… it already felt like Summer was here – whew! So much for savoring the last weekend of Spring.
Perhaps if I had not arrived midday at Elizabeth Park, I would have appreciated the ambiance of this venue a wee bit more. But, after walking around Lake Erie Metropark for hours, the warmer it got, my pace became pathetically slow. Then I stood, melting in the hot sun at the fire station, awaiting some Osprey action.
But, the six-mile drive to Elizabeth Park with the car’s A/C cranked on high revived me a bit, so off I went to wander the waterfront, albeit briefly.
Don’t let that flag flapping in the breeze fool you – it was a hot breeze.
There is new signage throughout this park and, as the sign says, Elizabeth Park is Michigan’s first county park and it is 104 years old. By now I am sure you recognize this picturesque locale, from the trio of vintage bridges that span the Canal, to the Boardwalk. And, of course I always show you lots of waterfowl bobbing in that Canal, honking and/or quacking and, in the case of the Canada Geese, often bossing the kayakers around once when their paddles invade their personal space. (Hey, geese have rights too you know!)
Every time I stop at this venue, I always pause at the vehicle bridge to take a photo of this vintage footbridge which is a popular spot for wedding, prom and homecoming photos.
Then, I usually climb up the bridge, on its series of steep steps, to peer down into the Canal to look for photo ops, while trying NOT to be obvious or annoying … of course, sometimes people wave back from their kayak just as I snap their photo – then I don’t feel so badly about taking those candid shots. These two kayakers needed a break – they were too pooped to participate. (No, they didn’t wave back at me.)
My short visit at Elizabeth Park that day did not yield a ton of photos, just a few about fishing, which seemed to be the main attraction that day, whether along the Canal, Boardwalk or from a kayak – there were many fisher men and women and even a few dads and kids.
But, because a 400-word post by me would have you virtually feeling my forehead, I thought I’d tuck a little flash from the past in here as well.
Anyone wanna read about a fish story?
So there was a young boy and a man, which I assume was his father and they were fishing off the Canal bank. The little boy was excited for a “bite” on his line, but when the line emerged from the water, there was nothing there. Most likely the “tug” on the line was because the fishhook got hung up on some seaweed. He looked so crestfallen I called to him to put that line back in the water if he was going to have a fish fry for Father’s Day. His dad quietly chuckled at my quip, shook his head and said “not hardly.”
This boy and man triggered a long-ago memory as I recalled the one and only time I went fishing with my father when my parents rented a cottage for a couple of weeks in the Summer of ’68 near Alpena, Michigan. My father bought a fishing rod and reel and a tackle box filled with lures because the cottage had a boat and he aimed to take me fishing. He bought me a flimsy bamboo rod with a hook and a bobber. Mom made lunch to take with us and also shoved the rest of a bag of Jiffy Pop popcorn toward me for a snack. Clearly she wanted to read and relax, likely happy to get the two of us out of her hair for a while. Before leaving, we dug up a few worms to double our odds at catching something. My father alternated between worms and different lures with no success. At 12 years old, I was a bit bored, so, on a lark, I scattered some popcorn onto the water and when a few fish nibbled at the surface, I baited my hook with some popcorn and dropped the line.
Suddenly a fish nibbled on the popcorn on the hook and when I felt it tug the line, I yelled “I got something” and my father, ever the pessimist, said “probably a piece of driftwood” but he helped me lift the line and flailing fish out of the water (no reelin’ it in for me with the bamboo pole). He flopped the fish into the bottom of the boat near my feet. I was excited. Time to go home and show Mom and get a photo with the Baby Brownie camera.
Well our family never ate fresh fish … salmon patties, tuna salad, both from a can and Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks, but not fresh fish. So, Mom freaked out and said “I don’t want to cook it, then smell fish here for two weeks so do something with it – now!”
We took the picture, albeit a black-and-white shot that’s a bit blurry, but it memorialized my fish tale forevermore!
I think the fish was on its last legs, er … fins, when we went to the dock and deposited it back into Rush Lake.
And that my friends is my whopper of a fish tale!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
We always had fresh haddock on Fridays but I never fished as a child. My dad didn’t fish. Our fish came from the market! 🙂
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We never had fresh fish and we have a big fish market about two miles from where I live – every type of fish available. That was the one and only time he ever used the reel and rod … being one-upped by his 12-year-old daughter didn’t sit well with him I guess. 🙂 I traveled with friends of the family who ate a lot of fish … they liked serving it with the head and tail on … freaked me out at first and trying bouillabaisse when we went out to eat, with fish heads floating around in the soup. I just couldn’t eat it and I’m not a picky eater!
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Fish heads would do me in too!
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You lose your appetite for sure!
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I remember some guy saying pink marshmallows worked!
