Last week I received an e-mail – the re: line was “Hello, Dear LPHS 1973 Classmate!” and the topic was our LPHS 50th Reunion. Even though my previous RSVPs were a hard “no” it seemed the flyer attached to the e-mail was supposed to evoke fond memories, i.e.:
You probably noticed those memories didn’t mention the scholastic aspect of high school. I have to tell you that our senior year was more memorable for the 1973 LPHS grads as we crammed three years of fun activities into that final year. That is because the sophomore and junior years were strictly scholastic due to millage issues and not only did we lack extracurricular activities, but we had a bare-bones education with no college prep classes or foreign language studies and, for those students hoping to get college scholarships based on athletic prowess, there were no sports. Band/chorale/drama and clubs, even driver’s ed were not on the school agenda; thus, for two years we trudged to school for half-day classes, basically no-frills high school.
However, all amenities returned our senior year, so school was a little more exciting as we cheered on our “Rails” at football games with the marching band in attendance, we oohed and aahed when our classmates suddenly morphed into thespians at high school plays and school dances in the cafeteria gave us a chance to show off our dance moves and/or advertise we had two left feet.
Our high school education was not stellar, but I never realized that until I arrived at Henry Ford Community College in September 1973 where I soon learned that students from the many local high schools had read all the classic books, some which I still have not read as of today. They studied Shakespeare and Beowulf (ugh). That was an education – our education was shabby in comparison.
A lot of classes were mandatory and even today, I don’t see how Algebra and Geometry were useful. How about diagramming sentences for English classes? And we spent months learning about American History, only to gloss over World Wars I and II as the end of the school year was quickly approaching. We were living in the moment with the Vietnam War as I can remember hearing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree” on the school PA system in anticipation of our soldiers returning from the Vietnam War and soon yellow ribbons encircled tree trunks.
And then there were science classes …
Though I’ve shared with you in the past how I wanted to become a veterinarian, my lack of good grades in math and most of the science classes was the death knell for that career choice. Memorizing a shadow box of rocks and their properties for physical science, or mixing up beakers with concoctions for chemistry class sadly did not hold my interest. But perhaps if I had fellow blogger, retired chemistry teacher, Laurie, as my high school chemistry teacher it would have been different. The most-exciting part of chemistry class was when classmates filled the lab with a dark purple smoke … we, of course, thought that was pretty cool, since “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, was a popular song at the time. Mr. Mumau was not amused.
But Biology class – well that was a whole ‘nother story. Notwithstanding classes spent dissecting a worm, frog and fetal pig (exercises which served no purpose in my humble opinion), Mr. Gray did make class fun. He once passed around a box of chocolates and soon thereafter fellow classmate Richard Long got green around the gills after he learned he had eaten a chocolate-covered bug.
All was not lost … I still received that diploma and went on to further my education. Education is never a waste of time – it is good to learn and not let your brain stagnate. So, nowadays, learning is on my own terms, immersing myself in the experience instead of becoming book smart.
A slow stroll through nature …
So, that is why ten days ago I found myself at the Environmental Interpretive Center at University of Michigan-Dearborn’s campus. You can read about it by clicking here.
I thought I would do this immersive experience and learn along the way. The visit was part of a trifecta of treks taken that day, which I began by enjoying the woodsy vibes of the Rouge Gateway Trail and a morning meander around the Ford Estate to see and smell the 154 Persian Lilacs.
Today’s post will focus on the trails behind the Environmental Interpretive Center. There are organized bird and wildflower walks, but I decided to do a stroll on my own. So what would I see? I knew there was lots to see because this nature preserve touts its biological diversity:
250 species of birds
80 species of trees/woody plants
170 species of wildflowers
12 species of reptiles
9 species of amphibians
24 species of mammals
I never knew about this place until Phil at Wild Birds Unlimited posted some pics about a hike taken with his wife and suggested we visit to check out the birds and wildflowers. It is just one-half mile down the road from the Ford Estate.
The first item I spotted was a bee hotel …
… and a lot of bird feeders.
A savvy Chipmunk was scamming seeds that had spilled near the bird feeders.
Before I embarked on the trail I stopped to see where mushrooms were “in progress” both on logs …
… and in a special glass-topped mushroom grow box. This Mourning Dove was not as interested in mushrooms as it was its reflection.
While taking pictures of the Dove, a Wild Turkey happened by …
… but quickly disappeared into an overgrown part of the trail, likely to avoid me, or perhaps to join its mate. I was reluctant to step through that matted grass and brush due to ticks, so I had to settle for pics from afar.
