Today’s destination was Belanger Park in River Rouge, which runs along the Detroit River. It was the first time for me visiting this venue, although I’ve meandered along the Detroit River boardwalks at Elizabeth Park, Bishop Park and Dingell Park plenty of times. The primary reason for my visit was to check out the Belanger Lighthouse. Yes, it piqued my interest last week at the Grosse Ile Lighthouse tour, and it was a beautiful day, so I headed over there. The boardwalk and lighthouse are pictured above.
Yesterday was a stormy day and we had torrential rain multiple times. Three days of rain would likely have caused lakeshore flooding in most of the parks I frequent, so this excursion was a safe bet, though I did wonder if water would be slopping over the seawall like once at Bishop Park – it was fine. The sky and clouds were a myriad of colors; at times the clouds were dark and angry looking and sometimes the sky was bright blue with fluffy clouds that were like huge cotton balls. The wind was brisk at times; if you look closely, you can see the flag flapping in the breeze.
It was a great outing and I got in six miles while strolling the River boardwalk and around the grounds. Here’s what I saw on today’s trek.
Déjà vu – just look at the view!
Yep, this lighthouse looks very similar to the one I profiled last Sunday and I mused that I have gone my entire life without going anywhere near a lighthouse and suddenly I have visited two in six days! The Belanger Lighthouse may look similar in color, but it does not have the rich history of the Grosse Ile Lighthouse. You cannot tour inside, but you can get up close and you needn’t cross a long pier with no side rails – whew!!! (And with wobbly legs no less from that 51-steep-step climb up and down to the lantern room.) This is a functioning lighthouse and was built in 2003 as a memorial to the lost Great Lakes mariners. This is the front and rear view.
There were no facts or stats by the lighthouse, except a plaque and info showing the lighthouse was built in 2003 by volunteers and dedicated the following year and the info about the Edmund Fitzgerald.
So, I researched a little for some info and discovered that the Belanger Lighthouse has been certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as an aid to navigation, and, unlike the lighthouses requiring a “keeper” this lighthouse is automated. From its lantern room, it projects a continuous white light. It is a hexagonal wooden tower, topped with a weathervane and is 56 feet tall (the Grosse Ile Lighthouse was 40 feet tall).
As mentioned, the Belanger Lighthouse is a memorial to the men of the ill-fated freighter, the Edmund Fitzgerald, whose crew of 29 were lost in a storm the evening of November 10, 1975 and subsequently memorialized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald“.
When the Edmund Fitzgerald was launched in 1958, it was the largest ship on North America’s Great Lakes and remains the largest ship to have sunk there. Its tie to River Rouge is that it was built in that City.
There are memory paver bricks, but it is unclear if any names represent mariners lost in the Great Lakes or merely donations for the lighthouse project.
Fishing, freighters and much more.
When I finished taking photos of the lighthouse, I decided to explore the River’s edge where just a few fishermen were casting out this morning – one was sitting on the picnic table with his fishing pole propped up against the railing. I saw this sign indicating the fishing was good and took a photo of it – you’ll recall at Lower Huron Metropark last week, there were warnings about eating the fish due to the PFAS contamination.
While admiring the view, I ran into Christy, who was seated on a park bench, similarly admiring the downtown Detroit skyline and Ambassador Bridge which connects the U.S. to Canada.
We chatted it up for a bit and I learned about the park and lighthouse. Christy’s uncle was one of the volunteers who helped build the lighthouse and her daughter was married on the lighthouse steps.
Christy was waiting on her husband to return to Belanger Park. He was in a small boat making a video for a PBS documentary about a group of kayakers who were paddling down the Detroit River on their annual Lower Industrial Rouge Tour. The kayakers are members of the Riverside Kayak Connection and they have partnered with the Friends of the Rouge since 2007 for this annual event. The kayakers began at the Melvindale boat ramp, went down the River, past the Ford Rouge Complex, and under the suspension bridges. After a two-hour trip, these kayakers were the first of the group to show up, along with Christy’s husband who is in the nearby boat.
