This week we go all out for the color red and hearts. Not only is it National Heart Month, but it is the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, the holiday when chocolate abounds, chubby cupids are flitting about and a dozen of red roses will make your significant other’s heart go pitter-patter. Today I’m going to be sharing the love across the miles with all of you, but, instead of a box of decadent chocolates, or a dozen red roses, I’m going to celebrate a dozen years of writing my blog and sharing the love here. Why? Why not? After all, a little self-love is good for the soul, right?
“Every new walk is like a box of chocolates …
… You never know what you’ll get.” ~ Forrest Gump
This blog began on a cold, snowy weekend, with my first post publishing on February 11, 2013. My good friend and neighbor, Marge Aubin, nudged me into starting a blog as a way of memorializing my daily walking regimen which I began in 2011, the first year I started working from home. Even though our office was very small, I conceded that when I worked on site I got more exercise than parking myself in front of the computer here at the house. Yes, I tended to my butterfly garden every morning, but that really wasn’t heart-smart exercise and I know all about being heart smart since my beloved maternal grandmother and seven of her eight siblings died from heart disease and my mother had a heart arrhythmia. Even 14 years ago, the slogan “sitting is the new smoking” made me take notice, so I began my walking regimen that year. I now have an annual goal of over 1,250 miles. Along the way I also gave up red meat, fried food and fast food, so I hope to be around a long time. 🙂
This labor of love, a/k/a my blog, includes the word “whimsy” and, while I try to fulfill that portion of the title, often in my Wordless Wednesday posts, this blog’s roots were not nature-related, at least not until discovering Council Point Park in 2013. Thereafter my blog morphed into a nature blog, with many more words and photos than ever before. So, to celebrate this week’s 12th “blogiversary” I’m sharing the love with highlights of my four personal favorites, all warm-and-fuzzy-feeling posts.
Dear Heart.
Because Valentine’s Day is drawing near, I must mention Parker, my favorite Council Point Park squirrel, who long ago wormed his way into my heart and can do no wrong (even though he is a little rascal most of the time).
Here’s the backstory of this post. On a lark, I bought a package of heart-shaped sugar cookies to take to the Park with me. Yep, I realize walnuts or mixed nuts would have been more nutritious, but I thought it would be a fun treat for them and perhaps lead to a photo op. On February 2, 2020, I laid several along a picnic table for the squirrels to peruse, but it was only Parker who came a’callin’.
I even positioned the cookies and peanuts (an extra incentive) near some graffiti …
… then stood, camera at the ready, as Parker first did a sniff test, then picked up the heart-shaped cookie and, as if on cue, holding the cookie in his paws, red sugar side toward me, he began chomping on the cookie. I got a series of shots and he looked at me as it to say “Linda, did I do okay – am I dismissed now?”
I put the camera away and off he went with his half-eaten cookie to bury it.
You can click here for the link to that post and its fun photos/captions.
Enamored by this dear, er … deer encounter.
My next-favorite post was a trip to Lake Erie Metropark on July 31, 2021. Whenever visiting this venue, especially in Spring and Summer, I’m on the lookout for babies, because, after all, who doesn’t like to see photos of babies? After searching for hours for deer and fawns without any sightings, I was driving out of the park and suddenly saw a flash of brown – it was a Mama deer with a fawn by her side. I know my heart melted. I couldn’t find and pull into a parking space fast enough. I hopped out of the car, grabbed my camera from the fanny pack lest they got spooked and took off. But, to my surprise, just as I neared them, Mama deer loped away and I heard a big splash in the marsh. I figured she went for a drink, or to nibble on some Lotus leaves, but she was swimming! I was gobsmacked that she left her baby with me, a stranger! Well she needn’t have worried about l’il ol’ me, as I was infatuated with that fawn and it wasn’t scared of me in the least. It grazed for a bit, scoped me out a few times and posed very nicely, all the while as I was cooing and whispering enDEERments to that baby.
After what seemed like an eternity and about 50 shots later, Mama Deer returned, refreshed from her marsh swim and from afar she beckoned her little one to follow her. Perhaps it was my imagination, but her offspring seemed reluctant to go, but obediently it tootled off after Mama …
… while “wagging” its tail …
… and, yes, it even looked back at me as if to say goodbye.