I saw a weather station.
Then I started meandering along Dogwood Trail.
Some fungi on a decimated tree were not part of the mushroom project.
I took the Black Walnut Trail …
… which led me to a clearing in the woods where I could decide what to visit next.
I decided to check out Fairlane Lake on the outskirts of Fairlane, Henry and Clara Ford’s Estate.
I opted to see where the trail leading to Fair Lane Lake took me and found a birder with binoculars pressed up to his eyes checking for birds in the nearby trees. We chatted briefly and then I went along the Lakeside Trail which was picturesque.
I could see a group and their guide across the lake.
The path was peaceful …
But I would soon meet up with another group; these were U of M students scribbling notes and watching a guide (or perhaps a teacher) discussing trees.
I don’t miss school and studies at all. Learning on my own is much nicer.
From here I walked back to the Estate and discovered more old, architectural goodies I had missed my other three or four times visiting this venue. They will be in a separate post.
Finally …
I was pleased to discover a Cardinal nesting in my barberry bush. I was lucky to see her land on the bush, then disappear inside of it two weeks ago. I walked over to find a small, cup-shaped nest. A few days later Mrs. Cardinal began incubating those eggs; I researched and found it takes 11-13 days for those eggs to hatch. I hope to do a post about the baby Cardinals at a later date
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
That’s a fun history of your high school years. I’ve been getting invites only via Facebook for my 40th. I’m like you, no intent on going to that event. Our 10-year difference made me chuckle…we started those skip days, etc. when I was in 9th grade and they continued on through senior year. Did that help our education? Doubt it, but those antics are memorable. Go figure.
I like to learn on my own too, and learn from your blog posts – you consistently share fun information.
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Yes, we could hardly wait to get to high school, then it was Dullsville for two years and not just lacking in fun, but we were only allowed to attend our four classes, then left for the day. I think any library work was done at the City library, not at school – no homeroom, study hall, lunch period … nothing like that at all. How did you have Senior Skip Day in ninth grade – were you on bikes or you had friends who were older who owned cars? We went to Cedar Point for Senior Skip Day and our group of six went in one girl’s father’s T-Bird. We were there all day and got ready to drive home and got to the parking lot and saw the flat tire. None of us knew how to change a flat tire, so we went back into Cedar Point’s grounds to see if any of our male classmates were there to help us out so we could get home.
We have a Facebook site as well – it was started for the 40th reunion and algorithms were able to locate classmates since when you set up your FB profile you put in your hometown and high school … don’t know if that’s still true. So everyone got an invite to join the 40th Reunion Group. We had 613 in our graduating class – since we were really only active with group activities in senior year, I really don’t remember, or never met a lot of those 600+ classmates. In fact, in the FB group, I didn’t recognize many people in the group, even guys who still had their same name and as to the women, even if they used their maiden name along with their married name, I still didn’t recognize them in profile pics or when they posted pics from the actual event. I’m for learning new things, but I have to have the time to do so and not be rushed or having to squander too much time which is precious as it is right now. Thank you Shelley, I’m glad to share what I learn as I meander along.
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We joined the Skip Day by just walking out the side door of the school, running down the sidewalk, taking a left and kept on running to one of the kids houses where we sheltered for the day. I think we practiced writing like our moms so that we had written excuses for the next day when we returned to school. Other years, yes, we had friends with cars.
That’s a big graduating class! I’m with you, I struggle to remember faces now that we’ve all changed so much in 40 years. I have a few close friends, other than that, I’m content not to participate in an event.
I’m like you – I want to take my time and enjoy the process of learning.
I’m happy to be here reading your tales and looking at the photos you capture too!
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I can’t remember if made a fake note forging on parents’ signature – I think we did not though. Not that it was considered a sanctioned event, but it was a tradition and since we really did not have normal school years for 10th and 11th grade, school administrators would have been more lenient on us. I was invited into the Facebook 40-year reunion group a couple of years before that reunion. I really don’t know these people by their names/profile pics nor their reunion photos.
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Isn’t it amazing what a decade does to kids in school to get them to do more sneaky things? 🤔🙄
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Yes, so they can teach the young’uns their “evil ways” for the next generation!
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I love a good nature center and walk in the woods and I did manage to get to one of my reunions (35th) so far, Linda. It’s a complicated decision, that. Good luck 😘😂
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This was really enjoyable Pam – I know you would enjoy this place. I will return again, maybe in Fall this time. As to the reunion, we had 613 in our graduating class and, since we were really only active with group activities in senior year, unbelievably, I really don’t remember, nor ever met a lot of those 600+ classmates. This was just the June class as the January 1973 class had about 150 grads for 1973 as well.
