We’re about to embark on Autumn and I’m happy to do so, since I’ve grown weary of Mother Nature’s continuous tweaks of this Summer season, not to mention all her weather boo-boos for 2019 if you want to be picky.
I sure hope I don’t regret wishing my life away by kicking Summer to the curb, but the season has been nothing special – neither was Spring for that matter. Incessant rain in May and early June caused swampy conditions and lakeshore flooding in most parks and we had an inordinate amount of mosquitoes – the pesky buggers are still problematic. Despite taking precautions yesterday and staying away from woodsy and swampy areas due to the EEE virus, I still could play connect the dots with my mosquito bites on my arms and legs – long pants and a long-sleeved shirt were out of the question since it was 85 F/29 C and very humid.
Foul weather also made me miss some waterfowl bucket list items I had planned for myself, like heading to Heritage Park to see ducklings in a neat little row following their Mamas around Coan Lake, or the Mute Swan with her cygnets riding on her back at Dingell Park. I missed these items in 2018 also due to the incessant rain every weekend in Spring.
Sigh. Yes, there will always be Mallards, Mute Swans and Mamas so I’ll try not to sweat the small stuff.
But unfortunately that trend of missing out on the ordinary and extraordinary continued into Summer, especially at my favorite nature nook and while walking through the neighborhood.
Hit or Miss and MIAs.
We’ve had many predicted bouts of severe weather – some happened, not so close to me, but the angst of waiting on the next big storm, or conditions ripe for tornadoes, has filled me with a sense of impending doom all this season. When we had rain, it was never a gentle shower, but often a torrential downpour, despite the weather forecasters’ predictions of a “splash and dash” event. We flip-flopped around with unseasonable temps – either heat and humidity off the charts and then just like that … we’d have a slew of days where you needed long sleeves. The weather wreaked havoc with walking, despite my self-imposed new rule of walking in the rain. You may recall I even bought rain boots and walking shoes made for slopping around in puddles.
But this Summer’s weather did more than ruin many mornings – it also affected the ordinary occurrences at Council Point Park and in the ‘hood. I’ve been keeping a running list in my head of what I missed this Summer … all I can say is, if this is the new norm for Summer, it just makes me sad.
Down at the Park the list has been growing …
No geese: The Canada geese reared their goslings and then one day they were gone. I told you how the City sprays the grass with some icky grape flavor to discourage the geese from grazing once they regain their flight feathers and can fly again after their annual moult. The geese usually return around Labor Day when the City no longer sprays – I saw them once, and no more.
No ducks: The Mallards were missing long before the algae bloom coated the Ecorse Creek, leaving a thick green slime, and, although this ghastly green stuff is abating somewhat, the ducks, long done with their annual moult, still remain at large.
No swans: Likewise the swans generally glide gracefully down the center of the Creek which runs parallel to the walking trail. I guess they don’t want to muck up their white feathers with the algae scum either.
No herons: I haven’t seen Harry or his kin for months. When I’d come around the corner by the cement landing, I’d peek through the bushes to see if Harry was fishing in the Creek and I’d have my camera ready. But the water level was so high from all the Spring rain, the cement landing was submerged and only recently has receded. It seems Harry is dining at another Park’s fishing hole now.
No butterflies: The milkweed was growing like a weed all along the Creek banks this year, so I was hoping to be treated to a flurry of beautiful butterflies on my daily walk. I checked for Monarch caterpillars munching on the milkweed leaves and found none. I’ve not seen a single Monarch so I’m lucky I got my “Monarch fix” at other larger parks.
No birds: I was lucky enough to find just one nest with a Mama robin sitting on the eggs. Then there were hatchlings and I captured a shot or two of Mama scavenging for grubs and worms then feeding her young and I shared them in a post. I had hoped to document their growth through fledging like last year, but suddenly one day when I returned to the Park after a couple days of rain, I checked them out, and the whole family was gone. I was also disappointed to see that the colorful and sturdy bird house that someone hung in a tree at the Park was never occupied and finally taken down a few weeks ago. There was one goldfinch this year, a real Summer bummer. It was such a treat to see the brightly colored goldfinches darting throughout the Park, alighting on thistle plants where they partake in seeds and make for some great photos. They would be so engrossed in eating they’d be oblivious to me clicking away with the camera.