I’m sure I floated home, very anxious to see those photos.
Here is the link to that Wordless Wednesday post if you’d like to see it.
An Eggs-tra Special Experience.
Another one of my magical Kodak nature moments was embedded into my Mother’s Day 2022 post which included a series of shots taken over the course of several weeks in Heritage Park, another favorite walking venue. Those who have followed me for a while know that every April I go to this venue to seek out Mama Goose, a Canada goose that nests in the rocky boulders next to the covered bridge.
While it wouldn’t seem to be the comfiest place to nest for 25-30 days, evidently the Missus feels safe here and her mate “patrols” nearby Coan Lake to ensure no walkers or dogs get near her. After going to Heritage Park several times, in anticipation of seeing newly hatched goslings, my trip on Easter Sunday 2022 (April 17th) was the most memorable.
I was the only one at the park that morning and Mama Goose didn’t see me. From where I stood on the covered bridge and out of her sight, I watched her rise off the nest, something she rarely does. She didn’t leave the nest to eat or drink, but instead nudged those large, cream-colored eggs …
… then proceeded to pluck downy feathers from her body, letting then drift slowly into the nest and over the eggs.
I felt so special witnessing this, a magical moment for me.
I returned a few times to ensure I saw Mama and her goslings …
… and that series of photos of Mama and her brood became my nod to Mother’s Day 2022.
Here is that post with many more photos if you’d like to see it.
Sometimes the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Although those nature encounters and others have been very fulfilling, my last favorite post is one I wrote about my mom, combining a little of that aforementioned whimsy and some poignancy as well. It was for Mother’s Day 2019, about my mom who passed away in January 2010. Mom will be on my mind more than usual this week because her birthday was on Valentine’s Day.
My original intent for this post was to merely acknowledge Mother’s Day showing two cherished photos of Mom and me, the first photo taken the day she brought me home from the hospital …
… and our last picture together taken by our dental hygienist when we had our respective appointments and I parked the car next to her brand-new Corvette. Barb asked me to take a photo of her and her “baby” and she responded in kind, snapping a photo of Mom and her “baby” and mailed it to us.
But, after finishing up this short post, before I hit “publish” I knew there was more to share with you, so I decided to dip into the digitized photo album pics and soon tons of memories, some funny, some poignant, evolved into another favorite post.
There are lots of vintage photos in that post (both Mom’s …
… and mine) …
… and in this post I got personal about Mom’s childhood and beyond, including some insight into why I rarely mention my father.
Here is the link to that blog post if you’d like to see it.
So, while a dozen red roses may well be the norm in this Valentine’s Day week, will this pretty, rosy-red Hibiscus from Emily Frank Gardens suffice instead?
I am joining Terri’s Monthly Color Challenge: Rosy Red.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Thanks for taking me on your journey Linda
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post Brian. It was difficult to pick four favorites in 12 years, but these would be them.
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A lovely post for Valentines Day! Kudos to you for being so committed to you blog! What is your walking goal Linda. It’s not really 12,150 per year is it?
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Thank you Ruth! My walking goal for this year is one more mile than last year, so 1,258 miles, but I have to tell you that it is not looking good so far this year, so hopefully I can get more miles done as the weather improves. As you know, our weather has not been very nice and this second bout of freezing rain, before the first ice melted is not good. I can’t even walk in the neighborhood right now, let alone the Park where they don’t plow the walking path ever. It was icy and rutted – I walk on the grass to feed the critters, but won’t attempt to go there until I think it is safe. I feel badly for the critters, but it is better than falling.
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I asked about your mile because you said ” I now have an annual goal of over 12,150 miles/19,553 kilometers.” thought maybe that was a typo. I haven’t been out much either – just too icy.
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I originally explained how I came to get to this goal, but the post was getting longer and longer, so I just put that amount since it only varies by one mile each year, adding one more mile … in the beginning, the first complete year I walked (2012), I believe my goal was 300 miles. 🙂 It’s very icy out there and with no warm-up in sight for days, it will stay like that for a while. I am on the shady side of the street, so when we get any sun, it only clears the bottom half of the driveway before the sun goes down.
