I headed to Grosse Ile on Sunday, May 3rd knowing it would most likely be the last trek on the Island this year, since the Grosse Ile free bridge was slated to close on May 6th and not re-open until sometime in December. There is a toll bridge to access the Island, but it has been congested with those who live or work there beating a path back and forth, so I’ll be patient and visit other venues besides Grosse Ile until 2021.
With that mindset, Meridian Woods was the first spot on the day’s agenda, later to be capped off with a trip to Elizabeth Park.
Bob, a fellow walker at Council Point Park, lives on Grosse Ile and last year, after showing me photos of deer families congregating in the wooded areas and trotting down the main drag near his home, I wanted to see those deer for myself, so he gave me some tips and directions. Bob mentioned some Nature Open Spaces venues to visit on the Island and I’d visited all but this particular one last year.
I was especially keen on visiting this natural woodsy area since many folks on the Michigan marsh or park sites I follow on social media, were commenting on the return of the “Spring Peepers” – while Spring Peepers may sound like a type of local songbird, they are tiny frogs which make a peeping noise and when there are a lot of them, it sounds like a chorus of birds. So, how cool is that? I found this very interesting video which shows one of these tiny frogs, with a not-so-tiny voice. This is one of the better nature videos I’ve viewed on YouTube; you can click here to view it.
So off to Meridian Woods I went to look for frogs.
One thing I’ve discovered about Grosse Ile, is that there are not too many places to park, especially if you want to walk along the Detroit River’s edge. There is no boardwalk, it is all private property, with many stately homes along East River Road. The only solution is to park in one of the four school parking lots and just walk from there.
So, I pulled into Meridian Elementary School and crossed over to the east side of Meridian Road to visit this locale, formerly known as Manchester Woods.
So, where do I go first … the trail or the across the little bridge? I chose the trail.
There was an information station which showed the history of this 153-acre wooded area and trail and a couple of warnings like poison ivy – yikes! I put that idea out of my head since there was the promise of frogs also listed on that same info sheet. 🙂
The trail was short, just like the other Grosse Ile Open Space nature nooks I’ve visited, so no worries that I’d stray too far from the main trail and become lost in the depths of the forest. At any given time, I don’t think I’d gone a mile from Meridian Street where I entered the trail.
It was clear and dry, then suddenly I hit a muddy patch, but some kindly soul had made provisions for that icky mud, by putting some sticks to cross over the muddy spots.
Once past that makeshift bridge, in this part of the woods, there were bogs and water had spilled over near the trail I was walking on.
There were many felled trees and while some logs were half submerged, other logs were glistening with a heavy covering of moss. The sun was filtering through the trees making that moss looked iridescent.
Still other trees were in various stages of decay like this one.
I continued along the Old Path/Creek Bed and it was very quiet; no humans were around, which I appreciated as we were about seven weeks into this COVID-19 crisis, but also because I wanted to hear those singing frogs. I had researched a little about the Spring Peepers and learned they are most active in the morning and evening and their song carries up to two and one-half miles.
As I walked along, the occasional woodpecker was tapping, or songbird warbling. I did not have peanuts with me to dole out, but the squirrels were occupied chattering away while they chased one another, their nails clicking on the bark of the still-standing trees, so I doubted they would have come over and begged.
A bit farther into the bog area, I heard them, the faint song interrupting the solitude of my walk, but that was okay. I studied the bog, looking for movement within and strained to hear where the sounds originated, knowing that even if I had brought my boots along, there was no way I was crossing through that bog to investigate – who knows if snakes lived in there, no … just no.
So I had to be content to hear the music only.
Finally, I walked back to Meridian Road and as the chorus grew fainter, I decided to investigate what was beyond the small wooden bridge – perhaps more frogs that I could see?
Well, the wooden walkway merely crossed over a small stream. The water was very clear, so I would have had a good view to glimpse any of those tiny frogs, but there were none, just the glimmer of sun hitting last Fall’s leaves that had settled onto the surface of the water.
Overhead were tender leaves, just unfurling and making their Spring debut. The forest was not entirely leafed out yet allowing for peeks at the sky above.
I made the short jaunt back to the car and headed for Elizabeth Park. I had planned to go down to the River in Wyandotte afterward, but it was very hot that day, so I tabled that idea.
Next year, I’ll find those Spring Peepers and hear their song … do I need to make a “Frog Photo Bucket List for 2021” perhaps?
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
I’m glad you’re back there 💕
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It looks like a nice place for a walk, and very early-spring like! We had blessed rain this morning Linda – a real downpour! I won’t have to water for a week.
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Joni – it was a very peaceful walk and no one around made it even better. We had a good rain this morning too, nice and gentle and no storms (despite the prediction for possible severe weather). I fertilized my flowers the other day so hopefully the rain gave the fertilizer a little oomph as well!
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Wonderful pictures. It reminds me of a place we have here with bogs and trails. Only, we have an abundance of snakes you have to watch out for.