No bullfrogs: Every morning I used to hear the deep base tones of the bullfrog that I called “Jeremiah” as I made my way along the perimeter path, but I’ve only heard him a couple of times this year.
No turtles: Just like clockwork, on sunny days the Creek turtles lined up in a row on a log. If you stepped close to the Creek bank, one by one they’d slide into the water. I’ve only seen them a handful of times this year.
Thank goodness for the squirrels or it would have been like a ghost town! There are not as many squirrels either and Parker is not present and accounted for every day like in the past. I wonder sometimes if they’ve simply relocated or live in fear of the Cooper’s Hawk contingent that circle overhead?
Well sadly, there were items amiss in the neighborhood as well …
No chalk art: Normally there are many chalk art discoveries in my morning walks, but this Summer there were just two instances and one was under the pavilion at the Park and the other was Brian Spicer’s handiwork on his patio.
No robins running through the sprinkler: We’ve received so much rain that lawn sprinklers were not being used as much this Summer. This meant less robins hanging out under the spray to wet their feathers to preen, or trying to wrest worms from the wet soil.
No Pagel access to the Park: Construction has torn up my usual route to and from Council Point Park the last six weeks. For sure the potholes in the street and uneven sidewalks need to be corrected but I must now go two blocks out of my way going to and from the Park.
Enough whining – come take a virtual stroll with me anyway!
Notwithstanding the missing highlights in my morning meander, there is still plenty to take in on my weekday five-mile trek to my favorite nature nook. Now that the sun is getting up later, on gray mornings, I’ve had to reduce my walk to four miles, and yes, I still hope to attain my goal of walking 1,242 miles/2,000 kilometers by year end.
While pounding the pavement in the neighborhoods, or along the perimeter path, my head is always swiveling … up, down, all around. I guess I am nosy and don’t want to miss anything as I wend my way through the ‘hood and to the Park.
To passersby or other walkers, I am sure I resemble my favorite peanut pal Parker.
I’m sharing a passel of photos I call “tiny treasures” which memorialize many of my roundtrip morning treks from home to Council Point Park.
There are birds …
There are blooms …
There are butterfly magnets …
There are berries …
There are burrs …
There are bugs …
There are bunnies …
Oh, there is more …
There are weeds …
… and there are seeds.
Speaking of seeds … I flashed back to my youth when I saw these “Santa’s Whiskers” or “Santas” a/k/a Thistle seed pods, if you want to get technical. I remember them floating lazily in a gentle Summer breeze and we kids would grab one, make a quick wish, then blow on it to whisk it on its way. I snagged this one and made a wish on it.
Remember this … all you’ve got to do is look up, down and all around – there are always tiny treasures just waiting to be found. I’ll leave you with this quote.
Nature is man’s teacher. She unfolds her treasures to his search, unseals his eye, illumes his mind, and purifies his heart; an influence breathes from all the sights and sounds of her existence. ~Alfred Billings Street
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
BEAUTIFUL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Patrizia – I saved these up all Summer. They are my favorites too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you’re bummed about the weather, try missing a few days. They’re all you’ve got. Great photos!
Oddly your blogs message echoes sentiments in the next little video I’m working on…great minds and all of that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Fred – I’m glad you liked the photos. I have been saving these photos through the Summer. I had more but used them along the way for other posts. I originally intended to call it “Up, Down & All Around” and realized using all those photos would be a very long post. The weather is quite fitful. We are expecting a bad storm tonight which will break the heat and humidity thankfully. Yesterday and today it was 85 degrees and almost 100% humidity. I went to the botanical gardens yesterday thinking I could get one more crack at finding a hummer since it was so stinkin’ hot,, but no such luck. Lots of butterflies though and hopefully some good shots at Coan Lake. I’ve not looked at the photos yet. We’re probably both lamenting over the lack of normal weather and I know I posted on that topic before but it is ridiculous. I can’t tell you how many severe weather threats were predicted … luckily they did not affect me, but the severe weather threats were for all counties, like tonight. And tonight is torrential rain again. That type of rainfall was a once or twice a year thing … not frequently like now. Sigh.
LikeLike
Great photos as usual, and a great reminder to notice and appreciate what we do have left of this crazy summer. When you wished on the thistle seed pods I bet you wished for better weather!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Joni – I did as a matter of fact wish for better weather. I was catching up here because we have a torrential rain and several rounds of storms arriving shortly – no doubt you will experience the same weather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not here yet, but overnight or tomorrow.