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You look so much like your mom, Linda! Happy birthday in Heaven to her. Hans’ mom passed on Valentine’s Day in 2021 at age 89. I also love your various pics of the deer, and goose with her clutch of eggs. The squirrel holding the heart cookie is AMAZING!! I admire you for committing to all those MILES of walking. How do you keep track of your miles? Your title is awesome too, you’re so clever! Comment copied…
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Thanks for my mom’s remembrance, Terri. My mom passed two weeks before her birthday. Passing on a holiday makes it sadder in my opinion. For me, it was nothing but Valentine’s Day ads after my mom passed away, like a constant reminder of the loss. I liked this picture of the two of us because I was so much taller than her, often people cut off the top of my head. Our hygienist Barb just passed away on Christmas Day 2024 and I left a remembrance to her family about her Corvette, a 50th birthday present to herself and how excited she was about her car and she was thoughtful to take our photo and send it to us.
I was so excited when Parker picked up that cookie and faced me with the red-sugar side, as if he knew I was angling for that pose. 🙂 I was so enamored with that fawn that day, standing up close with my digital compact camera, so no loud clicking noises to distract it … how awesome was that? Since I was not in the goose nor gander’s sight, I could watch this tender moment she had with the clutch.
I write down my mileage when I get home on my calendar and I also have a log on my computer in case I’d lose the calendar. I have hardly walked at all this year due to the ice and Polar Vortex. I don’t mind cold weather, but that was too cold and it’s very icy at the Park on the walking path. I’m glad you liked the title too!
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Lovely post today, Linda. It truly tells me what interests you most. Yes, self-love is good for the soul. ❤️🍎
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Thank you TD. I’m grateful for Council Point Park, but my blog morphed more into a nature blog when I started trying out larger parks back in 2018. It was not difficult to pick these four favorites and I thought about sharing the duckling rescue posts (one plus a follow-up), but the post was already getting too long, so I left it as is. Indeed … self-love is important!
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Thanks for sharing your favorite posts with us, Linda. A mixture of nature and reminiscing.
Good luck on your walking goal for 2025. I hope some good weather days are in the near future so that you can get a good start. We got an ice storm last night, and more winter weather is on the say this week. It will not surprise you to read that I am soooo ready for spring!
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Laurie, good thing I started writing more about nature as it was not too exciting just in the ‘hood, though I did write plenty of posts about those walks. Thank goodness for discovering Council Point Park. My walking goal often seems elusive as I meander through the year, but as of now it’s looking pretty bleak stat-wise. We also had an ice storm last night, on top of the one last Wednesday night – it’s treacherous out there. Also, like you, more snow on the way. Your running regiment is also taking a hit. We’ve been spoiled the last two years and by our extended, warm Fall 2024.
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I appreciate how you’re able to weave together the past with today through your blog posts. Your walks are a glimpse into something I rarely see and I’m charmed to know that the old “sitting is the new smoking” campaign played into your lifestyle choice.
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Thank you Ally. The first four years of blogging, I had only a handful of followers, all e-mail subscribers. So when I met other bloggers and blogging took off, it was a whole new experience for me, plus I began taking longer walks at larger venues. I like the nature-related walks best, so I’m glad this blog morphed into a nature-related theme. I worried about sitting too much and still do. I know it is not healthy and I still sit too much (especially now with day after day of icy streets). I’m not inclined to drive to a mall to get the steps in, so I’ll have a lot of miles to make up once the weather improves.
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I’m not a mall walker either. For one thing no large mall nearby, but I do make a point of walking ALL the aisles in Kroger or Meijer when I go shopping. I call it exercise.
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I do the same thing when I go grocery shopping Ally! I park my grocery cart in a central location and then go to all parts of the store to retrieve what I need. The one problem with that is I have to remember where I parked it as a few times I forgot and then have to go searching and Meijer is a large store as you know. I can rack up 2 1/2 to 3 miles that way.
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What a wonderful celebration of Valentine’s Day and heart related things!
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Thank you Anne! You need to get a balloon for yourself as the holiday draws near!
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I should! Thanks for prompting me.
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You’re welcome Anne – ’tis time to treat yourself to a bright-red balloon!
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Bless you. Happy Blogging Anniversary. I love your words.
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Thank you very much for this comment Selma.
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Happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks for reminiscing about your mom. Beautiful story. She’d be proud of you! Hugs.