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Thanks Ron – the forest was just starting to leaf out as we had a cold April. It was so peaceful there and I couldn’t help but think all that water was not very helpful to the trees, perhaps weakening their roots and accounting for all the felled trees. Boy, I’d worry about any snakes … I am trying to take everything in around me while walking, but in wooded areas, I’m always looking down and ahead as well. If something slithered over my feet, I’d let out a scream for sure!
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What a wonderful park, thank you for taking us with. I love places like that. The peepers are the best singers out of all the frogs I think. I truly enjoyed the views Linda. I love those bridges like that also and the moss everywhere. In the spring there are new sprouts even in the moss that are very interesting to see. I did not get a picture of them this year though.
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It was such a peaceful walk in that park Sandra … I should have lingered a little longer. Next year I’ll try again to find those peepers. I loved the video how they “sing” – the leaves were just starting to unfurl so by now it would likely be more woodsy. The header image was the only wildflower I saw that day, so pretty and delicate.
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This park looks like a wonderful place to visit. Your photos suggest a stillness that you’d hope would allow you find your elusive frogs. By all means add it to your froggy bucket list which I hope you’re writing in the color green. 🐸
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Yes, it was so quiet and still Ally and beautiful with the bog and its reflections. I hope to do better next year with those tiny frogs. A froggy bucket list would give me a little inspiration to get ‘er done.
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Bogs, logs and frogs on your blog. I’m glad there was no fog. LOL! A nice post Linda.
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No fog but wouldn’t that give a nice mystic look to this little nature nook? No hogs either. I used to know a guy who went hunting wild hogs every year down South; I want to say in was in Georgia, but he went with a group every year.
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no Lions Tigers or bears……oh no!
I would of loved for you to see a bear walking towards you. I can see it standing there wondering why the forest had a Road Runner zipping away!
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Yes, and if I had skipped across the bridge like Dorothy and her pals, or gone across that makeshift bridge of sticks and gotten boxed in, I’d have had to jump into the bog to get away – yikes! Maybe snakes in there and I’d have been beside myself! I hope next year I’ll see those frogs … the video showing their throats while “singing” looked amazing to me, so tiny and all that noise!
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remember frogs are skittish!
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All of them but Kermit … I hope to see them next year. Didn’t you marvel how small they were with all that voice (in the video)?
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what video?
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I guess people didn’t see this video that was in the post … it is interesting to watch. You can hear the frogs which sound like birds singing and they are so cute and tiny (just one inch big). You have to go past two commercials, then the video starts. It is an excellent video about Spring Peepers:
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that link is not activated?
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Hmm – That’s strange – I found the link and where it says “share”, there was a period in the word “youtube” that shouldn’t have been there. But I what I put in the original post I tested it and it worked. I wish you could see/hear these cute frogs … going to try one more time because the link did work for me (the original link):
https://youtube/Jt43od3JzqI
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This outing sounded wonderful! I like places like these where it’s beautiful and interesting, but not too large to get lost. Lovely pictures. I hope 2021 will be a good year to hear those Spring Peepers! Never heard of it: now I learned something new. Thank you Linda!
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It was Esther – very quiet and peaceful. I bet your kids would love to see these cute frogs with the wonderful song.
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The walk sounds so good. And with a camera, I would’ve gone nuts. I like how you take pictures of each juncture and talk about it to make the readers journey the same road with you. It’s very nice!
They would love the frogs and will make those noises from there on out. Sometimes, they like to talk walrus, kitty, or puppy, and we communicate with just “urp urp” (or the sound of the animal they choose) with different tones and pitches.
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Yes, you would have enjoyed it Esther- very peaceful and serene. When I started my blog in 2013 I just wrote about walking in the neighborhood, basically the same trip everyday, even when I began going to Council Point Park in 2013. There were very few pictures. My neighbor is the one who convinced me to start a blog as I would go on a walk, and then later in the day would e-mail her and tell her what I saw that day – sometimes I had interesting stories so she encouraged me to start a blog about my walking adventures. Shortly after that, her chronic COPD got even worse and she was tethered to an oxygen tank 100% of the time, so she was rarely out of the house the last 3-4 years of her life, so I began taking more photos and writing so that she would see what I had seen – it kind of evolved to the “come along with me” from that. We went to Elizabeth Park a few times together around the time I started the blog – she was trying to encourage me to go out more to get variety in my blog.
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Linda, story of how you started your blog is beautiful!! Love how you began to encourage your friend with COPD. I’m sure she was grateful and felt special that you shared your journey with her.
Don’t you love it when a friend goes out of their way to challenge you?! Those are special people. I have a friend like that, who was my roommate in NYC, and she is that person who supported me to start my blog.
Thank you sharing your story with me!!