LikeLike
Well not that I wanted bad weather but three stations predicted torrential rain and stormy weather .. .I don’t even know if we had showers or a drizzle, because they are saying damp roads. They had predicted flooding and storms. I don’t get what is so difficult predicting the weather and maybe they ought to stop the use of computer models and return to old-fashioned predictions … they say a very hot weekend next weekend … I hope they are wrong (given their track record of late).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Miss Linda……………………………..ALL of the ducks are at our apartment pond at least 85…………..only one GBH……………..catching fish…………………………all of the geese about 75…………lately fly away every night and come back in the morning……………………………….thank you for sharing the summer flower beauties…………………………they’re beautiful
LikeLiked by 1 person
So that’s where everyone disappeared to! You have it all over in your corner of the world … our Creek is not much of a draw with all the green algae right now. I can’t blame the ducks and geese who fly over and I’m sure the birds fly overhead and say “still?????”
LikeLike
That’s something that there were so many birds missing when you expected to see them. Loved your photos.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Anne – glad you like them. I think there is something odd too. I scan the sky for Cooper’s Hawks every time I’m at the Park as I don’t want to put peanuts down, having the squirrels take a chance running out for some … sometimes I see the hawks above, sometimes I don’t. The squirrel population has dwindled though … the lack of “wildlife” at this venue is a bit unsettling.
LikeLike
Keep watching and let us know your interpretation, please.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will Anne – the longer I went through the Summer, the more I noticed their absence. Other bloggers have commented on the lack of birds this year too.
LikeLike
What a mystery!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ruth Soaper, who also lives in Michigan, though not that close to me, mentioned all the sparrows and I also have seen a lot of sparrows this year in Marge’s yard. I thought it was strange too.
LikeLike
Yes, strange.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blooms
Bugs
Milkweed
Parker
And fresh air
Makes up for the lists of
no’s…..
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, very true Yvette – this park is still a little gem tucked in the middle of the City. Residential neighborhoods border three streets and the other is the Creek and industry on the other side of the Creek though it is not right at the Creek banks. I’ve walked here for six years so I’m trying to figure out if it was the odd weather patterns or the threat of the Cooper’s Hawks that soar above that has caused the “usual” critters to stay away. Do the critters fear for their lives ,or is just the ever-present heat we had most of the Summer? Just heard the weather for next weekend and hot and steamy again. It was sweltering this past weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it has been hot here all week – but I am actually glad for it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yvette – Please remind me when I whine about Winter, that I disparaged Summer so much! 🙂
LikeLike
Strange that you mention the absence of birds. My husband and I have noticed that too. In the spring there seemed to be many but by mid summer we were no longer seeing many of the usual’s especially robins and red winged black birds. There are lots of sparrows (probably more than I have ever seen) that hang around the chicken yard. Over the past three weeks I have seen large flocks (hundreds if not thousands) of black birds flying over head, some stopping to rest in the trees or on the ground before rejoining the group in flight. I have wondered if this is normal for this time of year.
While we have had mostly the same severe weather threats it has never amounted to anything severe. I don’t think we have had nearly as much rain as you have had in your area and we were thankful for the rain that we received on Saturday afternoon and evening. We sat on the porch of the barn and watched it rain. As the rain fell plants seemed revived; the colors of the flowers became more brilliant, the leaves on plants seemed to perk up, and the grass became a deeper green.
Your pictures are beautiful, as always, and you captured some tiny creatures that mostly go unnoticed. When we were young it was the dandelion fluff (seeds) that we would blow and make a wish on.
Wishing you a beautiful fall. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Ruth and Happy Fall to you as well!
I am happy it is Fall as the heat and humidity and storm worries about did me in this Summer. I spent Saturday morning walking around the botanical gardens and finished up at 11:30 – it was 84 degrees! I went there to stay away from parks due to the EEE virus and came home with lots of mosquito bites (I think from the community gardens where I went into before I left). We are supposed to have hot weather next weekend is what I’m hearing (now if they are right or not, who knows?) I am very relieved when the severe weather they often predict does not happen. But I wonder how they can ALL be wrong? There was a rep from the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” on WWJ today talking about Fall predictions and she said a cold and rainy November and likely snow in November, and by Thanksgiving. That does not fill me with joy!
