What the heck happened here the last few days? The weather has been abysmal and that is being kind! There have been records smashed and lots of tidbits to talk about regarding the Veterans Day snow event and now the deep freeze. There are fun facts and figures to toss out, like right now we are colder than Fairbanks, Alaska, and, as I write this post, the temps and “real feel” are the same: 8 degrees F (-13 C). Brrrrrr. In an effort to be clever, halfway through Monday’s snow event, the weather folks quipped “I think this snow is an over-achiever and we are not done yet!” In my city, we ended up with 8.8 inches of snow in 24 hours’ time.
Just the day before, I was walking in two different parks, checking out what remained of the Fall foliage (those leaves that had not yet been whisked to the ground in one of many wind events during the past few weeks), and, I was clicking away with the camera, with gloves cast aside. As I meandered along, I was tendering peanuts to squirrels and jays who were eager to claim them …
… now this. Well the walking is on hiatus for now, likely until Friday when the temps warm up a little and there is hopefully no ice on the streets or sidewalks. Yesterday, there was ice beneath all the snow – just great. The Park pathway does not get plowed or brushed off, so I’ll try to venture down there to take some peanuts to my furry and feathered friends if I am able on the weekend during the day. The squirrels are likely in a tailspin, as the snow is too deep and the ground too cold to retrieve the nut goodies they diligently buried there the past three or four months.
In the meantime, however, I have taken loads of photos this Fall season as I subscribe to the theory of “seizing the day” … I got out to my favorite nature nook as much as possible these past few weeks, and, unbelievably, I still have some late Summer photos from other parks to share. Autumn is my favorite season (or was …), so I will be posting more Fall shots, even as the snow flurries fly (more snow tonight) and as we inch toward the holiday season.
“The “Peanut Lady” and “Midnight” had a photo session.
In the tail end of October, we had a gorgeous week of weather. I couldn’t keep up with all the images that I was collecting in the camera. I just kept clicking away … at the Park, on the way home; it was lots of fun and I savored each moment, each step that I took, because yes, I live in Michigan and in Canada before that, so I know all about those harsh Winter days and a season that is way too long.
As you know, I’ve named a few of the squirrels in the ‘hood and around the Park – at Council Point Park you’ve met Parker and Stubby and I’ve featured Midnight before. I just love the expressions on this little squirrel, and often I get home and when I see the images on the screen, I just have to smile, so I hope these pics and captions will give you a smile too.
P.S. – I am skeptical that this photo shoot will yield a lot of peanuts.”
I am a star now, just like Parker. My mama always told me to aim big or go home!”
[Holly Hobbie photo courtesy of Pinterest]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Your photos and words about the black squirrel are priceless. Thanks for the smiles on this ridiculously cold November morning, Peanut Lady.
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Glad you liked the photos and words Ally. This squirrel is such a timid little creature, and I feel sometimes like it analyzes my every move to determine whether I am safe to be around. I passed muster this time. Happy to give you a smile – it is still ridiculously cold here too!
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He’s a cutie! We had the same amount of snow Linda…..way too early for this time of year. I remember having flurries on Veterans Day but not 8 plus inches. It looks like January out there.
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He sure is Joni. I agree about the weather – it is not right and we’re getting a little more snow tonight which is not good news as the streets, sidewalks and driveway are a sheet of ice thanks to the deep freeze temps. I don’t see this snow going away any time soon!
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Such a beautiful black squirrel. We don’t have any black ones here.
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We didn’t use to have them here either – just about the last ten years. When we moved here from Canada, we had never seen a Fox squirrel and thought they looked huge next to our dainty little black squirrels.
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Midnight is a great name!! He’s cute, too …
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Yes, he is a glossy black color and you’re right Ellie – he is a cutie. I’m working on him not being so timid around me. 🙂
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You’ll get there!!