While we chatted, we watched one freighter, from the BigLift line, hauling oversized cargo. It passed by going extremely fast for a ship of that size.
Another freighter was nearing the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit.
The BBC Leda, was waiting in the wings.
Pleasure boats dotted the waterway as well. Here are some other sights from along the Detroit River boardwalk.
The power plant was sending plumes of steam into the sky.
Just a gal and her gull.
I have an affinity for seagulls. Unlike the heron who bolts as soon as I start to take a picture, seagulls are more good-natured and will pose in place for a very long time. So, I’m sorry … I just could not help myself and took tons of seagull shots. This seagull, whom I’ll name Jonathan, was willing to let me stalk him as I walked along the boardwalk and I didn’t even have treats for him. He flew and landed every so often to keep pace with me.
It was a bit windy by the water and it kept ruffling his feathers. Jonathan let me get quite close – isn’t this a fine-looking feathered fellow?
Occasionally he got a little antsy and hopped down on the other side of the barrier.
Jonathan appeared to be woolgathering while staring out to “sea” …
… alas, he grew tired of posing …
… and flew off, muttering, er, … screeching to himself. I don’t speak seagull so I’m not sure what Jonathan said, but he didn’t return and thankfully he did not fly over my car.
As if on cue …
I wandered around the grounds at Belanger Park, which is just west of the River Rouge Power Plant. This Park is actually between two industrial sites and I could hear the coal-carrying trains circling the plant and tooting their horns while doing so. I was reading the sign about how the site is slowly becoming a natural habitat.
As if on cue, while reading about the new-and-improved area, a beautiful Monarch butterfly settled first onto the yellow daisy.
Next, that winged creature dipped and swooped as the breeze threatened to wreak havoc with its flight pattern over to the goldenrod. It made it over safely, but was hanging on for dear life, opening and closing those beautiful wings often as it braced itself to stay steady on the bright yellow flowers.
I’ve been blessed seeing butterflies lately – soon they will begin their long journey to warmer climes as they kiss Summer in Southeast Michigan goodbye.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
You are really broadening your horizons lately, Linda! Another new park and another lighthouse! I remember very well the Gordon Lightfoot song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. So terribly sad! Also very sad about the fish and the contaminated water. You would think we would have learned our lessons and would work harder to have clean water and air, but our country seems to be headed in the opposite direction these days.
Much better to watch the ring-billed gulls (Jonathan is quite handsome) and butterflies than to think about pollution problems!
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Yes I am Laurie and was going to go to a few local events today and it will rain most of the day, so I’ve tabled that idea unfortunately – they are both outdoor events (an old-time festival and another butterfly garden event) . It is supposed to clear up briefly later this morning so will just walk in the neighborhood today and it will be nice the rest of the week.
Yes, they should worry about the fish – last week that water was very polluted and Christy, the woman I spoke with at Belanger Park, runs a bait shop across from Dingell Park. She fishes all the time – says the Walleye from the Detroit River are good eating. There are lots of Silver Bass on the Detroit River as well. Come Spring the fishermen are out thick as thieves … I told Christy I’ve seen so many boats out there you could step from boat to boat … the poor fish don’t stand a chance and are goners come May. 🙂
I thought Jonathan was a photogenic gull too … I think he is still a juvenile from the spots on his head … I looked around for gull identification and that was what I thought but did not put that in the post in case I am wrong (which I sometimes am with my IDs). He hung around longer than most seagulls that are skittish after you approach them too much and too long. He was content and flew off I believe just because he was bored, not scared.
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So sorry the rain caused you to cancel your plans, Linda. I hope you get a chance to grab some miles at some point today.
If I were Christy, I would be afraid to eat the fish, especially a big predator like a walleye, from a polluted river. The higher up the food chain, the more concentrated the pollutants become.
Haha! Maybe Jonathan got hungry and flew away after you didn’t feed him! 🙂
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It was a rainy day all day – at 4:00 it finally stopped but looked iffy, but thankfully it was not severe weather Laurie – we had severe weather warnings up three days in a row last week.