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Glad you had fun, Linda.♥️
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Always something to learn in nature Pam. Meanwhile I am waiting the birth of the baby Cardinals in my backyard barberry bush; perhaps some pics to share here later.
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Ooooh, exciting! Take some video!
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My first foray into using my own video for my blog Pam! I made one short video the other morning, but none since. Still waiting on the hatch event!
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Exciting!
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We have had some cold temps here Pam and I guess that is why she is still on the nest. It’s a tad high for me to see inside unfortunately. We’ve had no rain for two weeks … it will be just my luck for a string of rainy days to happen as the babies leave the nest (even before fledging) so quickly, so fingers crossed I get another video or two.
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Godspeed, Linda!
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I have learned a lot about the family this week Pam. It’s been difficult to get close up or video now as the Mom is flitting in and out of the nest and she almost dive-bombed me a few times. I was working in the yard Saturday and Sunday and curious, but she was on a mission and zipped around me then shot through the bush with fresh (wiggly) food. I finally let them be for a few days. I have learned that the female sits on the babies after they are born, to protect and warm them. I thought she was still incubating the eggs. When I finally got a good look at one of them, it was not a hatchling, but a yellow beak and head above the nest. It’s been interesting to watch them and I hope they return again.
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We had a little family on a tree on our desk last summer and got some great photos of the babies eating – all beaks!
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Sounds fun to have the closeup views Pam. Well, I went out this morning, got some water and mealworms ready and they left early this morning. I was out at 7:00 a.m. and didn’t see them around on other bushes either. Good think I got my viewing and pics in already.
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👏 👏 👏
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That was a very strange mushroom. All the places are so beautiful!
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It was very picturesque in some places – I agree with you Fairy Qu33n. That mushroom was big and rather unique looking. A fellow blogger from the UK posts pictures of mushrooms he finds on nature walks. They almost don’t look real with the red tops with white polka-dots on them.
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Thanks for the shout-out, Linda! 🙂 I hope I made chemistry fun for most of my students.
That nature center looks like a wonderful place to see birds. I am a little bit disappointed to have missed the prime migration season here in PA due to traveling but the birds I saw in Africa – most of them brightly colored – more than made up for it.
Looking forward to seeing photos of baby cardinals!
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You’re welcome Laurie. It would have been impossible for you to teach me high school chemistry since you’re younger than me, but you would have made it more fun than Mr. Mumau! You always used to say you had a great rapport with your students.
Our primary bird migration was May 10th through May 12th. I went to two big parks last Sunday hoping to find new birds and saw no new birds, but I did see a pair of Sandhill Cranes and got as close as I could as I’m avoiding ticks and they were in an unmowed area. I’m thinking perhaps the three that I saw last Summer at Lake Erie Metropark was not a fluke after all. I’m sure you saw a lot of unusual birds in Africa. Are you keeping a bird diary of what you see here and on your travels? A fellow blogger who is now returning to Michigan, but spent the Winter in Florida has been identifying a lot of new birds with a phone app and has been keeping a list of birds she has seen/photographed.
They should be hatching any day now – I learned that the Mom Cardinal does not incubate the eggs until all the eggs are laid. I thought that was interesting. I first saw her on the nest on the 12th of May and they leave the nest even before fledging (can’t figure that one out …). It’s a small nest I’ll tell you that and she is quite smooshed in there and they outgrow it so they leave. Will they be sitting on the patio railing?
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my high school years were all day for five years (9-13),no sports but I did do photography after school for 2 years.
That Cardinal was a great find Linda!
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Well THAT is an education Wayne – our education at my high school was not stellar believe me. We don’t have Grade 13 here and your Grade 13 used to be the equivalent of the first year of college. Then a photography curriculum for you as well – lots of hard work. Yes, I was happy to find her – still no babies.
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Your high school schedule was strange. I didn’t think they cut back on activities back then. We didn’t have a lot of activities (most were for the boys) but we had a few. I went to a brand new high school building. It had a pool. I remember the taxpayers complaining about building a pool in a school and now it’s standard. I learned how to swim there and there were swim activity parties hosted by the swim club. Definitely worth it.