I do not fish myself now that I am on the west coast. I’m more a fresh water fisherman.
I guess your mother didn’t really think you’d come home with any fish?
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Really – the fish bite better if they have a sweet tooth? That’s interesting Wayne. I kind of threw the popcorn out for kicks … they liked it and all of a sudden I saw fish lips nibbling it. 🙂 I don’t think my mom thought we’d come home with any fish and we were just out having fun in the boat. I remember her saying she wouldn’t be cooking or smelling any fish so she was mad. Last weekend I was talking to two fishermen and one had worms on his hook and he showed me that twice the fish bit the worm in half … it knew enough not to bite the whole worm or it would get hooked … smart fish! The guy was just fishing for fun, so the fish could have enjoyed the whole worm.
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I think anything different makes them curious?
Some fish are savvy ,dumb ones end up in the pan.
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What a way to end up for being dumb!
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but that’s the way life has always been.
Dumb people get a Darwin award.
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I think anything different makes them curious?
Some fish are savvy ,dumb ones end up in the pan.
I forgot to mention that these were the tiny marshmallows, not the big ones
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They might choke on the big ones. I’m amazed they’d go for something gooey – maybe they put out stale marshmallows like some people only like Peeps marshmallow treats if they are stale.
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remember, do not think all fish react this way. I’m sure It’s not a commonality.
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If it is a slow worm day, the fish have to scope out a new food source.
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I loved your popcorn bait story.
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It was funny how it worked Anne. I know my father was miffed that I caught a big fish with my bamboo pole and he with his fancy-schmancy gear got nothing. 🙂
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Serves him right.
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At least you got a photo of your fish… one never knows what to believe when it comes to catching a big one (or fishing with popcorn for that matter). LOL!
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Yes, at least I could back up my fish story with a photo, even a blurry one. I was pretty excited when I saw fish lips nibbling on that popcorn Ruth – I am sure the fish don’t get that treat everyday!
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We used to fish in the mountain streams when my family went on our summer camping trips. Although I have no memory of either my brothers or me catching anything, we sure had fun trying.
That was smart of you to try a different bait. You never know what will motivate a fish to bite… I know that I would pick popcorn over worms 🙂
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That sounds like fun for your family Janis. Now don’t you wish you knew about this magic bait called popcorn back then? I looked at the water and saw fish lips nibbling on that popcorn. Maybe I could have patented this fish bait idea?! 🙂
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That first photo looks almost Kincaid-ish and would make into a fun summer puzzle to build, Linda!
Also love the art of the rails and shadow of the bridge. Nice to have the kayaker’s floating.
I can feel your joy on such a hot summer day.
I absolutely love the photo and whooper of a fish tale!! And I’m with your Mom because I had the same rule and reason for cooking fish. Great for that fish had another chance to live makes me happy.
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Thanks Teri – I’m glad you liked that first picture. My mom was an avid puzzler and did several of his puzzles through the years. For this post I wasn’t sure what pic to use for up top. Sometimes I know right away, but I didn’t take as many photos and so I used this one as it was picturesque. That’s a beautiful bridge and I believe it will have a centennial anniversary in a year or so. They won’t allow salt to be put on the many steps in the Winter to keep the concrete from crumbling, so you have to cross the bridge and be careful of the ice or find another way to access the Boardwalk. I see a lot of people throwing the fish back here, yet, on the same River (the Detroit River) at Dingell Park and Bishop Park, the fish go home for dinner. I talk to the fishermen and women sometimes as I walk. My parents were not fish eaters … salmon croquettes and tuna casserole was the only fish cooked and Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks for me.
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I loved your fish tale, Linda! My dad was an avid fisherman and he used to take me along fishing when I was a young girl. I can remember reeling in catfish and sunfish and an occasional trout. My mom did cook the fish for us to eat. Dad even ate fried trout for breakfast sometimes. Dad used to get angry at the osprey who made big splashes when they dove for fish in “our” trout stream. He said they scared off all the fish!
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Thanks Laurie – I thought I’d put my little fish tale in for fun. So much for MY father-daughter moment; yours sounds much more fun than mine. I can just imagine the Osprey having the nerve to dive on in and score a fish with your dad fishing in earnest close by. My parents were not fish eaters and we never had “real fish” in our house ever. I broadened my horizons when I got older and like fish.
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Our family fished on our vacations to Yosemite, Linda. I got bored, so I sat and read or explored, then I would proudly carry the fish back to camp. Summer decided to go out with a HOT bang this week. 97-108 this week–gah! Even too hot to paddle.
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So you got to carry the basket or bucket of fish back to camp, so others thought you helped catch th fish for the fish fry – you were a smart kid Terri! Oh that is unbearable heat even with water sports. I hear we are going to have heat later in the week. We have a deluge of rain … 1.5 to 2.5 inches over the next 18 hours. It is teeming raining now.
