… out jumps good old Santa Claus.
Got your attention there didn’t I? Believe me, there is no sensationalism here in this blog, but maybe a wee bit of whimsy, hence my blog title. 🙂
While I do confess to telling a white lie above, indeed, as I rambled along the Rouge Gateway Trail, reindeer, er … deer did pause. But those cloven-hoofed cuties weren’t waiting on the Jolly Old Elf as Gene Autry’s song “Up on the Housetop” which debuted 70 years ago suggests. The deer were prancing across the pathway and then they saw me.
I had been poking around the Rouge River shoreline, hoping for some Wild Turkey shots to use during Thanksgiving week. Nope – no turkey photo ops were to be had, but, when I turned around to get back onto the trail, I saw them … count ‘em … five deer walking across the trail path just as pretty as you please. I was so gobsmacked by this nearly missed photo op, that I recovered from shock and hurried to get a few shots of the deer before they disappeared into the woods.
One doe in particular gave me the once over and studied me a little more thoroughly than did the button buck in photo #3 above. I’m sure she has seen plenty of humans on this trail, so perhaps, since I have “I’m a sucker for cute animals” emblazoned on my forehead, she was wondering if I had a carrot or some treat to offer before I could take her photo.
I wasn’t packing carrots and, as I clicked the shutter button a final time, they had exited single file into the woods and disappeared from sight in a heartbeat, despite the fact the woods are not dense. I didn’t attempt to enter the woods since portions of the 6.2-mile (10 km) Rouge River Gateway and Hines Park Trail have been closed for construction for a couple of years. It’s more of a biking path, but walkers and runners also use it.
Ah well … I was content with what photos I got that day. After all, everyone loves a parade and I loved this one!
As I continued my morning meander, I knew this encounter and photo op, already bubbling around in my brain, would be perfect for a Christmastime post, just like “Friends who are deer, er … dear” was last holiday season.
Rambling along the Rouge River Trail.
So the deer were the highlight of my .7 mile (1.1 km) walk along the Rouge River Gateway Trail on the first day of Fall, September 23rd.
Yes, there were some hints that Fall had arrived, despite our hot-for-September temps that week and this day.
Red-tinged leaves were evident …
… but green ruled in the woods, with a few gold leaves on trees or scattered on the bridge.
I paused at this bridge to take photos of the Rouge River which was calm – that is not always the case. The reflections were like a Monet painting.
I saw a different type of artist had left their mark at the bridge walkway.
When the short trail ends at Fair Lane Drive, I always turn left and I’m right there at Fair Lane, the Estate where Henry and Clara Ford lived. I went to the Estate grounds and explored a little and found the flowers flourishing, but mostly green leaves, no vivid red, orange or golden foliage colors. I returned a month later to take some more Autumn-like photos of the tree-lined Estate and the many Maples that were ablaze in shades of red and yellow along the Rouge River.
There were more folks along the trail as I made my way back to the car, another 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
I always park at Ford Field Park to make this excursion. It was a beautiful day, so I went over to see the picturesque covered bridge, a nice stopping point for viewing the Rouge River rapids beneath that bridge. I hadn’t been to the 520-foot long wooden bridge in a few years, so I was perplexed by the array of locks clipped onto the green mesh inserts in the covered bridge. Having piqued my interest, I took a few photos of the bridge …
… and some of the locks. A few had initials, hearts or short messages inscribed on the locks.
[That night Google told me “the practice of love locks is a symbol of love and commitment, inspired by an ancient custom, which is believed to have originated in China – where lovers lock a padlock on a chain or gate and then throw away the key, symbolically locking their love forever.” Who knew? I didn’t, but of course any info you need to know is as easy as Googling and going here.]
The woodsy area around the covered bridge is a bit blah, but remembering my delight at watching the kids feeding the Mallards at the small duck pond, I strayed over there. There were no ducks to be found, so I ducked out of there and returned to my car to cool off from the balmy Fall morn.
[As I was proofreading this post, I realized my many years of studying French were not lost on me as the word “rouge” means “red” in French and this walk was taken on the Rouge River Trail.]
I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: RED and GREEN.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Looks like you ran into a deer train!
I have seen bridges destroyed by the weight of locks. It’s fun at first but when everybody does it, over the years that extra weight can be many tons………..and that would be “OH DEER”!
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Yes, I liked that deer train Wayne. I kept watching as they followed after one another. I wished I had not had my back turned looking for turkeys – guess who turned out to be a turkey? Lucky they slowed down to gawk at me! Yes, if everyone puts a heavy lock on a bridge, eventually the weight pulls it down, maybe along with vehicles and pedestrians.