💌🕯✨
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I have certainly seen photos of Midnight before, but I don’t think we were ever formally introduced. I love that name! Your critters will wonder where you are, but it certainly is excusable for you to skip the walking if it is 8 degrees (!!!) with ice beneath the snow. Ugh! I am going to count my blessings. I thought it was bad here and the high was 40 degrees today.
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He is solid black Laurie – he does suit that name perfectly and such a tiny squirrel, unlike the bigger Fox squirrels. Yes, I imagine they are not only feeling the effects of all the snow, but the bitter cold and no way to access their food now. I’m glad I could help them out beforehand – I took lots of peanuts down there in anticipation of this storm. I feel badly but not likely I’ll make it there anytime soon. The roads, driveway/sidewalks are a sheet of ice and we’re getting more snow tonight (not much though). I’d love 40 degrees. It was mid-40s Sunday and it felt wonderful after two days of very cold weather. I don’t see this melting any time soon. Ugh!
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I don’t know about you, but having that kind of ice and snow in November would be very unusual here. So sorry your walking will be curtailed for the near future.
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Yes, I was upset as I waited for the time change so I could get out earlier again and add at least one mile, maybe two, to each day (especially if it was a sunny morning) and now this. It makes me angry – we don’t usually get snow like this until December. I was counting on walking at least 25-30 miles per week until it was a later sunrise again.
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Yes. I did the math. You will have to walk a little bit under 20 miles/week for the rest of the year to meet your goal. I think you will do it! 🙂
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I sure hope so Laurie – if I had not taken on the challenge by Canadian bloggers to get to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), as of today, I would only have 28 more miles to go. I heard we are getting a brief warm-up next week, but also heard freezing drizzle early Monday morning – it gets to 34 later in the day, but still … I don’t need any more hangups. I had hoped after the time change to return to more miles – this has bummed me out.
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I hope you are right and the warm up happens. If you go past 1,242 miles, what will you do for an encore! 😉
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I will just go one more mile – that is what I always have done since I began walking in 2011. Actually I usually supersede my original goal by 50-80 miles, so that is why I took on this challenge without hesitation, thinking that I usually go over and above anyway. I want you to know it was gorgeous out today and I waited until it reached 36 to go to avoid any ice in the streets. I decided to walk to/from the Park in case the Park was bad, so I would at least get two miles going there and back. To my surprise the pathway had been plowed/brushed and it was clear as a bell, except a few patches of soft ice parallel to the Creek (that is bad for black ice as well – the mist from the Creek). So I got five miles walked at the park and two through the neighborhoods to get there. I took a lot of pictures since it was the first measurable snowfall, though a lot of it has melted – I don’t do that every time unless I see something interesting. They just said 50 and rain on Thursday – so perhaps the snow will melt – great, no worries about any black ice or surprises! I know you, as a runner, appreciate that dry/clear pavement.
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Beautiful squirrel pictures Linda! The snow here weighted down all of our trees, even the oak tree which is huge! The branches were down to the ground and thank God they didn’t snap in two!
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Thanks Diane – I have many Fall shots to share and this is the first year that I’ve not taken pictures in the morning and shared them in a post the same day. I might as well wait to share photos from the Henry and Clara Ford Estate in Dearborn until the middle of Winter. Henry Ford had this beautiful old home and gardens everywhere and I went when they were in bloom. I spent an entire afternoon walking around, took a lot of photos so I’ve yet to pick through them. This little black squirrel sure is a cutie, but very timid. I worried about all that snow as well Diane – and did you happen to see heavy/wet snow on the electrical wires too? Yikes! Monday night the lights flickered a few times and I worried as we were headed into the Polar Plunge. I hear we are getting a snow blast this morning within the hour – it’s not hit my area yet, but did the northern suburbs and caused lots of issues. We have rain on Monday and 40 degrees – please let the rainwipe out this snow! 🙂
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I’ve been to the museum but didn’t know about the estate.