I’d be worried about eating the fish too Laurie, but there are lots of people fishing in the Detroit River, so they must deem it safe to eat those fish. I often go to the boardwalk on a long weekend and you cannot move for people. I did that one post where they were lined up along the water’s edge and boats everywhere.
Jonathan was really quiet – usually seagulls can’t sit still more than a few minutes before they fly off and they are circling around screeching. That’s what I found odd about him – a subdued seagull (why didn’t I think of that word yesterday?) There were fishermen there but he was not “buzzing” them as seagulls often do. He was like Parker – wanted to be pals and sadly I had nothing to offer him – I can’t start packing fish – too messy. 🙂
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I think seagulls will eat almost anything – bread, popcorn, Cheetos, crackers. I don’t know if it’s really good for them, but my grandsons and I fed them some bread when we were at the beach.
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I used to take the seagulls bread when I’d go down to Dingell Park – there are lots of them there. They eat anything and a few miles down the road, there is a park where people go to relax by the water and grill on their own BBQ or use the park’s BBQs. So the seagulls have been known to swipe hot dogs right off the grill and also swooping down to grab them out of people’s hands!
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You definitely have been broadening your horizons! Looks like you had a good time 🙂 I’m so glad!
Love, light and glitter
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Thank you Ellie- I tried and soon the colors will be making the trees beautiful and there will more pictures to load up on and the churn out more posts. Love, light and glitter back at you!
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💕💕💕
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A very successful roaming you had! Lighthouses are so cool – I don’t get to see them much if at all. The seagull was quite the charmer. And that monarch wanted to be captured on film. Glad you got 6 miles in too and you made a new friend too! Nice post, Linda!
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Thanks Shelley – glad you liked it. I am done with lighthouses now – no more around here, except one which I understand is near Detroit on the old Boblo Island and quite decrepit. It is likely only viewed from out on the water, not from land. I think the seagull was a juvenile as it had spots on its head and was not old enough to be worried about humans as he hopped along the railing as I walked along – there was not much space for me to walk so I had to keep circling around the entire park which is not a big park – there he was waiting for me. The monarch was a surprise as this is an industrial area with two plants with a small park/lighthouse in between. Christy was very nice and we chitchatted about living in the area and she said she is quite often down at the River’s edge, fishing or enjoying the peace and tranquility of the water.
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Sounds like a great day to me!
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I didn’t realize there was a working lighthouse down there but I am sure my husband is quite aware of it. When he and I first met he was working for the same company that owned the Edmund Fitzgerald. I was only familiar with it because of the song but have since learned more about it. So sad and I really feel for those families.
Yesterday when we were at the farm we noticed that the field next to our property that is full of golden rod was full of butterflies. My husband and I agreed we don’t ever remember seeing so many butterflies at once.
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Ruth,
Sorry to barge in but am so happy to hear you say you so many butterflies. I am a butterfly lover and am always considering myself blessed if I see one, these days.
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No need to apologize. I was just reading that goldenrod is very high in nectar and will attract butterflies from miles around so they can stock up for their journey south in the fall. We love to see lots of goldenrod because it is a main source of food for our honey bees in the fall but this was the first time I realized how much the butterflies like it. Sadly it has gotten a bad rap – people often think this it is what causes fall allergies and some even mistake it for ragweed (a totally different plant that does cause allergies).
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When I took an interpretive walk last year at Lake Erie Metropark, the walk was called “Pesky Plants” and I learned that goldenrod was beneficial and I had always confused it with ragweed up to that point – they pointed out both plants … I was amazed and I have seasonal allergies (been on shots for years) and didn’t even recognize what I was allergic to. That goldenrod is beautiful and a butterfly and bee magnet the last two times I saw it.
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I didn’t learn the difference between the two until after we bought the farm. I thought the ragweed plants were very pretty as they were growing and decided to find out what they were. I then began pulling out as many as I could. LOL. I am a bit allergic – lots of sneezing and scratchy throat this time of year but no meds needed.