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Our blogging roots are so similar Esther. Yes, I’d share my stories from my walk with Marge and she’d say “did you take pictures to send to me?” And she sent me a blog she followed and said “you can do this” and so I started the blog partly to appease her since she was so insistent and was a good neighbor and friend. After she passed away rather suddenly, I wrote this post and then I went a few days later and took all the painted stones she had done and hid them around Council Point Park, then wrote about that little adventure. This is what I wrote the day she died: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2017/08/14/last-sunrise/
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What a special and influential friend she was to you!! Losing a friend is heartbreaking and shocking, even though you know it’s inevitable. Life is beautiful with good people in it, and when that person leaves, there’s definitely a gaping loss. I read your post and it was wonderful. I could feel your surprise and sadness. Linda, you were a good friend to Marge, just as she was to you. Because of her encouragement to start a blog, you’re making new friends. hugs…
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Yes, I’ve often thought if it ever would have occurred to me to start a blog if Marge had not encouraged me to do so? Would you have done so Esther without your friend suggesting you and encouraging it? Marge was actually nagging me about it and I did it because she was so insistent. It’s too bad she passed away before blogging took off in November 2017. She would have liked to have known about me meeting so many other bloggers who are now friends in the blogosphere. Thanks for the hugs and back at you!
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Same here! If my friend did not encourage me all those years, I wouldn’t have had the courage to start it. “Sing” from my blog title is from her. She’s a jazz singer and that was her personal contribution to my blog name. She’s a special friend indeed!
Marge would’ve been proud to see your blog flourish!! Your story is inspiring of how you began with 2 followers for a few years…love your persistence!
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Oh wow – how nice that you dedicated a part of your blog title to your friend. How thoughtful of you. I really should have made my title of my blog shorter as it I finally got some cards made up at Vistaprint during one of their sales, since I’d meet people while taking photos, and they’d ask my blog title and I’d have to explain about “no g on walking” and I know they gave up finding it!
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Hey Linda, that’s a great idea of printing cards from Vistaprint! I thought about it too in the past but didn’t follow through with it. I kind of stopped telling people about my blog and just mention it to few new people.
“Like wildflowers” was my input and I wanted that to be my blog name. When I searched it was already taken. So my friend and I were brainstorming over the phone and she mentioned “Sing.” And voila…my blog name was born. I hesitated for years starting my blog, but she encouraged me all those years. It takes special people to do that!! Glad you had a special friend like Marge too.
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Well actually I ordered them from Vistaprint and they advertise them all the time as being very cheap but by the time you order them, pay for shipping and handling, etc., they were not that cheap. But they will last forever. I liked the selection better. However, when creating the design, the fonts in the design did not appear so tiny, but when I got the cards, the font was in pale gray in one portion of the card and so tiny and pale it is difficult to read, It did not look like that on the site. But, because of the nature of my blog, I often run into people and was carrying around slips of paper with the name on it and the name is so long people would not remember it. So, I bit the bullet and got them. Walgreens also has business cards:
https://photo.walgreens.com/store/business-cards
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I’ve heard these many times but didn’t know what they were. They are mighty loud for such a little creature!
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Wasn’t that video interesting? I could not believe that much noise could come from such a tiny creature? I hope to see them next year and I’ll try this location again. I thought by going to a smaller nature nook rather than a larger marsh, I’d be lucky to see some.
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Yes, very interesting! What patience one must have to find and catch these on a video. 🙂
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I know – it did take patience, maybe luck too to get that little one in his hand like that – hope I can find some next year (no guarantee I’ll be picking them up though). 🙂
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What an interesting hike! Different than you usually post about. I love this kind of nature especially since there weren’t any people to scare the critters away. I always love when you walk up to a pond and all you hear is the frogs jumping into the water. Another fun hike Linda!
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Thanks Diane – I’m glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it was blissfully peaceful and quiet. Today at Council Point Park I saw Bob, who lives on the Island and suggested I try this place to hike. He asked me if I saw the old and dilapidated log cabin and if I took photos of it. I said I saw no cabin as there were bogs everywhere and I didn’t want to go through them. He said to go back in the Fall and go to the end of the trail and I’ll see the cabin and a lot of deer. So that will be a future trip/post likely in Fall of 2021 unless the bridge opens earlier.
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I can’t wait to see your pictures!
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I can hardly wait to go Diane!
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Lovely place…i love how quiet it looks!
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Yes, very peaceful there – I could have stayed all day.
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Your pictures show a truly enchanting place.
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Thank you JP. It was so peaceful and the reflections on the water, the sun filtering through and those one-inch big frogs singing made it almost magical.
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I love the idea of a Frog photo bucket list 😁. Thanks for the lovely YouTube link too, such lovely sounds
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I hope next year I can cross those Spring Peepers off my bucket list Zena. I wanted to share that video as you could see how small those frogs were and all the beautiful noise they can make. Glad you enjoyed it.
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It was so beautiful ❤
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Glad you enjoyed it Zena.
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