I read about what you said about the sparrows and that is interesting as I’ve seen a lot of them at my neighbor’s house and no one is feeding them and she has no berry or fruit trees in the backyard but I have noticed it and there are lots of sparrows at the Park as well. I noticed the red-winged blackbirds have been missing from the Park for months – they are the first ones I hear in the Spring – I never see them in Winter but I’ve not seen males or females at the marshy part of the Park and the robins are scarce too.
I was hoping the “Santas” and “Santa’s Whiskers” was not just a Canadian thing.
Will it be easier now and not so much work as we get into Fall or are you busy canning?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, lots of canning and freezing. Making soap and preparing for winter. Winter is when things slow down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And crocheting too! When I did more in the garden and “put it to bed” for the Winter, I would look forward to that gap of time, usually around Thanksgiving, between the last time out in the garden/mowing/raking leaves, etc. and the first snowfall. Essentially that was free time for me and hopefully not having the seasons just running into one another.
LikeLike
I don’t remember the last time I picked up a crochet hook. Time to start looking for some patterns. Yes hopefully there is time to get everything winterized before winter weather actually arrives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No more tablecloths?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not in the short term but maybe someday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve got the gift of observation, Linda, and that gift can be a curse when we miss what we wish to see again. You recovered nicely with sharing what you did see, that’s what matters the most. Nice job – I’m hoping for you that fall will give you many opportunities to see what pops up and prepares for the change of seasons. Happy (dry and pleasant temp) trails to you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Shelley – sometimes there is just much to see in one outing and the next day, not a single thing. I collected a lot of photos this Summer, but more of flowers and less of critters. I hope this is just an oddball year and not the norm because I really enjoyed seeing the usual contingent of critters that I’ve enjoyed since I began walking there in 2013. I hope dry trails are on the horizon for a while.
LikeLike
We’ve had a strange summer critter-wise too. Very few goldfinches which usually are plentiful at our feeders. The adult frogs took a flight out of my pond. I have two that just morphed this summer and a handful of tadpoles for next year. We had a lot of rabbits but we also had foxes and hawks. Sadly it’s very rare to see a rabbit these days. Even our squirrel population was down. I attribute that to the foxes too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember you said it was sad seeing the foxes and their prey you mentioned in a post one time was squirrels. We don’t have fox here in my city, but we do have Peregrine Falcons and Cooper’s Hawks right in the City, setting up nests and teaching their young to hunt squirrels, birds, including doves/pigeons and also mice. People take pictures of the large/small birds on a fence or telephone pole, all swooping/diving and I read it about it on our City Facebook Crime Forum. I worry that the bird and squirrel population at the Park and neighborhoods may be dwindling because of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It has been a strange summer here as well, Linda! We had the most goldfinches ever, but I have yet to see a single frog. No rabbits and only one snake sighting in my garden. But I did get a visit from a quail!! Your photos are lovely, especially the hardy hibiscus! The white “hibiscus” looks like a Rose of Sharon. I have one of those growing in the garden. I hope your weather is kind to you so that you can get in your steps! Happy Autumn, Linda! 🍂🌾🍁
LikeLiked by 2 people
Other people have commented on the lack of birds and strange Summer weather and they are all across the U.S. We seem to keep our rabbit population, but the birds and squirrels MIA is worrisome to me. I hope it is not all related to climate change Sabine.