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Why is it one weather extreme after another? Super hot, or super rainy? Stay safe, Linda!
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Thanks Terri. The weather swings are crazy these days. I need someone with carpentry skills like Hans to build an ark!
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Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. My daughter just called, she is in Huntsville Alabama for work and she’s getting poured on.
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Bring on Fall – at least if it is more normal!
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We first went fishing with Grandpa at the pond near the Arkansas Capitol. The fish were bluegill and we definitely cleaned and ate them. But at home we rarely had fresh fish that I can recall. I love your fish tale and photo!
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That sounds like fun Eilene, nice family memories and good eating too. You already know my family’s first camping experience with the hole in the tent that ended any hope of camping nirvana forever! Glad you liked my fish tale and photo from the Summer of 1968.
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That bridge is so beautiful Linda! How in the world did the popcorn stay on the hook to catch a fish? 🤣 I grew up fishing, when I was young my Dad ran a fishing and bait shop. I remember he brought home a large minnow tank, put it in the basement and when we caught perch and any would live, he would put it in the tank to eat at a later date. We went fishing almost every weekend.
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That bridge will soon celebrate a centennial anniversary Diane – it is gorgeous and I like the wrought-iron railings which give it a vintage look. They don’t salt the steps to keep the cement from crumbling, so to cross the canal in Winter, you have to go to another part of the park and walk down a steep hill. The fish hook was probably really tiny, so it was easy to load popcorn on it. When I scattered the popcorn on the surface of the lake, I saw fish lips nibbling at it … they were interested! That’s a good idea your dad had to keep the fish to eat later. I drove by the bait shop near Elizabeth Park on Sunday – they are closed for the season! There’s lots of fishing time left in 2023!
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It was fun to see photos of people enjoying the park along with you. I LOVE the bridge photo and the shadows – great leading lines and composition. I can almost see you eyeing it up and thinking, this is gonna be a great shot!
I’m glad you didn’t stop at 400 words. Your fish story is delightful. I’m so glad you had a picture to share! I grew up with my dad who was/is a fisherman, so I got lots of opportunities to fish. We always kept the keepers and ate them for dinner. I’m spoiled now, won’t eat anyone else’s fish as I don’t know if they cleaned them properly. The ones that don’t make it get tossed back for the birds. So, even at a young age, Linda, you were sharing treats with the birds. I bet an Osprey or an Eagle eventually enjoyed your catch of the day.
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There are a lot of people fishing at this park Shelley and they are everywhere … along the boardwalk or the canal, in boats. I only started seeing kayakers fishing the last year or so. It felt like a mid-Summer day. That bridge will soon have a centennial anniversary. People go there for wedding, homecoming and prom photos as it is such a picturesque bridge. If you go in Winter and there is ice or snow on the bridge, you take your chances as they won’t use salt as it will crumble the cement stairs. I thought it would be fun to dredge up my fish story since I had that black-and-white photo of me holding it – it was a big fish for such a spindly rod. That sounds like fun – my father took me out only that time … I think he was miffed he didn’t catch anything and I did, so we never went out in the boat again. I’ll bet as Osprey would have made a meal out of that fish. I saw a photo of a Great Blue Heron with a fish that big today on a site I follow. Surely the heron had to lay it on the ground to eat it – it was in his beak.
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Yes, that bridge is very picturesque. I bet there are several senior portraits taken there too.
Your childhood fish story was a great addition to the post. I especially love that you had a photo of yourself to go with it.
I think birds enjoy it a lot when humans don’t get their fish or toss them back into the water. Can you imagine having to eat your catch like a Heron has to? 🤔😉
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I follow the Wayne County Parks on Facebook and I am wondering if they will do a celebration of this bridge – the park is unique since it is an island with the big bridge and two smaller, but identical bridges, all used to cross the canal. I saved a few vintage sepia-toned pics people have posted there from a century ago. I can’t imagine how those heron catch and down those fish. A fellow blogger did a video of a heron fishing a few years ago. It caught the fish, swallowed it whole and the fish was flipping around in its throat and she caught that on the video. It was amazing to see, but a little odd too.
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That’s cool they have a Facebook page for you to check out celebrations. It’s a nice bridge, I could see why they’d do a celebration for it.
