This is Part 2 of a morning spent in Wyandotte boppin’ along the riverfront. First, there was an hour jaunt on the boardwalk at Bishop Park where I was taking photos of that gull that insisted on posing for me, even sans snacks. You can click here if you missed last Monday’s post.
Then I was off to BASF Park which is a mile away. Sandwiched in between these two riverfront parks, you must pass through Downtown Wyandotte’s business section along busy Biddle Avenue.
My sole purpose for visiting Wyandotte was to take photos of their Christmas decorations, because the shops, as well as Biddle Avenue, are always decorated well in advance of the annual Wyandotte Christmas Parade.
Wyandotte has held a Christmas parade for eons – in fact, the 2020 version would have been the 77th annual Wyandotte Christmas Parade. Tradition has that parade going along Biddle Avenue on the last Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Wyandotte is a fun town with lots of small shops, eateries and in close proximity to two waterfront parks. I’ve been to their Christmas Parade many decades ago and mingled with a crowd of thousands which lined the street awaiting Santa’s arrival.
I follow the local news on Facebook and was surprised to see the Wyandotte Christmas Parade was still on schedule, so I decided I’d get some photos for a holiday blog post. However, a few days before that planned excursion, the News Herald announced that the parade and tree-lighting ceremony were scratched due to COVID concerns.
I decided to go to Wyandotte anyway, as surely the shopkeepers and City had instilled a little Christmas spirit down the main avenue. So off I went. My hunch was 100% wrong. I guess everyone was feeling like Scrooge due to the pandemic.
There was plenty to see anyway on that morning meander.
The “Winter in Wyandotte” sign, prominently displayed at Maple and Biddle, reminded me that yes, Winter was on the way, though you wouldn’t know it from the still-blooming white chrysanthemums in a planter near the base of the sign.
While walking that mile-long route from Bishop Park to BASF Park, I saw this evergreen, with pine cones dripping down. Inhaling deeply, I was reminded that this fragrant tree instantly made me think of Christmas.
Soon I was at my destination where I spent the next 90 minutes enjoying a gorgeous Southeast Michigan Fall day. Some trees still had not dropped their leaves and were ablaze in color.
As I strolled along the Detroit River, there were the usual seagull shenanigans and drama (stay tuned) …
P.S. – I was able to get a few shots of Christmas decorations in the Park’s memorial garden when I came upon lots of bulbs and baubles on two identical memorial trees, but that was it.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Too bad about the parade, such is our way of life these days. The pine cones make me smile as does the beautiful purple flower. I think it is an Astor? I have never seen a park sign like that, I rather like it. 🥰
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Yes, it was sad Kim and I was surprised it was still on schedule, then cancelled which didn’t surprised me. The pine cones looked so festive on that tree in the street – not even a holiday decoration, just au naturel! I wondered what those flowers were … I was surprised they were blooming away in mid-November. I liked the sign too. They don’t spray a lot of the wildflower patches in the larger parks as they get alot of butterflies and bees and they flourish, especially when we’ve had a rainy Spring.
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Loving those especially the gull closrup . fab indeed
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Thanks Michael – I was surprised the gull came out so clear as I was quite far away. I was using a point-and-shoot camera. It was a gorgeous Fall day.
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Sounds like a lovely walk!
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It was – I should go next weekend when we are having an Arctic blast – sometimes the water freezes in place and makes for interesting shots.
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Your photo with the Detroit skyline in the background reminded me of the Renaissance Center. When I was in college in nearby Indiana in the ’80s, the “Ren Center” opened to much fanfare. It brought the hope of resurgence to downtown Detroit. I don’t know if it succeeded in that regard but it was sure an impressive collection of buildings.
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I remember when the Detroit Renaissance Center opened up too Dave. I was going to college, then started working Downtown and watched it going up. It was the jewel of Detroit back then. The glass elevators, a rotating sky-top restaurant and lots of shops were quite a draw in those days. I worked there for a short time while at the ad agency when our client, Lincoln-Mercury, wanted Y&R to move closer to their offices. Now, GM owns most of the “Ren Cen” having acquired the space of each of the various tenants as their respective leases expired. There will be an office/shopping complex that was rumored to be the City’s tallest skyscraper, towering over the Ren Cen and will be at the site of the former Hudson’s department store . Hudson’s was demolished in 1993 after standing vacant for several years and it took up an entire City block. The new project is the brainchild of developer/billionaire Dan Gilbert and will be finished in 2023.