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It is not too far from Greenfield Village (now called “The Henry Ford”) – it has been undergoing restoration to the mansion for several years with no end in sight. I went to school (community college) down the road and had never been there, which was odd as I worked on the school newspaper which was called “The Ford Estate” after this place. I took a lot of pictures of the gardens, perennials and roses and also a large annual garden – the Missus liked flowers apparently as the gardens are unchanged since they lived there in the 1940s.
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Miss Linda………………………….each of you having a “fitting name”………………….MIdnight………….and The Peanut Lady!!……………………I know all of the beautiful Fall scenery is buried under all of the snowy ice……………………..Now what’s going to happen??
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We sure do Ann Marie – that is the prettiest little squirrel, jet black and glossy and I am seeing more and more black squirrels and even gray squirrels at the Park and in the neighborhood. Midnight is very timid – the expressions on her face are just precious. The leaves are all over the snow like polka dots and I hear we will have 40 degrees and rain on Monday which will be welcome for walking and I’ll take the car out then for a run – not taking it out this week with all the ice – my driveway and the street is a sheet of ice. I read in the Lincoln Park Facebook information forum that your old neighborhood was so icy, and someone rounded a corner at Chandler and crashed into a pole – they were okay, the car and pole not so much. We’ve broken all types of records this week – you and I could have done without that!
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Your enthusiasm for your peanut eating friends is admirable. At my place, I call them rats with bushy tails – they are less than desirable because of the damage they can cause!
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Thank you Margy – I have no pets now, so have “adopted” my furry and feathered peanut-eating pals as my pets. So, I worry about them in this very cold and snowy weather we are having, which is so uncharacteristic for SE Michigan in the beginning of November. I cater to some squirrels and birds at my house too, but here I am mindful of the damage they cause with their digging and chewing. They take the peanuts within a half-hour of me setting them out for them on the porch and concrete ledge and they wait for me to feed them from their various perches. I haven’t had any annuals in a few years, so there is no digging up the plants and throwing them aside to hide an acorn or peanut – yes, I have had that happen. I was lucky they never found anything to chew on.
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Your snow makes me appreciate our rain! The black squirrel is cute! I’ve never seen one in real life. I hope your weekend weather will be nice enough to go visit your fury friends! 🙂
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Yes, this was an ugly week of weather Sabine – 8.8 inches of snow, then two days of brutal cold. It was still icy this morning though, so I walked a block over at Memorial Park, but there is no path there. But I just walked laps. I hope to go later in the day, when the ice is melted on both weekend days. I have to go in the morning and they did not salt our street – it is a sheet of ice! That black squirrel is very cute and timid. Love those big dark eyes … working on getting her less apprehensive of me. Hope you are feeling 100% again and got rid of that pesky chest cold.
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I’m almost back to normal with my cold. It sure stuck around! As to the snow and weather in your neck of the woods I can only say brrrrrr!! I don’t know if I could handle it.
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It did linger – a fellow blogger has been dealing with a cold/cough for five weeks and just getting over it now! The older I get, the weather is less tolerable, especially when it starts this early in the season (or I should say “pre-season”).
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I hope this will be my only cold this winter season. And I agree with you on the weather as we grow older. As winter escape to the sunshine sounds tempting! 😉
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I hope so too Sabine … since I work from home, I don’t come into contact with many people, so it is easier to stay healthy than when I worked on site. I was diligent then though, as I didn’t want to bring colds home to my mom as she was on meds that did not work well with cold preparations and she was afraid of being dizzy and falling. She had two hip replacements (same hip) and was told that a fall would land her in a wheelchair the rest of her life. The wintry weather is not so tolerable starting this early – it will make for a very long Winter season. Last year we still had snow in mid-April.
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the leaves are getting out of dodge cause they know whats coming! If they had tiny little feet I could see long trails of leaves heading south!