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Yes it was strange Kate and on top of it, there were 613 kids in my class that graduated and that was June class only – there were about 150 kids graduated in January 1973 as well. One of the reasons I’ve never gone to any of my high school reunions is I never met a lot of the other students. And I am in a Facebook group from the 40th reunion and don’t recognize many of those people – if the women don’t include their maiden name, I haven’t a clue who they are and the same for many of the guys in the group. Education was not good at this school, even the last year as we crammed more learning and some social activities into the mix. I never learned to swim, something which I regret. We did have a high school pool, but I’m going to bed it was not filled for those two years and I don’t remember any mandatory gym classes during senior year. Guess you could say we got gypped.
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You sure did!
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The entry sign didn’t lie – there’s a lot going on in this ESA. The Dogwood Trail looks enchanting and the Fair Lane Lake proved to be a great choice. As for high school, “diagramming sentences”… oh my. My logical brain enjoyed that exercise but to your point, the value was questionable. Interesting coincidence – our kids also graduated from an “LPHS” (Lewis-Palmer) in Colorado.
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Yes, when I read about it, I had to go see it Dave and I was amazed it was a half-mile down the road from the Fairlane Estate and I never knew it existed. And it is not new by any means. It was very peaceful and until I saw the last group (students I think), I only met the birder on the trails. I was happy to see the turkeys and chipmunk. Wait until you see what remnants of old architecture I discovered at the edge of the Ford Estate when I kept walking from the ESA. I just kept going and going and found these large boulders and grass which turned out to be a old boathouse designed by Jens Jergen in 1916 and this was where Henry Ford kept electric boats. There was also a rather dilapidated rock structure and a cement lily pond which once held water from a “spring-fed cascade in the hillside” but now is still filled with water and had geese, goslings, frogs and aquatic plants. In fact, a group of kids was there, a field trip I guess, delighting every time a pool net scooped up frogs. 🙂 That is a coincidence on the LPHS … ours is for Lincoln Park. Everything in this City is geared around the name Lincoln. Our sports teams were the “Rails” our yearbook the “log” … Abe and Mary on stilts march in the Memorial Day Parade.
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You know me well enough to know anything about architecture will keep me coming back for more. Not that I wouldn’t be reading your next post anyway 😉
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I do know you well enough Dave, so that is why I mentioned my new archeological find(s) and the name of the architect that designed it. He did the gardens around the Estate and I never knew this area existed or I thought it was off limits. There are still large areas outside the living quarters and powerhouse that are under renovation or signs say to stay away because they are dangerous. The slate steps are rickety in places, so that is likely why I never explored beyond the meadows – this time I came from the opposite side. Every week, on the Ford Estate Facebook Page they show one vintage item from the home and how it has been restored and/or reproduced meticulously. Because of Covid, it taking longer than expected, but I do see progress as the scaffolding is down now. I will be doing another post about this venue – not sure if I should break it into two posts though, since, as you know my posts are wordy and picture laden. 🙂
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That’s awful that your high school years were messed up. I’m glad you now enjoy learning and broadening your knowledge. You win!
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You’re right Anne – in the long run I do win. My schooling at high school was abysmal to be honest and our high school lost its accreditation those two years. I remembered my parents saying it might be difficult to get into college if that would have continued into senior year, but the millage passed and school became as it should have been. It is more fun to learn now – no schoolbooks, no pressure.
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Jogging and bicycles prohibited! Oh I’m loving that sign. Never seen one like it. I have no interest in going back in time to my high school days. Will you attend the event?
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I liked that sign too Ally and I think that is why it was so peaceful out on those trails. Until I met up with the group after exiting the woods, I only saw the birder and that was it for chitchat. In the 90 minutes I was walking around I saw no one else. There have been multiple reunions for our class beginning with the 5th held in a park which was a picnic and I’ve gone to none of them. We had 613 in our graduating class and, since we were really only active with group activities in senior year, unbelievably, I really don’t remember, nor have I ever met a lot of those 600+ classmates and we were just the June graduating class, as the January 1973 graduating class had about 150 grads as well. I don’t feel I’ve missed anything to be honest and I say that without being snobby.
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I understand your reasoning. I graduated in a class of 580 so I feel the same way. I went to our 5th & 10th reunions then decided that was it. I’m sure that for people who enjoy them reunions are lovely, but for me they were weird. I kept wondering, who are these people?
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That’s how I feel exactly Ally. Yours was a large group as well. I had nothing in common with these people and don’t remember most of them. Good example – today I learned that a classmate died and had never heard of her nor did I recognize her photo.
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Kenn and I went to our 5 and 10 year high school reunions. (We attended the same schools and were in the same graduating class.) He had no desire to attend any others while I can take it or leave it.