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Those deer were like a deer in a headlight. Lol I never knew the reason behind the locks either, how lovely.
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Yes those two that stopped and stared at me and the others were like “whatever, move along!” That made me laugh. It’s not a heavily wooded area and it’s right off busy Michigan Avenue, so I was amazed to see them. I am always learning something on my walks Diane, but usually more nature related. 🙂
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Have you ever had one come after you?
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No, I haven’t Diane. My biggest highlight was a few years ago when the Mama deer left me with her fawn to take a swim in the marsh. I was over the moon about that, just a few feet away from it – we kept looking at one another. That was my best wildlife moment to date, but these deer were really close to me too. And seemingly out of nowhere. They always seemed spooked by humans, but I guess if they deemed you a threat to their offspring, they’d charge at you … look how the geese act when they have their goslings.
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Such brilliant red leaves!
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Yes and amazingly this was just the first day of Fall which is unusual to see such red leaves. My neighbor has a Red Maple and I took some photos of that tree on November 12th when it was at peak – just gorgeous. Our peak foliage was wacky this year due to our three-week drought in June.
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I love me a good deer parade, Linda! We get them at least weekly around here without leaving the backyard! Love the title of your post and all the holiday goodness it tells (thanks for the earworm). I loved watching Rudolph on TV along with those other traditional shows, but Rudolph is not on TV, and neither is Charlie Brown Christmas…grr. At least I was able to see the original Grinch cartoon a couple of weeks ago on TV. I recorded it LOL!
Seeing the red bridge will those locks, the green trees, and the autumn colors is so cheerful and is good for our spirits. You have such a great area in which to walk and still be safe and around others. With all those red leaves, the Rouge River is aptly named.
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Terri, I would love to look in the backyard and see a deer parade. The groundhog and possums were not the kind of wildlife I am enamored with and after our one snowfall, I found possum paw prints and “tail drag” prints in the snow. I wrote a post about watching “Rudolph” and “Frosty” every year on TV and then when I got a VCR, I taped those two and the “Grinch”. My mom bought me the boxed set of “Frosty” and “Rudolph” so I could be a kid on my own time schedule. 🙂 It was interesting that there were a few red leaves, but still predominantly green but our Fall foliage was wacky due to our three-week drought in June. I do like this area and I have two more walks I’ve taken and photographed and not written about yet. I am so behind on writing about my walks and have three 5Ks for charities walked in 2023 I’ve not written about either.
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I like how you started the walk with rouge photos and wonderful bits and pieces along the way. The deer would have been a wonderful surprise.
The locks are an abomination. They almost caused a bridge in Paris to collapse with the added weight a 16th century? bridge wasn’t built to take as well as the usual traffic.
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Thanks Brian and yes, those deer were such a wonderful surprise as it’s not that dense of a wooded area, so a first time seeing deer at this venue. I don’t know how I didn’t know about the bridge in Paris, but I saw a photo of it and couldn’t believe how weighted down it was with those locks. It’s bad enough the ancient structures are at the mercy of Mother Nature.
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Wonderful post!
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Thanks Anne – the deer sure were a highlight for me!
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Wonderful title up on the housetop . wonderful photography. Those deer were like a deer in a headlight. What nice Greenery & red flowers, leaves. Brilliant post.
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Thanks Raj – glad you liked the post. The deer certainly were the highlight of this walk.
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Welcome, very nice dear!
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How wonderful to be able to watch those deer amble by. I’ve read that those locks are becoming a real problem in parks and other public areas. Park rangers are pleading with visitors to stop because they are doing damage. I guess that with everyone vying for attention on social media, what used to be random has become a flood.
Lovely photos of the red leaves… they really stand out!
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It was a real treat to see these deer Janis as it is not a dense forest at all and they just ambled on by out of nowhere. I don’t know how I missed the news stories about the bridge in Paris with the locks weighing it down and causing structural damage. Social media is great … most of the time. Other times it just leaves you shaking your head. Those red leaves, especially the Maples, look like they are on fire. I took some photos of my neighbor’s Red Maple tree on November 12th – it took that long to turn completely red and was stunning. Our Fall foliage with its brilliant colors was wacky this year due to our three-week drought in June.
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Awww, sweet deer pictures!
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Thanks Kate – what a treat to see those five deer, when I least expected it and they were much nicer to see than those old turkeys I was in search of!
