that – I have to read upon how to format the card. I strayed from my reading – I do hope to get back into it again. I was doing well the end of last year, but we had the long holiday weekends too.
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What an awesome thing she does with the butterfly garden, and the donations. Everyone helping out and getting to see a beautiful garden on top of it. I will be buying more seeds this year, I do every year in hopes some of them might grow. I am going to try more perennials at the cabin. See if they will grow. There are tons of wild flowers up there, I am going to just add to it more every year.
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I bought a couple of packets of wildflowers one year to fill up some holes in the backyard between all the daisies and coneflowers – I didn’t have any luck with them, except for the cosmos which did well and bloomed all Summer, but they have a tendency to get tall and spindly and fall over too. Now they have the “seed carpets” of wildflowers but I don’t know of anyone who has used those. Did I tell you, or someone else recently about buying Forget Me Nots one year and they grew hardy and out of control? All I did was scatter a few seed packets and I have had to pull them out as they grow between the rosebushes, but the ones I keep are pretty to look at and bloom til early June. The snow started at 5:00 – a little later than expected – supposed to snow heavily for three hours then stop, then freezing rain around midnight. It had gotten clear in the streets so I took the car for a run. I was going to go back to the River and see if there were ice floes and eagles, but they said the snow would arrive 1:00 to 2:00, so that early forecast was wrong. I had a nice day at my Park and took lots of pictures (mostly squirrels with snowy faces – no waterfowl or jays or cardinals were out unfortunately.)
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You did tell me about the forget me nots, I will look for those and try them up at the cabin. I tried planting the milk weeds for the butterflies, but they did not last, I think the deer ate them, but I am not sure.
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I wasn’t sure as I was telling someone else about flowers from seeds recently – they are okay but won’t last all Summer and you want butterflies all Summer if possible. A friend sent me milkweed that grows in her yard in New York and she even prepared the seeds like you have to, but they did not come up for me either. She lives near Rochester, NY and that’s near the snow belt and very cold, so it can’t be because it was the wrong zone as we are not as cold as her area. Probably the bunnies ate them here.
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It might have been bunnies, I have seen some really big rabbits up there. Bigger then Iowa rabbits. They had green leaves and I put wire fence around them, but the leaves were gone and just the stem left. Maybe it will still come back.
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Hope so – mine never even poked through the ground.
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I forgot to add about the butterfly event – yes it is very kind of Verne to do that and wait til you see her yard and when people go to this event, it is always early afternoon and heat of the day with wall to wall people. In 2019, she decided to do two butterfly walks – the second one was to be in September. I had intended to go – this one was to be just monarch butterflies as they migrate South in September and it rained around the time of the event so I decided not to go, But I should have as I looked on her Facebook page and she had a big crowd and it cleared up nicely.
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Well of you do pictures this year maybe you van do a post, that would be nice to see. I dont know if the monarchs path goes by my cabin, I only saw one up there last summer.
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I hope she does two events this year – the any/all butterflies is late August, just before Labor Day. The first one I saw just a few butterflies. I was at the Park once and a group of monarchs came through – just gorgeous. They alighted on a fir tree … at that time I didn’t realize there was so many of them. They landed on the tree and went inside the tree – then they all came out and started flitting all over. I realized then it was migrating butterflies – I just got a few shots before they were long gone.
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That would be fun to see, I went to a 3 d movie along time ago about the Monarchs, and there migration, it is amazing how far they go.
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Yes, all the way down to Mexico and did you see how they hang in bunches sometimes once they get down there – hundreds of them – just gorgeous.
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Yes, they all go to one specific area, ot mountain I think. They are so tiny, the energy they need to make that flight is just amazing. One of the biggest obstacles is getting hit by cars on the route. Iowa has started programs to plant the milkweed everywhere for them. The plants are easy to find now.
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They are dong that in Michigan – a real drive to save the monarchs and the bees too.
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It needs to be done, around here they used to spray all the ditches along roads for weeds, mostly in the country, and were killing all the milkweed and wild flowers, that contributed to the decline in butterflies. Now the ditches are full of flowers in the countryside.
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Last year I saw some ditches in Oakwoods Metropark where wildflowers were growing wild and bees and butterflies were buzzing and flitting everywhere. I would have loved to see the wildflowers bloom last year in California and Arizona – there were so many pictures of those flowers that were so abundant from the excessive rainfall in California. Did you happen to see any of those beautiful flowers like these Sandra? https://www.newsweek.com/super-bloom-2019-where-when-wildflower-california-arizona-1334521
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There wasn’t anything blooming like that on this trip, I saw a couple videos about the flowers blooming there, it is so amazing. Last year we arrived later in the spring at the cabin and the wild flowers were already covering the ground. When I stepped out of the car, the fragrance was like walking into a candle shop. So I can imagine the fragrance there must have been in California with their super blooms. I don’t mow much up there so the wild flowers can keep seeding out.
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I can imagine that would be great to see and smell … I still hope to identify more wildflowers this year … that was another resolution of mine, but I have plenty of time before the wildflowers will be blooming, even if the Groundhog says we’ll have a mild Winter and early Spring. You have a good day Sandra.
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You also Linda, talk later.
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