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Did you and Kenn have a large graduating class Linda? We had 613 in our June graduating class and, since we were finally active with group activities in senior year, I really don’t remember, nor can I honestly say I ever met a lot of those 600+ classmates. We had a January 1973 class with about 150 grads that same year. I’m wondering the number of high school graduates nowadays.
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We grew up in a small town so I think there were 160 in our graduating class. The schools in the neighboring larger town regularly had (and still has) graduating classes in the upper hundreds.
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I wish I had lived or now lived in a small town – that is a good number of fellow classmates to know each one, not like having 613 in your class lie I did.
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What an interesting place. It always amazes me that there aren’t more people around taking advantage of it! We have nothing, and I mean nothing like that here. Maybe at the Pinery but even there not to that extent. Are you going to the reunion? I would have zero interest in attending mine. I graduated in 1975, which if you subtract a year for grade 13 would make it 1974, yet we are the same age? Did you skip a year in grade school Linda? We had a full load of extracurriculars all years in high school but many people esp. in the older grades did not participate. I only went to one high school dance in grade 9 and then they were all cancelled for 3 years (except for prom) due to drugs and alcohol and kids not obeying the rules. They returned in grades 12 and 13 but by then we were 17 and 18 and not interested as many kids were hanging out in bars as the drinking age was 18 then.
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Yes, I know you would enjoy it Joni – it was part of my last Friday adventure and when leaving this venue, I kept walking and ended up on the outskirts of the Ford Estate and discovered some new items I’d not seen, like a vintage boathouse, a cement pond which was built for blue Lilies but now has aquatic plants, frogs and geese … I got some shots of the geese and some goslings and there were some young kids on a field trip there. Someone had a pool skimmer and scooped up a bunch of frogs – kids were squealing about that. 🙂 But the 90 minutes I was there, I only saw the birder and the turkeys and chipmunk.
As for my schooling, I WAS double-promoted … you are correct. So I never went to Grade Three, which, as I understand it from my mom, Grade Three was considered a “repeat” or “recap” grade of what was learned in prior grades, so our class was given a test at the end of Grade Two and if we did well, we moved right to Grade Four. This might have only been for E.A. Orr Elementary which was a public not parochial school. I was not exceptional (although I was a good student in those days) and I believe our entire class went right to Grade Four and what made it an easy transition was that we had the same teacher, Mrs. Jamieson, for Grade Two and Grade Four. She was wonderful – I liked her a lot. When I started Grade Six here, we were learning things I learned in Grade Five already and we had no languages here where French was mandatory. I had no option to take a foreign language until high school senior year and opted for something else college prep related, so no wonder I forgot how to speak French and even after taking it in college I don’t remember a lot of it now. I would love to learn it again, but for what purpose really? I went to several high school dances, but not formal-type dances … no homecoming or prom (as you know) but we had local bands play at the cafeteria and a school friend had a 50s band and they played a few times, all 50s songs, nothing modern and a Christmas dance. We went in jeans, not even dressed up and I went with girlfriends only.
I do not intend to go to the high school reunion and have gone to none of them. I had 613 in my June 1973 graduating class (and there were 150 in the January 1973 class) and because we really didn’t socialize with one another until senior year, I don’t know a lot of those students. And, there were the athletes and their friends, girlfriends, etc and I was not in those circles. High school was very cliquey and even the close friends I had in high school, the six of use, my favorite of the bunch, Sheila, (who planned to be a pharmacist) passed away from ovarian cancer after moving to Texas and the rest of the gang I never see. I don’t think I’m a snob, just not interested and I’m friendly with one of the people on the reunion committee who is coming in from North Carolina because we were at Henry Ford and Wayne University at the same time.
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Miss Linda…………………………………Congratulations for being part of the 50 years since you were a high school kid……….now your a wonderful adult who knows a lot about nature and parks in our area and are giving back to the rest of us who have learned so much from you…………………………..thank you!
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Thank you Ann Marie – I am glad to share the wealth of what I have learned in my walks out in nature since discovering Council Point Park a decade ago. But I’ll bet I still could not impart as much wisdom as you who taught kids when you were an elementary school teacher and I know that even though you are retired, you still love being with kids and teaching them. I’ve never been around kids … you have a lot of patience. I hope I can share some Cardinal babies shots … I know they will NOT be as cute as the goslings when they hatch.
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This year is 40 years since I graduated high school. My high school years/education sound similar to yours. I haven’t heard about a reunion yet and don’t know if I would attend or not. So cool to have a cardinal nesting at your place. I hope to see babies soon.