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Well I had shots for 20 years and then the allergist retired and said I no longer needed shots – my allergies returned and were concentrated in the Spring months now, but the same allergans triggered the sneezing, etc So I ended up going back on the allergy shots/immunotherapy again and have been back now since 2004 going once a month for shots.
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Yes, it is a sad story Ruth and I never knew that the Edmund Fitzgerald was in two pieces … I just assumed it sank in one piece. There was an anchor there as well. It did not have any information near it and it was too small to be an anchor from that freighter, but I may be wrong. I saw a lot of goldenrod last week and yesterday so maybe it is the new butterfly magnet instead of milkweed?- I wonder if it is the butterfly magnet … I think goldenrod has been more plentiful this year – there is a lot of it
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Goldenrod has a lot of nectar and I read that it does attract butterflies from miles around. It is a main source of food for our bees this time of year. The rain that we got in August really helped the goldenrod. In drier years it doesn’t blossom as much. Goldenrod gives the honey a very strong smell. We can stand 20+ feet away from the hives and smell honey. That only seems to happen when they are foraging on goldenrod.
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That is amazing – you should write on that Ruth (hopefully you haven’t written on it the last 2-3 days … I am behind since I did such a long post Saturday and was gone a good part of the morning/early afternoon Saturday and did comments only yesterday as I tried to do some stuff in the house as it rained most of the day.
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I have been planning on doing a “goldenrod” post but haven’t posted anything for nearly two weeks. I am so behind. Will try to get some tings written and posted this week. We had some drizzle in the morning yesterday but the rest of the rain missed us.
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I am having trouble keeping up in Reader, writing posts – I have pictures and ideas for five posts but can’t get them done. A rainy day is good sometimes – not to many though as we head into Fall. Supposed to be a beautiful week this week.
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Hi Linda,
My comments have gone to spam as usual I think. I love that handsome sea gull Jonathan- so clean and small and cute. Never have seen one so close. When you sit by the river where Christy sat, what you see on the other side of the river- is that Detroit or Canada?
I am always confused about how the South East part of Michigan can be close to Canada.
Glad the weather is beautiful and the skies are playing their part in keeping you happy.
Any news about Parker and co? I went to the School of Forestry for a couple of meetings and on the way there is a small green area with a lot of those little ones- I even saw a fully black one. While trying to feed her or him, a cute Japanese girl( as cute as the squirrel) joined me and very cutely helped me feed and locate more squirrels. So grateful for nature lovers and people who can take the time.
Susie
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Hi Susie – you saw Christy sitting on the bench – she was looking to her left and that was at the Ambassador Bridge which you use to cross over the Detroit River from Detroit into Windsor, Ontario, (Canada). You can also take the tunnel which goes under the Detroit River. So by turning her head that way, she could see downtown Detroit and the Detroit skyline and that included the Ambassador Bridge. To look across the Detroit River from her vantage point would be Canada. When I go to Lake Erie Metropark, looking across Lake Erie is Canada also … I was there a couple of times before I realized that. I happened to be chatting with someone and said I was Canadian and he said “you are looking across at your homeland – did you know that?” “No, I did not know that” is what I said and was embarrassed that I didn’t know. I am not good with directions at all and here when people give you directions, it is North, East, West, and South … and also all the expressways and big highways have different names – they have the “number name” like M-39 but it is also known as the Southfield Expressway. Everything is like that – very confusing. In my opinion anyway.
The gull was very friendly and sat there as I took pictures and I was walking along and a few times it flew from one spot to another. One time it went onto the ground in front of me – unusual seagull behavior. So I took more pictures. I have seen birds do that as I walked along, especially if I whistle back to them when they are singing – it is as if they want to continue the song. It is not because I am offering peanuts to them, as it happens all the time in the neighborhood.