I was not sure of that flower … when I posted the flower with the “one-eye-open/one-eye-shut” caption about a month ago, Ruth, a fellow blogger here in Michigan said they were Hibiscus and she has a garden full of them. So I thought it looked similar and Googled white flower with dark pink inside and got Hibiscus. However, I also got Rose of Sharon. Is it a hybrid or they are just similar? I was not going to attempt describing the bug on the purple flower or the tiny caterpillar on the rose. Clearly, I am rusty on my bugs, birds, and blooms!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are a type of hibiscus as far as I know, Linda! Wikipedia has an article about the Rose of Sharon you might find interesting. I have three of them, all different colors and bought them because the hummingbirds love them! Regardless of the technical aspects, they are beautiful flowers and that’s what matters the most in my opinion. 🌺
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just checked that out Sabine – so no wonder they looked alike … they are the same flower but names are interchangeable. Thank you for steering me here and I saw the white one with the pink middle. I did not know hummingbirds liked it. When Ruth said “Hibiscus” I started to wonder about my two I had for years – they were miniature and I put them into a hole in the ground, in their pots, every Summer and they overwintered at my neighbor’s house. She had a back deck and a big doorwall which she didn’t use in Winter, so she kept them and a Mandevilla tree there as well – she liked the color and had big drip pans for them. When she got a dog, the three pots were in the way of letting the dog out through the doorwall. They did not last a month in my basement as there was no sunlight for them and they died. When I was at the botanical gardens on Sunday, I asked the docent if they still had hummingbirds and she told me two plants to hang out and wait for them … I don’t recall the one plant name, but one was a Cardinal flower (Lobelia) with its long and tubular blossoms. She said the hummingbirds lined up on the Conservatory metal bars (it is spherical with open spaces) waiting for each of their peers to finish their turn. It was aggressive and covered the top of the Conservatory – I took some pictures. But she said the hummers loved it – this is the plant: https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=loca2
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve not had much luck with growing cardinal flowers. Maybe they’ll come back next year. I love the Rose of Sharon because it brings a tropical flair to the garden and of course the hummers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That Rose of Sharon sure was beautiful Sabine. The cardinal flower was growing all over the top of the Conservatory and I took a picture. The docent told me this vine grew from the pot, up the side of the Conservatory and along the top as it was invasive. She said they marveled the day four hummers were waiting while one feasted.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You got to post a lot of your ‘random’ pictures finally too. They’re gorgeous! Did you get back to that park you wanted to this weekend?
💕🕯🌟
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did Ellie and will write about it next week I think. I took a ton of pictures and will separate them into two posts. There were photos at the botanical gardens and community gardens and also at Coan Lake, there were lots of geese, ducks and cormorants which are black birds with big wingspans (they spread their wings to dry them and look like Dracula or a flasher) … and I hope those pictures come out as I took a few shots as a flock of geese were landing. They land with such a lot of noise and they couldn’t stay put, flying up out of the water several times.
LikeLike
I’m glad you saw geese… looking forward
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too – I’ll keep myself in suspense before I look at the picture card. I took a lot of photos that day. Today I have a post about some squirrel mischief … I think it will give you a smile. I was happy the pictures turned out … I couldn’t get too close as it on a homeowner’s front lawn and I was standing on the City sidewalk, but then the squirrel came out of where it was hiding, front and center, and made for a cute picture (in my opinion anyway) … I think you will agree. I even included a link of a squirrel mischief story I did in a post back in 2013 … squirrels are fun but they are sometimes destructive as well.
LikeLike
I’m looking forward to checking them out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to agree that mosquitoes were one insect that there was no shortage of this summer. I think all the rain we had gave them plenty of places to breed. Hopefully with the dry weather, their numbers will decline. I haven’t seen nearly as many butterflies and skippers this year as I have in the past either. I really enjoyed your flower and bunny photos and the quote.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I came home covered in bites for someone trying to stay away from mosquitoes. I hope I can go into long pants and shirts for good soon. I’m glad you liked the pictures Rebecca. I had saved those photos throughout the Summer – my favorites. The bunnies are often in the Park and do not hop away when walkers pass them, unlike the bunnies I see in the neighborhood who bolt if you walk by. Funny thing about the quote – I saw the quote a while ago and tucked it away to use sometime. I wrote the post, calling it “Tiny Treasures” and decided to use that quote and discovered it mentioned “treasures” – it was meant to be!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just read a very alarming article that said the close to 1/3 of our normal bird population has dwindled since the 1970s. Part of that is due to climate change, part loss of habitat, and part the terrifying loss of insects. I fear that we won’t wake up and do anything about this loss until it’s too late. How we think our species can survive without insects and birds is beyond me.
LikeLike
That gives us plenty of food for thought Janis – hopefully it is not too late. Other bloggers have commented on seeing less birds this Summer. I had no idea about the bird population and I just read about a guy’s movement to prevent bird strikes in City buildings because he found four dead birds in one morning, all attributable to striking windows. With all these factors going on, we can kiss goodbye to the songbirds we have taken for granted all these years and it does give us cause to pause as to our own mortality as well.
LikeLike
Something’s been eating that Milkweed; i sure hope that it was Monarch caterpillars.
Yes, i’ve read about what Janis said about 1/3 of the bird population vanishing. If we continue to destroy the planet, at least nature is very resilient and will likely bounce back.