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Wow, I can’t imagine anything “towering over” the Ren Cen but I guess it’s all about bigger and taller these days. Good for Detroit tho’ – a much-needed boost to the downtown no doubt.
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It’s difficult for me to imagine that too Dave as the Ren Cen really was one of a kind back then. I have not been in Downtown Detroit in 11 years as I was laid off, then hired back but worked from home since 2011. They have really spruced up Downtown Detroit since I was last there. When the Ren Cen opened, they built Hart Plaza, a huge outdoor plaza with an underground area where there was a restaurant called “The Down Under” and, for years they had ethnic festivals there every weekend – they had live music, all native dishes which you could buy under the plaza from vendors, then sit and listen to the music up top. It was a big draw – Mexican and Greek festivals were long weekends. Someone got the “bright idea” to move them away from the Riverfront and Hart Plaza. So once you could pop over on your lunch hour or wander down there from the office after work. No more. It’s too bad as the Plaza stands empty except once a year for the big Jazz Festival.
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I loved the pine cone photograph and the freighter. I always like seeing that one. Wonderful group of photos Linda. 🙂
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Thanks Sandra – it was so nice to see the pine cones hanging on that branch as if they were decorations – natural decorations from Mother Nature. I like seeing the freighters too and it seems I’m always lucky enough to see one when I’m down at the River during shipping season.
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I enjoyed all the photos, even if there were none of the canceled parade. You always find lots to write about.
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Thanks Anne – it is a beautiful walk along the shoreline and I was lucky to discover this park last March. With this brutal cold spell we are getting, it would be beautiful to visit there as the waves just freeze in place, then when the ice thaws, the slabs of ice crash onto the boulders along the shoreline.
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Ice is fun to watch. Occasionally it was cold enough that ice would form along the edge of the Sound. I loved the groans and creaks as the tide moved the water under the ice.
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I’ve been at the River twice with all the ice and it was just awesome to hear and see. One time the Detroit River was frozen in place at Bishop Park; the second time was at Dingell Park and there were ice floes with ducks riding along on them and seagulls, a heron and an eagle “fishing” while perched on an ice floe. In that instance, the ice sounded like ice cubes in a glass, a tinkley noise. I liked the noises too. Up at the Mackinac Bridge, it’s brutally cold and they get ice that turns blue and piles up on shore – people go to take photos of the blue ice. I know I wrote a post last year about walking at Council Point Park and I think I was the only one and the ice was moving and creaking and the branches were touching the ice and/or each other. Today, in the St. Clair River, the ice piled up, the water level rose and there was massive shoreline flooding … a lot of homes are in dire straits. That is not near me. It is in Algonac.
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Ice can be pretty and dangerous.
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Yes, I feel badly for these people as they didn’t have time to sandbag and the water overtook the seawall and went into their homes.
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What a shame!
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I know … one woman and her mom who has MS, were flooded out of their home and had nowhere to go … no family and they have set up a GoFundMe site to help them out. I’m thinking someone will step up and offer assistance, but I could be wrong. That’s what worries me when we have these volatile Summer storms … we never used to have so many. People have said to me that you pay house insurance for this very reason, but I don’t look at it in that way. Everything is destroyed and how do you start over. Especially when you’re older – who WANTS to start over?
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A flood like that is devastating. How awful! I’m with you. Who wants to start over?
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Even if you’re young – no amount of money replaces what you’ve lost. That recent photo of the tornado showed a woman’s kitchen and it was the only part of the house that remained intact. The stove or dishwasher and the counter … everything else was in shambles.
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Isn’t it great that gulls will pose even when there is no food in it for them? I think gulls are friendlier than many people realize. I love the picture of the gull rocking on the buoy and of course, the close-up. 🙂 I have never heard of a Christmas parade before! Maybe next year I will get to see one on your blog. We have a Groundhog Day parade, though, but not this year. And the St. Patrick’s Day parades are called off again this year. Imagine that, this will be the 2nd St. Patrick’s Day of the pandemic… The picture of the pinecones on the evergreen is so festive — I love it.
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They stand like statues sometimes don’t they? I have a Wordless Wednesday post for tomorrow of some gulls squabbling. I started to just include them in this post, but figured their expressions made it an interesting sequence for Wordless Wednesday. How they interact with one another and the deadpan looks make me smile sometimes. When I was young, I went with my father to Toronto’s Santa Claus parade – it was downtown and a big deal and a large crowd. It was televised as well and when we moved here my mom would watch it on the Canadian station and was very homesick.