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It was quite a bare-bones education Ruth due to the millage issues and Lincoln Park High School lost its accreditation those two years, not good if you wanted to further your education and especially not good for those who hoped for a college scholarship depending on scholastic or athletic abilities. Very bad situation. I am not interested in going as there were 613 kids in my June 1973 graduating class (and amazingly another 150 graduated in the January 1973 class) and I was only close to a handful of them and I no longer see them. There is a Facebook group for our graduating class and I don’t recognize many of their pics, let alone the names. I’m more excited for seeing those Cardinal babies who leave the nest fairly soon (but don’t fledge right away), so I hope I can get some shots of them. The nest is above my eye level and embedded in the bush.
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The sad thing is I afraid education has gotten worse over the last 40 to 50 years. We have a momma robin feeding babies in a bush outside our kitchen window. the nest is well hidden but i see her carrying food in throughout the day. I haven’t heard them cheeping yet but expect to soon then in a few weeks will probably see them fledge the nest (and eat our cherries).
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Yes, it has and I think it will get worse before it gets better. I watched a nest of robin babies at the Park a few years ago and the same year a nest in a homeowner’s gutter area … I could see them growing and take photos, but the City cut all the low-hanging branches at the Park and there is a new homeowner so I will have to enjoy your baby robin photos if you post them. No hatch yet at this house. I am sure momma would love to sleep in a normal position as the position she is in does not look comfy.
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This looks like a fun place to learn about nature and enjoy all the walking trails. We have seen several turkeys out in the wild recently but they are so skittish and we can never seem to get very close. You were able to get some good photos of them.
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I enjoyed it Rebecca and was glad Phil posted about it as I didn’t know it existed. I was lucky to get those shots since I was using a digital compact camera and was concerned about going into the grassy areas due to the abundance of ticks. They posed, then were on their way again!
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No school reunions for me! I don’t think I would remember anyone lol. I grew up on military bases, a different experience. I always wanted to be a vet too Linda! But I can’t stand the sight of blood or injuries and I was not good at math/sciences so I would have made a crappy vet haha. Baby cardinals! Lucky you! I love cardinals, we had a baby robins nest but were away for two weeks and now they are gone so we didn’t get to see them leave.
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School reunions hold no appeal for me either Susan. We’d have been hugging our patients instead of working on them! The baby cardinals finally hatched Friday or Saturday as I noticed Mom off the nest and Dad near the nest, but it has been kind of chilly, so unbelievably, she is still sitting on the nest – hope they have breathing room, as it is a small nest. I’ve tried taking pictures, but only caught Mom on the nest, no babies yet. They leave the nest fairly soon (9-11 days), but aren’t fledged yet … where do they go to hang out I wonder? Hopefully in my backyard and I get some pictures. I followed several Robin’s nests, one at the Park and one in a homeowner’s eaves/gutter … both the same year. I got some pictures of each and was disappointed when they left the nest. Welcome back and hope you got some nice moose, loon and other fun critter pics.
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Thank you, it’s good to be home for a bit. We did see a lot of wildlife, lots of moose, foxes, beavers, bears, pine martens, it was great! I think I told you it snowed one night while we were there lol
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Glad you had a good trip Susan – snow! Well, that might have been the same snow that was in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Crazy weather … now you can start planning your next adventure, in between sorting photos!
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What wonderful finds and learning on your nature walk!! That chipmunk is cute and small.
I like learning on my own terms and pace too. School pressure can sometimes take away the joy of learning and get us too afraid to try new things.
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It was a great day Esther! It began with a short woodsy walk, then I went to visit the Lilacs while they were in bloom – just gorgeous and then meandered around there until I went to this new place for me. It was peaceful. I would like to go back again. It was peaceful on the trail. I stayed pretty much on the trails as there is a threat for ticks right now, so I’m careful to stay on the path if possible and do tick checks periodically.
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Oh, stay on the path and stay safe!!
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That’s a shame about your school. I am not a fan of our modern conception of public education. We have been listening to news reports on “why Johnny can’t read” for many decades now. At least 5, according to your story.
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Truly, anyone could have graduated from my high school JP – it lost its accreditation for those two school years (1970-71 and 1971-72) and was really not a stellar education my last year to be honest. When we moved here from Canada my parents debated whether to put me into a Catholic school. My mom said in Canada, public school education was better than Catholic school education, so I was enrolled in public school. Turns out it was the opposite and the reward for tuition for Catholic school meant you had a better education.
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