I did not see Parker last week – I don’t know why, but I did not walk there two days – it was very warm and humid, and I needed to pick up a few things at the store, so I walked at the store where it had air conditioning – felt nice. We are having good weather every day this week so I will likely see Parker at least one of the days … I had some pictures of him and his squirrel buddies the other day – I know you may not be seeing the posts as you are so busy with school now.
I do not know why your comments are going to spam and I had a bad problem with spam for about two weeks – I was getting 100 or more spam a day and all on the same post … told WordPress about it and they said it would resolve itself and they would try to keep it clear. I always went in every morning and very seldom had a good comment in there, but had yours – it does not make sense. The other day one of mine was in Anne’s Mehrling spam.
I am glad you are seeing squirrels and now that you see them you know why they are so appealing to me … if you go to the grocery store, look for a few apples to take – they love apples, not as much as peanuts, but they enjoy them. Remember this post I did called “The Munch Bunch”?
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Thanks Linda; in the previous post you showed pictures of applies, and wasps – do you see apple trees on your walks around Parker’s Council Point Park ? What a waste of apples was my first thought- in my adopted country or in my native one, apples are precious- given to sick people and as a gift and here they are fallen on the ground with no claimers.
I now got it about Canada and Detroit and the Ambassador bridge.
So where you walked this day, was near Canada so to speak, but across the Detroit river?
Where you usually walk, near Lake Erie, you also see Canada, but that is across that lake? When Canada is so close, what is to prevent you from taking the car one day and going there to take a walk?
I loved the lighthouse in the pictures above – so well kept and clean- I never knew lighthouses had a purpose in modern days too as I thought it was an ancient thing- this one was built in 2003-4?
Comments going to spam is because WP somehow identifies that I am posting from a location other than my usual one and so thinks I am out to harm you.:)
Susie
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Hi Susie – Our neighbors across the street were friends of our family for years and they both passed away about ten years ago. They had a huge apple tree in the backyard and never spent the money on, nor made an effort, in spraying it to thwart bugs. So, the apples used to fall off and be wormy. Now the woman in the house was frugal and made use of the wormy apples anyway – she cut out the bad parts and had a grinding machine of some sort that would squash the apples and she would cook big kettles of applesauce to get them into a pulp consistency and bottle them for all Winter. But they were all wormy – what a waste indeed! I wish you could taste Honey Crisp apples – they are the sweetest, crispest apples you have ever had. They used to be very expensive but have come down in price – do try to find some store or stand that has them Susie. You have to spray with insecticides to keep that worminess from happening.
Yes, Canada is just a stone’s throw away and I cannot cross over to Windsor to walk, or go to a store – I do not have a current passport. I have not renewed it in decades and the last time I used my passport was in 1983 when I took a trip to the USSR and five Scandinavian countries. Then no more traveling and let it lapse – should not have done that, but in those days we crossed over the border to visit my grandmother (240 miles/386 km) but we needed no passport – we showed our green card and birth certificate. My grandmother died in 1986 and my aunt a few years later. So we never had a reason to go back to Toronto. After 911 and the passage of the Patriot’s Act, you now have to have a passport to cross the border whether you go by tunnel or bridge. My mom wanted her ashes scattered in Canada – I found someone who would do that for me thankfully, as I was not able to do it myself.
It was nice seeing the lighthouses – these two were much smaller than most lighthouses – they are often much taller and have a long pier to get out to the lighthouse as they are situated way out in the water, far from shore. This one I visited on Saturday, built in 2003-4, was not a “real lighthouse” in that a lighthouse keeper went up the stairs and tended to the light turning it on every night and off the next morning. A light automatically comes on now.
Interesting re: the spam – are others telling you that your comments are going to spam then?
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That chart on which fish are healthier to eat is very interesting. When i was a kid, we would catch and eat a lot of perch, sunfish, and bluegills. These days i wouldn’t think much of any fish would truly be safe.