I am going to write a post for next week about Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I walked in a virtual race on Thanksgiving Day to help raise funds for the parade. They did not send the tee-shirt and medal until about ten days ago. So, I’m going to write the post and mention my eight-year blogiversary at the same time. I am so behind here it is not funny and behind in writing as well. I always like having a post ahead, but that’s not happened in a while. They have a big St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebrations in Corktown near Downtown Detroit and it was also cancelled for the second year. They have Paczki 5K runs and parades that occur around Fat Tuesday – also cancelled.
I liked those pinecones too Barbara – they looked so festive and smelled fragrant. There was my Christmas magic I was trying to capture – glad you liked the photo.
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I love it when gulls stand for a long time on one leg. It looks like they’re practicing yoga. 🙂
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I know – they like posing for us. Being in the limelight seems to suit them. 🙂
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Wyandotte reminds me of Lititz. Lots of little shops and restaurants, usually a lot going on. Our town canceled their Christmas Parade and festivities this year too. Maybe next year! The days of gathering in crowds now seem so far away. I wonder if we will ever get back there again?
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They have a lot of activities on the water too. I remember you went to an ice carving event and wrote about it in a blog post. It looked fun. It is a very walkable town – yours too likely. It seems inconceivable thinking about gathering like we did before … I hope that we can return to that life without fear one day.
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What a nice walk, Linda! You sure come across an interesting variety of things to write about. I hope you’re okay with all the snow that came down over the last day or two. ☃️
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It was such a beautiful Fall day Sabine – I enjoyed it immensely. We’ve got snow, but I’ve been able to salvage a walk as they salted the streets. I was surprised as that initial snow came down Sunday very early so I figured they’d not clear the snow and salt. I was pleasantly surprised and got a walk in yesterday and today. Thursday night we’re getting a wintry mix and into the Deep Freeze with single digits (in the daytime) – not looking forward to that at all.
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Miss linda………………….thank you for all the news about Wyandotte…………………….YOu’re a great photographer and story teller!
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Glad you enjoyed this post Ann Marie … I need to shoot you an e-mail to ask if you’ve gotten down to BASF Park yet … I can’t believe I lived here all these years and only discovered in in March 2020!
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So nice to see some color, Linda, even if it is retrospective. Kind of tired of looking at winter white!
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It was such a pretty day Joni. That tree and those bright-red leaves, blue water … we had sun yesterday and today and it makes a big difference than having gloomy and gray skies every day.
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It’s a howling night out there tonight…..lots of wind and the snow is flying!
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Pretty ugly out there and wind to 35 mph – 40 mph tomorrow. Hope we don’t lost power. I didn’t come to Comments, just now as I saw your message about the weather. I stayed in Reader and am caught up through January 31st … that’s not saying much! It was gorgeous today … yes cold, but dry and sunny. No fan of Winter.
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It’s the first wicked night we’ve had this winter. The rest of the snow has been mostly in daytime. I hope you don’t lose power!
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So far so good with the power, but it was very gusty yesterday – now under 20 mph winds thankfully. I only went out to run the car this morning and decided not to walk as the temps were brutal. I was hoping we would remain unscathed all Winter as to bitter cold and heavy snow. We have 1-2 inches again overnight as Winter settles in. We had 4.2 inches of snow on Thursday night layered with freezing rain. Hope you fared better.
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I was wondering if you had walked in this bitter cold Linda. I didn’t – it was just too cold out. I did run the car over to check on mom, and did 3 short laps around my back yard, but I was too afraid of falling if I walked on the street, as there is a layer of ice under the snow and slush. The forecast is for bitter cold all next week, so I don’t think much walking will get done. I’m afraid of breaking a hip if I fall, so am being very cautious. My neighbour did my driveway for me, but we only got a couple of inches. I have the pipes downstairs dripping tonight. It’s stay inside and write kind of weather!