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Wayne – the leaves should have gotten out of dodge by November 10th it seems, because they are now either buried beneath the snow or dancing along on top of it. My ornamental tree has not turned red, let alone dropped its leaves; it is confused. We had erratic weather in the Spring about 4-5 years ago – middle of May I believe. The trees all started leafing out throughout Southeast Michigan, and began budding in northern Michigan. Then we had a hard freeze throughout the state. The leaves on my tree, as well as others who have the same type tree (Japanese Laceleaf Maple), were freezer burned, turning yellow and remained that way the entire year. The apple and cherry crops in northern Michigan were severely damaged that year and the Traverse City Cherry Festival had to get cherries from other states! The apple harvest was way down that year and apples were trucked in from other states, mostly Washington, to meet demands here in Michigan. The weather we have had the past few years has messed up my tree which hardly drops its leaves in the Fall now. It always dropped them by Thanksgiving. Now nothing. I’ve had it since 1985 so I’ve had many years to monitor it.
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thats good that your being observant Linda! That is a prerequisite to being a good photographer!
Every living thing reacts to its environment but most do not see the subtle changes.
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Thank you Wayne – I thought I had lost that tree that was planted in 1985 and had thrived up until then. It was so small the first year I planted it and the nursery said to stake it and cover it with burlap several times over and leave room at the bottom for snow to help with moisture for the roots. So it looked funny this big burlap blob, so I went and got a red velveteen bow for the front of it. I wrapped and staked it for three years until it was sturdy and could withstand a Michigan Winter being unwrapped.
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and now your a tree whisperer as well!
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Beautiful and interesting one as always-have a great weekend.
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Thanks Sharon – Fall was nice while it lasted – I am glad I got out as much as I did! Enjoy your weekend as well – they go by way too fast.
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LOL – I love this, your post is delightful despite being spiteful about the weather :-). You definitely caught some great poses. I hope this weekend’s weather allows for you to go walking and spreading peanut love everywhere! I thought that was Holly Hobbie – I had a collector’s plate with her on it in my room when I was growing up. Happy Weekend Trails to Tales/Tails to you, Linda!
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Ha ha – you are funny too Shelley. I really like Holly Hobbie and not long along I wrote about getting the 3-D wooden/oilcloth Holly Hobbie for my yard and the squirrels just destroyed it … I was pretty angry at them and had to pitch the whole thing as they tore the clothing, ate through the batting in the bonnet and chewed the wood feet and watering can – grrrr. I did walk in the nearby park and am going to do a post about that – I am shooting to go to Council Point Park tomorrow as it will be less ice (hopefully). We have ice all over except my driveway, walk and porch, but the street is a sheet of ice … it only got to 32 today. I hope to peanut love tomorrow.
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I remember that post. Squirrels can be nasty – even if they are cute. It was nasty here yesterday and it’s snowing now, so the treadmill is calling me. I hope you get to share peanut love today!!
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Yes, sometimes they fight with each other – don’t know why as I put down enough for all of them, so no fighting is necessary. It was actually a gorgeous day today – it got to 36 degrees and I waited until it warmed up to go on my walk to avoid ice. I got 7 miles done today. Yesterday was not all that great for us either, no snow, but very cold. I was pleasantly surprised to find the City had plowed the path at the Park. There was a little ice near the Creek, but I had on hiking boots, so it was okay.
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I’m envious – 7 miles, I would LOVE to do that! The weather was too windy and cold for us to walk. 😦
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I did enjoy it Shelley – today was nice too, but I had to go earlier since it was a workday and I had to be careful of the ice which had refrozen again. But I still made it to the Park – another four miles … getting there!
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YAY!!!!! You’ll meet your goal yet!!
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Hope to Shelley – I will try my best! Must check outside now as some parts of SE Michigan had freezing fog this morning – ugh.
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We had the freezing fog too. I hope you had a safe walk!
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Yes, it’s like Mother Nature wants to try a little bit of this and a little of that; it’s not a buffet table for goodness sake! This morning I left in my walking shoes – aah. The hiking boots do the trick with the thick treads, but, even though I’ve had them for about three years, they are not really “broken in” yet – the walking shoes are like slippers on my feet. I’m back to walking my socks off, until the next round of ugly weather arrives.
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