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Thank you for the Christmas Story card, Linda! That certainly makes me cheerfully in the Christmas groove. I listened to the “Up on the Housetop” song too. You know just how to lift my spirits! What a wonderful surprise to see five dear! Five!! I was just waiting to hear which one was your favorite reindeer of all!
I found the love locks fascinating! And to know how many love birds actually do it even more inspiring that love still exists on this planet. I’m glad that you included those photos. I’m wondering if you could feel the love!! I’m absolutely fascinated with this bridge! I hope that you will visit it again.
Rough is for red says you, the French girl. So appropriate for this color monthly challenge! ❤️🎄
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TD, I am glad I could lift your spirits with the Christmas story card and the song that inspired the title of this post. I thought of that 70-year-old song right away. The deer were a wonderful surprise, just out of nowhere and so close to where I was standing. I looked closely to see if any of them had a red nose, like my favorite, Rudolph.
I had a strange encounter with a doe last year – it was scary as we were on a narrow pathway with a rocky cliff and Lake Erie on one side and no barrier right there and she streaked by and tried to escape. The link was in the post, but I’ll send it to you in a separate post … I was scared she’d knock me off into the water as she was skittish and terrified I would harm her.
I didn’t know anything about the locks on the bridge until Barbara told me. I happened to mention in one of her posts about the covered bridge and the locks and she told me about the bridge in Paris with structural damage from all the locks. It is very picturesque and I should have included a shot of the rapids beneath the bridge. I usually do take pics of it, but I was perplexed with the locks.
I knew I’d use this post for Christmas and so when Terri had her color challenge, I figured this would be perfect for the challenge – next week is “festive”.
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Here is the other deer post TD:
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Looks like a serene walk with the many colored leaves, reflections in the Rouge River, and deer. A fun photo journey!
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It was a serene walk Rebecca with the deer the biggest highlight for me … I could hardly wait to see if the photos came out as I had to shoot quickly before they all trotted into the woods. 🙂 (On another note, I hope you and family and friends escaped the devastation from the weekend tornadoes. Mother Nature has been on a tear this year.)
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Sometimes deer freeze when they see us, and that is usually the only way I get decent photos. Once they start moving again, they usually disappear quickly. A tornado touched down in the same area it touched down last December — one town over from us. We had a bad storm, but no damage. Thanks for asking. 🙂
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I think that is why I was so lucky here Rebecca, because they were really close to where I was standing and I guess they never expected me to turn around and return to the path. I’m happy you were spared and for the second December in a row. Thank goodness! My heart goes out to those folks with all the devastation.
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Who would have thought that photos from September could be used in a Christmas red-and-green photo challenge? Way to get creative.
The Rouge River trail looks like a beautiful place to run. I love listening to the birds and watching for critters (like the parade of deer you spotted) as I run.
I have seen love locks on the bridges crossing rivers in Pittsburgh. I had to Google them too the first time I saw them.
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Thanks Laurie – I am having fun with these challenges and knew just the walk photos to use for this one. 🙂 I am really behind “reporting” on my walks – I have three charity 5Ks from the Summer to write about, not to mention at least seven or eight walks at other large parks this year. At the rate I’m going, I will still be “reporting” from 2023 walks well into Spring and Summer 2024.
The deer were such a treat to see. It’s a peaceful trail but not that dense of a wooded area and maybe a half-mile away from a busy street, so it was surprising to see them here.
Thank goodness for Google for both of us as we would have remained clueless as to the locks and why they were hanging on the bridge.
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Ah that’s great to see all the deer! I love running into, not literally, wildlife when we’re hiking. I don’t like the locks on the bridge, we see that quite often, the first time was in Rome years ago. The bridge, which used to be so lovely, does not look like that now. That area looks quite lovely to walk through and I did like the covered bridge a lot (except for aforementioned locks lol)
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This was such a treat to see them unexpectedly Susan … thank goodness there were no Wild Turkeys that grabbed my attention or I would have missed them. That’s a shame with the big bridges with all the locks on the older bridges which are not equipped for the heavy locks weighing them down. That covered bridge is picturesque with its reddish color and I should have included a few shots of the rapids beneath it. Too bad they have to have a bar across the entrance so people don’t try to drive over the bridge.
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A neighbor in our rural area of Colorado had reindeer. Not the most attractive animals, I must say. Santa should’ve gone with the more graceful “deer” instead. Although, now that I think about it, reindeer look tougher than deer so maybe they really are better suited to pull a flying sleigh. The talk down here in the South is how the leaves are hanging on for several weeks past the norm. We have a few trees on our property that seem like they’ll still be dropping close to Christmas. Last year I swear we were done with the cleanup by Thanksgiving.