Your pictures are very sweet and captivating, Linda! Keep doing what you are doing! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw those big chunks taken out too Tom. It looked more like a torn leaf than caterpillar munching. I also went to the Park near my home where milkweed was planted by the High School “Green Team” and I went several times and never saw caterpillars of any size, no chrysalises nor butterflies. So what gives with that? Janis made a good point as do you – it’s quite disheartening.
Thanks Tom, I’m glad you liked the pictures – they are a small sample of my view along the way. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Last year, i was watching and monitoring Monarch caterpillars on Milkweed plants that were not far from our home. They died pretty early on, which was disheartening. Then i found another batch of dead Monarch caterpillars across the road from a farm field that was likely routinely sprayed.
This year, i found some nice, healthy big Monarch caterpillars. They were in a small opening between two wooded areas. Such an area, surrounded by many trees, may afford protection from strong, dry winds that could dry them out; being away from sprayed fields is another bonus.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A former co-worker that I keep in touch with on Facebook did a post yesterday including photos and a video showing “their” Monarch’s metamorphosis. The photos showed the caterpillar at the onset, then in a net-like cage her husband built for it and filled with Milkweed – the caterpillar was huge! Next, the photos included the chrysalis and emerging from it, trying out its wings and the video was the Monarch flying away. You think they are beautiful to see in mid-Summer where they’ve unfortunately snagged and torn their wings over a few thistles or rose bushes or birds snapped at them a time or two, but this butterfly, with unmarred wings was just gorgeous. I saw the release of a Monarch a few weeks ago at Oakwoods Metropark, where you said it reminded you of a favorite park from your past –
the vibrant colors of the Monarch and on a sunny day made it more beautiful.
I was sorry I didn’t get to the nature center earlier as they had four releases that morning. I was just hiking around the woods waiting for the sketch event to begin.
LikeLike
The Hibiscus is a beautiful color of pink [red?]. I hadn’t thought of it before but we’ve had no frogs around here this summer. I usually hear them and occasionally see them when I’m out on a walk. I wonder what has become of them. So many little changes, perhaps not good, all around us, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I thought it was a beautiful color Ally. I previously used a similar picture with the post where I said “don’t leave the house one eye opened, one eye closed” and learned what type of flower it was. I didn’t know before. Those blooms are huge!
As to your frogs, here in SE Michigan, after we had the Polar Vortex, the Creek stayed frozen long after the PV was over. The DNR had some public service announcements saying that the ice covering killed the plant life under the water, so there was no oxygen for critters that hibernate under the sand/silt at the bottom of the shallow lakes and ponds. They said frogs, turtles, crayfish and small fish like minnows or shad may not make it. We had lots of shad wash up on the banks from lack of oxygen. That may have been the fate of your frogs too? I remember you live in the Midwest so we have similar weather. (Also, hopefully we won’t share yesterday’s prediction by the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” for a rainy/cold November with snow at T’sgiving. Ugh!)
LikeLike
Your explanation of why there are no frogs this summer makes sense and is probably what happened here. I’ve read that Old Farmer’s Almanac prediction and am hoping they got it wrong. This year has been taxing enough without an early winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m going by what I’ve seen here and also I hop onto Accuweather’s website several times a day to check the forecast and they have weather tidbits from other states which mirror our situation. I agree with you Ally – I was not happy to hear the Winter nor Fall prediction. The last two years we have had erratic weather here in Michigan.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you always find something interesting to take pictures of or talk about Linda!
So what was your wish?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Wayne – these were my favorite shots from this Summer and I actually had more pics in this folder of favorite photos and I kept “borrowing” them for other posts … probably a good thing since the post is long as it is. I wished for good health and good weather to continue my journey to year end … no use wishing for a winning lottery ticket as I always fall short there!
LikeLike
your fortune lies in your nature walks Linda and may you always reap the benefits!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I could “double like” this Wayne … walking in the park is such a joy for me and I am sorry I waited so long to begin a walking regimen and discover Council Point Park.
LikeLike
and thats just the beginning I’m sure! After you retire your going to become a Lighthouse aficionado! You’ll be getting your stamp book stamped and going to conventions,meetings and social gatherings!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I look forward more and more to retirement after a day like today – I just finished with the computer guy about 15 minutes ago. I am looking forward to more hours spent in the great outdoors, spoiling my furry friends and taking lots of photos.