Very nice pics! 🙂
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Thanks Tom – glad you enjoyed them. I was itching to see the other lighthouse after last weekend’s tour – it was nice down on the River and the Monarchs were an unexpected treat. I wouldn’t feel safe eating fish either, but I won’t eat anything in a restaurant or prepared food due to the Hepatitis A scare here in Michigan. Many have died as a result of unsafe food handling practices. The sign was interesting as it told you how to prepare the fish as opposed to whether you should eat them or not and that surprised me, but judging by all the fishermen I see on the piers and boardwalks along the Detroit River, they must feel safe eating the fish to return over and over again. Christy, whom I mentioned here in the post, likes the walleye the best. I’ve had perch in the past but never sunfish and bluegill.
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Wonderful outing, Linda! There’s no shortage of pollution here as well. Beaches often have warnings about sewage spills and bacteria, as do the local rivers. I’m not sure I’d want to eat what lives/swims in any of those waters. Great photos of the lighthouse and gull! And what a treat to spot butterflies! 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed the post Sabine. It was a small park, but lots to see and the sky had these changeable “moods” – it looked like it would pour raining one minute and the next minute it was so sunny, you had to squint. We do have our share of pollution too and the smaller lakes, lagoons and streams have had algae bloom for at least two months – it clears up then returns and I think that’s why I’ve not seen the heron or any ducks at Council Point Park for ages and now the mallards can fly again, they’ll not return here with that awful green water. The gull was very photogenic and hopped along the railing as I walked along and I could get right up close to him as he was a juvenile (going by the spots on the head), although I did research to see if there was a gull with his coloring around these parts … in looking at a site for gull identification, I came upon this gull and want to share with you:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sabines_Gull/overview
The butterflies were a real treat, especially in such an industrial area.
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I have seen Sabine gulls before. Thanks for the link! Hopefully you’ll get a chance to go back again!
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They are beautiful aren’t they – I had to send it to you … never saw a bird or creature with my name attached. I hope I do too Sabine – it might be nice on a Winter’s day, though the rural road may not be plowed and I’m no fan of driving in ice/snow … will just visit when there are butterflies and bees and the freighters run until November and resume in April.
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Linda, there’s even a river and lake in Texas with my name! 😉 I’m not a fan of driving in snow and ice either. During bad weather I tend to not venture to far from home, if for no other reason than so many people go out unprepared.
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There is something majestic about lighthouses! I’m glad you’ve been able to visit a couple recently.
Jonathan looks like such a nice fellow. I do enjoy seagulls, though many people find them a nuisance. I like the sounds they make. Also, the sight of them means water, which is always welcome.
There has been quite a push to plant flowers for pollinators in recent years. I love seeing the result of that.
By the way, thanks for your always encouraging words. I finally got around to updating my blog. 🙂
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We sure need bees Michelle – too much pesticide is hurting them, but I’ve seen more bees and butterflies this Summer than the past few years, so more natural plants are sure helping. I am glad you’ve updated your blog – I will be happy to read of a fellow walker’s travels again. I am behind in Reader and have been behind a day or two, sometimes three all Summer. When we had good weather, I stayed out and walked as much as I could. Then a long post to tell about it.
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Miss Linda…………………………….I enjoyed your excursion to Belanger Park in River Rouge………………………you have a curious mind and you were brave to go all the way to River Rouge…………………………….that is interesting about the Light House
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Glad you enjoyed this post Ann Marie – I enjoyed that lighthouse tour and when those folks mentioned going here, I decided to try it out too since it was a sunny day. Originally I was going to wait until the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald and use the pictures then, but decided to just do it yesterday. I thought it was interesting about the light house too and the volunteers building it to honor sailors lost at sea.
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Linda, I didn’t know the Edmund Fitzgerald was built there, that’s why these lines in the song, “In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral
The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald”.
I always wondered how Detroit fit in and the Maritime Sailors Cathedral.
Love the seagull pics. I’m a big seagull too, except for the screech. And those butterfly pics are exquisite. The oversize load freighter is the biggest I’ve seen. Sounds like you had a good day, with a lot of variety.