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Yes, you’re right Dave … they are not the most graceful of type of deer to lead Santa around the world. Several years ago, the Petting Farm at Heritage Park had an event called “Christmas in July” and the main attraction advertised Santa and Mrs. Claus and a few of Santa’s reindeer. It was a very hot day and when the event was about to start, someone came on the loudspeaker to advise it was too warm and the handler for the reindeer would not be bringing them to the Farm. So much for seeing reindeer but I did see Santa in a tropical shirt. 🙂
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Thanks for the smiles, Linda. Way to wind the river and through the woods from September into such a delightful December post! Very clever, Linda. The reds and greens you featured are so vibrant. You captured wonderful leading lines in your photos, well done! That cute buck looked like a young Rudolph. From the comments, it looks like the Locks of Love is a hit or miss for being a popular idea. 🤔🤗
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You’re welcome Shelley – glad you liked this post. It was a gorgeous first-day-of-Fall. That bridge on the trail is a great stopping point for checking the landscape, as that is where I saw the turkeys the first time, then the next time at the Estate (someday I’ll get to those photos which they are almost specks in the shots – sigh). I was surprised to see young Rudolph, the cute baby buck, when the images were on the computer screen – it all happened pretty fast as they went past me. I had never heard of the Pont des Arts, the famous Love Lock Bridge in Paris with its structural damage due to all the locks there, then I saw the picture. It’s incredible and you have to figure many of the locks representing couples at one time, are likely not couples now. They even got rid of a lot of locks off that bridge already.
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I’m glad you had the camera handy to catch the deer photos and that they turned out! Whenever I see ours in the field, they’re too far away, it’s dark, or they’re on the run. Rudolph was a perfect fit for your post.
Yeah, that’s so amazing that an innocent act of so many people putting a lock on a bridge caused such damage. Makes sense though – those locks are heavy!
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I’m happy I turned around just then! That’s mostly how I see deer, far away or clustered together like that recent post I did – they’re way too far away to be a clear photo. This was amazing that they had to cross this path right near me and crossed one by one, single file, like they were following one another. Yes, remember how Rudolph looks into water or maybe it was some ice and sees his tiny stubs for antlers? It’s been a while since I watched the show. I was amazed about the locks as the last time I was here, a few years ago, there were no locks. Granted, those few locks won’t pull down this bridge unless the idea really catches on and others flock there.
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It was a dear being at the right place at the right time moment to treasure! 💖 I haven’t watched the show yet this year. It was one of my favorites as a child.
I think you’re right about the locks.
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I looked to see if it was Amazon Prime but it is not available to rent, just to buy and I already have it. I never missed watching those shows as a child.
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I forget to use Amazon Prime…I need to do that someday!
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The deer are so beautiful, Linda! What a wonderful encounter you had that morning. It seems like when we go looking for one thing Mother Nature often decides to deliver us something else to enjoy. Loved the reflections in the Rouge River. Now I see what those locks you were talking about look like. Who knew it was an ancient Chinese custom? Interesting how some symbolisms never change as they pass down through the centuries.
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I could not believe those deer were passing in front of me like a parade, so close to where I stood! You’re right Barbara – we can go looking for one thing and be rewarded with something entirely different. This walk was on such a gorgeous and sunny day, so the reflections were amazing. There weren’t many locks – not compared to the Pont des Arts Bridge that you told me about – but enough to take notice of them. I had no idea about the custom that I cited. I listen to the news and never heard of this happening regarding locks – where have I been? I was off work today and went to Lake Erie Metropark to give the car a long run and me a long walk. Unbelievably I didn’t come home with a single photo – the landscape was blah and a lot of the marsh was dried up from lack of rain and so many high winds and just a handful of ducks within close range.
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You got some really nice deer photos that day. I never heard of the practice of love locks either.
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Thank you Ruth – a very lucky day for me to be that close to them. A first for me seeing that. I feel old sometimes.
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I am wistful for that fall weather on a blustery night in the low 20s.
I laughed at your reference to “wild turkey shots”. With anyone else, I would wonder if you were making a joke about small glasses of Wild Turkey-brand bourbon. 🙂
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Ha ha – no, that didn’t dawn on me when I wrote that JP, probably because I’ve never had bourbon before, but I have heard of that brand of bourbon. My father used to have Canadian Club whiskey in the house for hot toddies so I’ve had a few whiskey shots in my day when I had a bad cold or even whiskey sours back in the day.
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