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I did not walk again today Joni. I thought I’d give it a try, not for steps/miles, but for the squirrels and would not take my car out. It was warmer today, just a tad, but same reason as you … even though I was bundled up in double layers, the City has still not plowed the street, nor salted it … I don’t understand that as the snow fell last Thursday night. The cross street is a busier street and it was not plowed either. So I turned around and came back. Like you I worried about falling and we had more snow last night. I hate Winter. I have the cupboard doors open in the kitchen and bathroom and taps dripping as well as downstairs … will go downstairs before bed and put a small load of laundry in. It is cold downstairs as I leave the cellarway door closed as I sit near that door at the kitchen table. I did a post for tomorrow and for Wednesday yesterday, proofed tomorrow’s and added some info and finalize it and against my better judgment, did a post for Thursday (Blogiversary). Valentine’s Day post will be just three days later, but mostly pictures. I hope next weekend is better – all week for cold – not nice. I wasted 90 minutes messing with the phone and trying to reach AT&T re: the static and just getting here now. Not nice and have a half-hour before “ACG&S” … I am going to send you a link separately. I think it won’t go to SPAM as it is a WordPress blog. The woman who wrote it told me to watch for it to send my friend/fellow blogger because she wrote about Charles Dickens last year and I told her you always read “A Christmas Carol” and like Dickens.
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I did a short walk today, in my mom’s subdivision, down the middle of the street as it was the only bare pavement – there was no traffic, as everyone was inside watching super bowl. I saw one other walker and no cars. It was just good to get out, but frigidly cold on the face, even with a mask on for warmth. A whole week of this ahead. My basement is like an igloo. I keep the door to it from the kitchen closed too. I wanted to get a small rolling fireplace heater for down there, but didn’t get to Lowe’s in the fall – it was in the sale flyer. I tried to find out if it was energy efficient but the clerk didn’t know, and then the sale was off and now I wish I had bought it, just to take the chill off, as there is only one hot water rad for the whole basement. Keeping fingers crossed and taps dripping….
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I’ve not walked since Thursday morning, so glad I savored that walk which I wrote about today. We have the same crummy week of cold weather and just as it begins to moderate later in the week, we will get snow on Thursday night and back with an Arctic Blast all next weekend. I hope I get back to the Park this week sometime. Our streets still have not been plowed or salted – I guess now, after waiting four days, they are waiting for tonight’s snow, but it is ridiculous. I thought I’d see people complaining about it in the Facebook City and Crime forums but no one said anything. My hands look terrible, chapped, cracked and bleeding. I don’t know whether it is from washing them so much (handling the mail though I wear heavy gloves and don’t open it for a few days), but using water as hot as I can stand it. I’m more inclined to think it is due to being out in the cold, even with gloves on – this weather is brutal. I find a mild soap and my hands are soft, then they change the ingredients and I suddenly have cracked hands. That happened with Purpose soap in a pump after using it for decades to wash my hands and handling my contact lenses. I hate going downstairs too, especially in this brutal weather as I do a small laundry load before bed and one first thing in the morning – I cringe as I walk downstairs. As long as we don’t lost power and the pipes crack. Have you ever considered a permanent, instant-on generator Joni? AT&T has to come fix the phone as it has static and like the last two times it will eventually just die and likely due to the squirrels chewing the wires once again. They chew the wires, the moisture gets into the cable, static, then it goes. And today I published my post and then once again it went missing for about six hours.
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We have the same frigid forecast. The only walking I’ve done since Sunday was in the grocery store, pushing a heavy cart around! We’re stocked up again for another 3 weeks. I don’t know anything about generators but they scare me because of newspaper stories about carbon monoxide poisonings. I think I just need a plug in heater for the basement for the very cold days, but it seems to be okay so far, no pipes freezing and I don’t use the basement anyway. My hands are cracked and dry too, but not as bad as when I worked, as then they would be covered with paper cuts, from the constant hand washing. I think it’s the dry air in the house, from keeping the furnace cranked so high. I didn’t notice if your post went missing, as I haven’t read for several days. I’ve started editing the second draft and spent 3 days on Chapter one, as I had to keep stopping to do research. I’m aiming for one chapter a week, and 3-4 hours a day, so that cuts into the reading and blogging time….I’m wondering if I should just put a pause on my blog for awhile, as I hate to lose the momentum. I still have two ahead though……
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No, I wouldn’t have a portable generator due to C02 worries, but I mean a large generator that is connected to natural gas and outside your home. I worry with this volatile weather we now seem to be having in the Summer and the weird weather swings in Winter, that the pipes will crack and burst. You are making great progress on the book. Good for you! You had already commented on it (Monday’s) and then it went missing for 5-6 hours. The HE are all looking at it – several of them when we do back-and-forth e-mails, I have different ones trying to figure out what is happening when they publish in Reader, than go off the grid.