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Joni – I knew the Edmund Fitzgerald was built here in Detroit but not from the song, more because every year they do a story on its fate and did a lot of tributes on the 40th anniversary a few years ago.
There is a small church on the waterfront in the city of Detroit, not gar from the downtown business district. Many mariners go there at the start of boating season and say a prayers – they commemorate those lost at sea in the Great Lakes. That is what I understand anyway – it is an old church and supposed to be very beautiful – they always have special service for this freighter on the anniversary of its sinking 11/10/75.
https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/
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Another gorgeous day! I can’t believe all the activity on the river. I don’t think I have ever seen more than one freighter at a time here. Your wildlife pictures are stunning as always! Christy sure had a lot of fascinating things to tell!
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I don’t think I have seen more than one at a time either Diane … one was in the distance and that big one in the picture was going very quickly. I was looking to get it in front of the trees so it showed off the size but it was cloudy and when the sun came out a little more, it was already heading to the bridge where I would have had to wait as the other freighter was ahead of it. There was one waiting in the wings – a huge freighter. I liked the seagull – he was the only one there and I wish I had something for him. He was friendly – usually the other gulls screech and are loud, he never made a peep, wasn’t sick or anything, just inquisitive (like Parker).
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Jonathan has it going on there. Handsome fellow. You do have the best places to go for a walk. See some things, take some steps, share it here. Not a bad way to live, I do believe.
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Yes, he was very photogenic and patient too Ally – his Mama raised him to be polite. We do have a lot of places to go and see scenic views and/or walk or ride bicycles on multi-mile bike paths. I still have a lot of parks and nature preserves around here I planned to visit this Summer but was thwarted by the sogginess and lakeshore flooding – I hope I can fulfill that list next year.
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I do not know many folks that enjoy the gulls like you – it was fresh to read –
and the lighthouse is nice – liked the history and details – and the vane on top reminds me of a blogger who just quit blogging – maybe she will be back – but she used to host a weathervane Wednesday challenge
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That’s interesting about the blogger with the weathervanes, kind of like Norm does with the doors … I find myself looking at doors all the time now. 🙂
I did one contribution last year after going to Heritage Park with their old buildings. I like the seagulls for taking photos of them as they signify a trip to the water as they are always around … this particular seagull was very quiet and friendly (unusual) … it stayed near me and as I walked along the boardwalk (which is not all that long, I wanted steps so walked back and forth and around the small park), it hopped along like it was a pet. Kind of funny and I was able to get within a few feet of it and it didn’t bolt. It was not sickly and staying in one position, just young (spots on the head so knew it was a juvenile) and I think bored so it hung around. The head tilts at every click of the shutter … I meant to mention that as he/she found that noise fascinating as I was so close to it.
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how fun that the duck liked the click sound and also enjoyed your presence – 🙂
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I got the head tilt every time! It was as if it analyzed each click.
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How clever
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like Jonathan your spreading your writing wings Linda! How many Lighthouses are in your area?
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Yes, I am – I’ve gone more places this year than ever before Wayne. I originally intended to keep this post until the anniversary of the “Edmund Fitzgerald” in November, but changed my mind when I had the seagull pics – he was nice about posing and I think he wanted to be a pet (don’t tell Parker). The guide on the Grosse Ile lighthouse tour said we had three lighthouses in our area – the remaining one is on the old Boblo Island in Canada, near Amherstburg but the tower is no longer there and he described it as “decrepit” and I can’t visit it since I don’t have a valid passport (now needed to cross the border since 911): https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/malden/boisblanc/info
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well I think you should join a Lighthouse group Linda! You would have such fun!
That link you sent me talked about the Lighthouse being taken over by Americans but the British came back to retake it!
I’d like to read about this encounter.
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Those people were very much into their pursuit of going to each lighthouse and getting those stamps in their “passports”. I have a high school friend who married a man who is really into lighthouses … they spent a week in a lighthouse in Ireland last year. I did see a story about what happened to the lighthouse yesterday when I was looking for the info that I sent you – I will look later in my browser history and see if I can find it. I know the people on the pour were not going there since it was not a “whole” lighthouse despite the historical significance.