Yeah that would be cool and odd at the same time. I’ve seen pelicans eat their fish like that, but they have a bit more room for the fish. 🤔😉
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I check out all the events going on … in planning what to do this weekend, two of my plans were scratched due to a 5K event on Grosse Ile (an island which has zero parking as it is and there was some construction to go there) and the Little League World Series at Heritage Park. Plus the construction. Willow Park has some kid’s event going on from 10:00 a.m. to dark, so that’s out. I am not going to waste a cool Summer day, so will find something. I’ve only seen brown pelicans, not the white pelicans. I can’t say I saw them eating, but yes, they have a lot of room for a “fish stash”. 🙂
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I admire your persistence in finding places to discover! I look forward to seeing what you’ve found this week. 😊😉🤗
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Well I returned to the Interpretive Learning Center yesterday – Saturday was cool, but it was 85% humidity. I was traipsing around in a large grassy area and my shoes and socks got sopping wet. Mosquitoey too. In the three months since I’ve been there, because of all the rain, the wildflowers and the Center’s pollinator gardens were amazing, but the trails were a bit raggedy and overgrown so I kept doing tick checks. So, I saw a Tiger Swallowtail a Song Sparrow and three wild turkeys – pickin’s were slim! Then I went to another park and saw a ton of ducks. Probably won’t spin those into two posts for months though.
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That sounds like an action-packed adventure. Wow – that’s wet! Do you have the malaria scare in your state too?
Yay for seeing some of your bucket list birds. Speaking of turkeys, our field turkeys have found food under our bird feeder and our neighbors so they strut around the yard. They’re in the molting stage or the fight over the food stage so there are feathers left around the yard.
I’m sure you’ll spin the posts in a very creative way!
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We do have West Nile, JVC and also the Eastern Equine Encephalitis mosquito-borne viruses and a lot are in the northern counties, not necessarily up in northern Michigan, but in the more rural counties north of here. Plus the tick issues. Usually this time of year, there is no grass – it’s dead and brown everywhere, but this year due to so much rain, the grass is lush. I don’t want to wear mosquito repellent to get residue on the camera so I have on long pants and long-sleeved shirts. I still haven’t worn that sunhat as most days it is just too hot. I did see a lot of feathers around where those turkeys were and knew the geese were done molting (our geese returned to Council Point Park about two weeks ago). In fact I took some pictures of the feathers as they were so big!
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With all that rain, I’m not surprised to read you have bug issues. That has been the redeeming part of drought for us. I do miss the lush grass to walk in though.
My brother said that the turkeys fight with each other too and will leave a trail of feathers like that when that happens. But, they should be molting and growing winter feathers now too.
That’s cool you got some feather photos. I tried to get some too.
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Yes, the bugs were bad a few times at Council Point Park. We’ve had so much rain, that the grasscutters are cutting weekly – usually they don’t have to cut it as much, but this year they have and it’s always in the morning when I’m there – oh joy when a contingent of mowers descend on the Park and you really have to move to the other (boring) side with fewer trees, fewer critters. I was trying to get the water droplets on the big feathers, while the downy feathers had stayed dry. I haven’t looked at them yet – hopefully they, like the dew droplets on the spider webs, came out okay.
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I’m sure the grass is growing well! We’ve only had to cut a few times all summer. I bet it is loud with all the mowers there.
Yay…that’s exciting, I’m looking forward to seeing what photos turned out as you hoped they would!
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It is the first Summer ever that the grass needed to be mowed weekly and weeds … I pulled weeds and did some trimming over the weekend. Things are out of control in the backyard and weeds got out of hand in the front yard too but it was either raining or too hot and humid to do weeding and trimming. We’ve had very few beautiful Summer days IMHO.
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It has indeed been a summer we might not want to remember!
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I’ve been fishing a few times and found it dull, dull, dull. We didn’t have fresh fish as a child either. Only as a healthy adult have I taken to that, but I don’t hook my own.
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That was my first and only time I’ve been fishing. My father was miffed I caught a fish and he didn’t so the boat sat empty the rest of the time at the cottage. My parents never cared for fish at home, nor if we went out to eat. Like you, I have changed my ways as an adult and now eat no red meat. I have a friend who is a fly fisherman and he and his fly fishing buddies go on two trips a year where they are often dropped off by a small plane to a remote fishing lodge and they stay a week. They are all catch-and-release fishermen.
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Beautiful you sharing fishing photos. Nice Blac & white photo. I don’t eat fish. Beautiful sailing the boat & fishmen fishing fish.
It was very fun to see photos of people enjoying the park along with you. I LOVE the bridge photo and the shadows. Beautiful ❤️ lines and composition. I can almost see you eyeing it up and thinking, this is gonna be a great shot!,❤️
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Thank you Raj – glad you liked the post and the photos.
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Salmon and certain other fish have Omega 3 essential fatty acids (that many people are sorely lacking… and it affects peoples’ hearts and brains).
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I eat a lot of salmon – it is very healthy. I have not eaten red meat in many years.
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We had fish every Friday but it was frozen fish sticks!
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Same here Susan. Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks and tater tots during Lent (or salmon patties too during the Lenten season).
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