LikeLike
and a great goal that is Linda! Your furry friends depend on you……to unwrap those difficult bags of delicious peanuts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I broke the mesh bag I carry on my fanny pack a few weeks back and I’ve been putting the sandwich-sized Ziploc bags into a grocery store bag and hanging it on my arm – that does not work well with taking pictures as I can’t access the peanuts easily … or fast enough. We have a hot and humid weekend but this time next week the highs are in the 50s, so I’ll be able to use my coat pockets again. I have to be quick or Parker will try to run up my leg for peanuts.
LikeLike
you need two small dog head cones on your ankles!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes for sure – Parker scrambled up my shin like it was a tree – his eyes were trained on the mesh bag that he sees me open the zipper to reach in for peanuts.
LikeLike
to him your just one big moving peanut tree!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read them other day that there are 30% fewer songbirds than in the 1970s and the algae blooms you’re seeing are cause by excessive nitrates, likely from lawn fertilizers, in the water. And ducks don’t like to swim in muck the same as humans. Not sure when the madness will end and we wake up to all this, but I hope it’s before we reach critical mass (and not mass extinction), Linda. Thanks for your beautiful photos. And now “Jeremiah was a bullfrog” is stuck in my head.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pam – I hate seeing “my park” reduced to this state and the water over the cement embankment until a week or so ago meant that algae bloom was slopping all over the place. I saw a pair of teens come along after it receded and they were stretched out where the muck had been. Listening to the weather reports across the state, nation and world is so telling isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed the photos – they were my favorites from the Summer season. I hope your ear worm is gone by now. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is, finally, Linda!!😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love all the flower shots, the white hibiscus is so gorgeous. That is to bad they spray the grass where the geese are. Some people complain about all the goose poop around the city pond, but they have a right to be there. The city’s keep getting bigger and the city built the pond, you cant stop the wildlife. A little goose poop wont hurt there shoes. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to go back and look at this post – some I remember distinctly from their names but this one I did not. I actually intended to use these pictures in a post I’d call “Look up, look down and all around.” I had a lot of pictures of tiny things (those bugs) and blossoms. I kept borrowing into my cache of photos and finally decided to do this. I had another photo of the hibiscus in an earlier post and could not identify them. I had a hibiscus years before but it was more tropical looking and did not have those gorgeous huge blooms. A fellow blogger identified it – looking at those summery shots makes me long for Summer all the more – not this cold and I say that after what is a fairly mild Winter. I don’t like that they mess with the geese either – as soon as they lose their flight feathers and go to a larger venue (like Elizabeth Park or Lake Erie) to wait until they are done molting, they spray the grass to discourage their return. It is a park in a natural setting and what else would you expect?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is good to use some of our older photos also. I have so many, it depends on the thought that is in my head if I use an older photo. I took 400 photos of the eagle, and only had a handful that were clear. That is the fun part for me, looking at them all and finding that one that is a good one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The ones you used were excellent Sandra. I sent your eagle blog post to Wayne and told him to see this fellow eagle lover’s shots. I take a lot of photos too, often two of each shot in case I moved, because a lot of times I am not on solid ground, but don’t have a long enough lens to need a monopod to steady the lens. and then it does take awhile to have to weed them out – I did that yesterday, started in the afternoon and it took into evening, so I was off the grid for awhile while I went through them, then wrote the post. I had some donkeys from the petting farm and could not choose which comical face to use, so used several of them. So I interspersed my old photos of ponies and donkeys and goats between the current ones. I still have three treks and lots of photos from last Summer to spin into posts sometime this Winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He made a comment, I told him how I love his photos of Romeo and that you brought his post to my attention. Can’t wait to see his spring photos coming up soon probably.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh that’s good – I wanted him to see your eagles fishing as he is always interested in getting shots of the eagles and bears catching salmon during the salmon run in the Fall. I like watching the eagles swoop down and get a fish and that they scope out the fish from high above in his pictures. It amazes me always. Once their rainy season is over, Wayne is shooting almost every afternoon/evening if the light is right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was so gray out yesterday, most of my photos did not turn out because of it. But, you just don’t know sometimes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have had countless gray days and in the month of November the sun did not shine once here in Wayne County. That broke some record the weather folks said.
LikeLiked by 1 person