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yes,I’ve met those Lighthouse aficionados before. I didn’t know they had a stamping system set up. It must encourage everyone to visit each one.
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Well, here is the info about the historical and military aspect of the lighthouse Wayne:
https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=16144
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thanks Linda,will read later.
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You’re welcome Wayne.
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I love it, Linda! Soon you will be doing the end-to-end lighthouse tour, from Seattle to Maine!!
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I thought of you when writing this Pam after we discussed the last trip to the lighthouse. Yes, maybe taking an extended lighthouse tour should be in the cards when retired?!
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Why wait? How about do a few at a time each year?!🥰
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Maybe I need to rethink it? I know there are some in Michigan, parts of Michigan I’ve never been to before, as we are termed the “Great Lakes State”.
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Yes, see what’s close by, Linda. 😘
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Maybe you will become a lighthouse expert soon with these visits 😁. It must have been lovely stopping for a chat. You must meet so many people whilst out and about .
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I never knew that people followed lighthouses to the point that they have a special lighthouse “passport” and get stamps from each lighthouse they visit. I never knew about the lighthouse society. I understand from a fellow blogger that this is done at the National Parks as well – people go from park to park, the biggest ones, and get stamps put into their special “passports” … I find so many nice people on my walks Zena.
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What a wonderful day you had for this post, so much information. I love the Gordon Lightfoot song. That park is amazing, I could sit there for hours just watching the freighters coming and going. Those are amazing, I lived near a airport in Fargo ND, they had places with picnic benches you could sit at and watch the airplanes taking off. I would go there a lot to watch the giant planes.
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This was another nice outing Sandra and I remember this because it was not even a week since I went on the organized lighthouse tour. I had no idea people went around visiting lighthouses (they also do that for state parks) … but this Belanger Park lighthouse was going to be the next stop on their agenda before they headed to Canada and made their way to Niagara Falls. And the young woman I met gave me a history lesson on the building of the lighthouse as she had a relative who was involved in building it. This is about four miles away from Dingell Park where I was yesterday to see the eagles. Same type of boardwalk, same Detroit River and people fish along there too, but what was nice was you could see all the way to downtown Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge, especially after the sun finally came out and showed its face – it was quite gloomy when I first got there. That was a huge cargo ship and I could not believe all the freighter traffic within such a short time. I can remember our family going to the airport and watching the big planes take off years ago. I am not all that far from Metro Airport.
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It is a beautiful park, I have never seen any real light houses. I am fascinated with air craft, especially air force. The jets and helicopters. Engineering marvels in my mind.
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Years ago I went to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum in Ohio with my father – I bet you would like it: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
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I watched the video for that museum, I do like historical museums like that, it is amazing how everything changes to bigger and faster.
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Yes, it is a big place. We went years ago, just a day trip. It was too much walking for my mom so she stayed home, but you would enjoy it I am sure.
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I will put that one on my list of places to see. Another blogger told me about a rookery in Ohio that has dozens of nest for herons. People go there to see them.and get photos. I put that one on my list. I cant remember the ne of it. I would have to look it up
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Now you know you will have a pit stop in Ohio before heading back to MIchigan. That would be interesting to see all the heron nests. I don’t see enough of them in any of the parks where I go that I would know how to spot their nest. I can’t even find the Canada Geese nests which I am on the lookout for come Springtime for the goslings to emerge.
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I looked up that park and they had pictures of dozens of the birds in the trees. Quite a sight seeing all those tall birds standing in trees. I will have to make a trip that way.
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Yes, I’ll look forward to seeing that post.
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Yes, I will for sure have a camera with. Well, I am going to call it a night Linda, have a good evening.
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I’m sure it will be worth toting your camera along as well as the detour. Good night to you Sandra – I just read your inspirational post for today and bid you good night from there. It is a beautiful post and great minds think alike for hitting the hay at the same time.
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