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I don’t feel like I’m making much progress at all, as I’m only part way through Chpt 2 – the murder scene chapter so I have to be careful with the timing and descriptions etc. Didn’t work on it at all today, as I took mom for a drive, then cooked at her house, and tonight I wasn’t in the mood and decided to get caught up on Reader. I’m aiming for one chapter a week, there are 17 chapters, so a long way to go. I knew I had read your Monday blog, but didn’t realize it had gone missing after it was posted. I wonder how often that happens? Did they have any idea?
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Well at least your mom got out of the house as it is not looking good the next week or so, snow-wise or cold-wise. Today they said this polar air was from Canada – that is the first time I heard that story. Last Polar Vortex a few years ago, I heard the same story “it’s Canada’s fault!” I have to do my post tomorrow as it is for Valentine’s Day and I have the photos ready, but have not written the post yet. I had several Happiness Engineers trying to troubleshoot – they gave me a link to reach them right away if it happens … it is a direct/live link and they will look into it right away. The problem is if they are backed up with “help tickets” and don’t see my e-mail, sometimes the post is already back.
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Here is the link to Yvette’s post about Dickens. I’ve not read the post … I was caught up to the morning of 02/01 – now 7 days behind again:
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/78287622/posts/3169887353
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Thanks Linda…..I did see it and thanked her. I’m behind too….3 days I think and may read a bit tonight until I’m too tired. ACG&S was so boring tonight – only two episodes left so I’ll stick it out I guess.
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Yvette must have tagged you then. I didn’t read the post yet, just scanned it as she sent sent me a Comment to say she did the Dickens post. That’s funny as I thought ACG&S was boring last night too. I was surprised they would do a whole show on the fair and human relationships. Except for repairing the dachshund’s broken bone, there really was not much “vetting” done. I thought the dachshund’s 104-degree temp would be an infection and be problematic for the surgery, but they didn’t mention it. And Jim looking at Helen like a lovesick cow as the expression goes is getting old. I liked it better when it was less on love interests, more about veterinary medicine. I’ll stick it out too.
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It’s certainly not translating well from the famous books, which I have not read, so can’t compare. I thought the storyline about the bull was just plain stupid, and so is Tristan. He’s so annoying, but then he reminds me looks-wise of my first boss, so I could be prejudiced.
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I thought the first episode was similar to what I remember from the books. I don’t remember much else from the books as I read them years ago. He was too fixated on the bull and Helen – it was stupid and Tristan is annoying – only out for a good time. Now I hope that Siegfried doesn’t dwell on this friend of Mrs. H too. I didn’t remember Siegfried’s wife had died. Forgot that part of the book. I’m glad the Tricky Woo stuff as well.
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It sure felt like a lovely autumn day while I was reading this. Much better than stepping outside – even if the sun is shining. Kim is correct the purple flowers are asters. As far as I can tell they are usually the last thing the bees have to forage before winter sets in.
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Oh Ruth, I’d give anything to have that day back and not what we have now. I felt badly not getting to the Park today … I wanted to go but the warning to not be outside more than 10 minutes and it was windy and -2 “real feel” held me back. They have not even plowed or salted our street from Thursday’s snow. I’ll bet your pond is frozen solid. That is good to know Ruth about the asters. I’ve heard the name, but never seen them and there they were blooming and mid-November. Just 42 days til Spring, but you and I know that means nothing as we could have snow and cold weather then.
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and it looks like the COLD is here to stay. 😦 Our pond would be frozen over if it were not for the windmill. We keep the windmill pumping air into the pond in the winter to keep the fish alive. We have had several people tell us that they lost all their fish during the winter do to lack of oxygen.
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I forgot about the fish – oh yes, that happens at the Creek every year Ruth. The Creek is frozen over right now and in fact it is snow covered as well as you will see in Monday’s blog post. After this bitter cold spell and the Creek thaws out, there will be lots of shad dead along the shoreline from lack of oxygen. I should have remembered your fish.
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I loved all your pictures! Having scenery like that has to make your walk so enjoyable!
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Thank you Diane – this was a beautiful late Fall day and you’d never know it from the flowers and the beautiful leaves. It was enjoyable and then I think of the weather we have now … what a difference and what a shame.
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Sounds like a lovely walk. I love all the details you capture on these walks.
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A beautiful Fall day for sure Zena – and now, we have this Polar Vortex, snow, more snow on the way. I’d love to be back on that River walk. Thank you – I try to make it so people feel they are walking alongside me.
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