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Thank you Kate – I like to share her story every so often as it was a tough life for her. Next year she would have turned 100 , so I’ll have a few more vintage pics to share, one on a bearskin rug. 🙂
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🙂
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You’ve been blogging a long time! And 12,000+ miles a year? I have to go get my calculator, but that’s a LOT! Loved your stories about your favorite posts. I think I’d have a hard time picking out four favorites…sometimes I randomly go back and read and I almost always like whatever post I’ve popped into.
I did go and read your post about your mom. That was a hard life for her, it’s amazing she did so well with all that to deal with! Including your dad! Your folks got married the same year my folks did, 1953. I feel lucky that they had 4 kids, all close together so I have siblings. I didn’t always feel that way, especially as a teenager! Both my folks are gone too, they died in 2004 and I think about each of them every day, just like you think about your mom daily. I think that’s natural.
I’m going to go figure out how many miles you have to walk every day now… LOL
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Yes, I’ve been blogging a long time Dawn and I never met anyone here in WordPress blogland until November 2017 – the first four years+ were friends who subscribed. I also blogged at “Patch” a hyperlocal newspaper for a while too. All I did was post the same post and I also was on “The Heritage Newspapers” blog roll as well. I didn’t walk as much in the very beginning (300 in year 2012) but then I kept increasing my miles a lot and it got easier. Right now in 2025, I’ve barely walked due to all the ice and from the looks of it I won’t be walking this week either. I will have lots of miles to make up when the weather cooperates.
Thanks for reading the post about my mom – I wanted to tell more about her and what a rough life she had. My parents were married 30 years … and you just walk out? Thank goodness the house was paid for long ago. It is nice to have siblings – some people might contradict me on that – like you said, you didn’t think that as a teen, but as adults you can appreciate having someone to lean on or talk about how things were growing up. I do think of my mom every day and will on Friday as well.
A lot of miles … I wear Easy Spirit Punters and they rarely wear out either!
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OH MY GOODNESS!
Last night I didn’t notice you wrote I had an annual walking goal of 12,000 miles a year. I have been responding to comments in Reader because I can “like” here and in Notifications, “like” does not always work. As I scrolled down Comments in Reader to see where I left off last night, the “12,000” in your comment jumped out at me. No, I didn’t notice last night and only you did … it is 1,250+ miles a year. I always just walked one more mile than the last year, but just before 2020 and a new decade, Wayne, a Canadian fellow blogger said “why not increase your miles so that it is 2,020 kilometers for the new decade … 2,020 km was 1,255 miles … more than I would normally want to increase my mileage as I don’t know the weather will be. My walking stats are abysmal so far this year. I am going to edit it right now … yikes!
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LOL. That’s like 33 miles a day!
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I would be “draggin’ my wagon” by mile #7 or #8!
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What a lovely words in blog post. You look so much like your mom, Linda! Happy birthday in Heaven to her. Hans’ mom passed on Valentine’s Day 😌! What a wonderful celebration of Valentine’s Day and heart related things! What is your walking goal Linda.
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Thank you Raj, I’m glad you liked this post.
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Happy 12th Blogiversary, Linda! 🎉 I love your nature stories and photos, but your Mom’s story was so touching! She had a very hard life but did a good job raising her daughter. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your memories!
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Thank you Debbie! These were the most memorable of my nature encounters and I almost included the ducklings rescue in the sewer, but the post was already long. Thank you for reading the story about my mom and the compliment as well. We were very close, more so after my father left. I had thought about writing about Mom at length before, so it was bubbling around in my brain awhile, but that day I really only intended to have our first/last photo when I sat down to write the post. When I photographed the sign from the church, it was going to be for sometime in the future. The post just fell in place …
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You have shared some really lovely photographs here 🙂
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Thank you Anne. I feel I was very lucky to have these three “critter encounters” – I am glad you liked the photos.
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Congratulations on 12 great years! I loved the variety you shared as favorites
I’ll bet Parker got an unpleasant surprise when he went to dig up the cookie, especially if the ground was moist.
And I love that last shot of you and your mother in the car – an early 50s Pontiac, judging from that unique dash design.
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Thank you JP. I usually just re-hash why/when I started my blog (which was to appease my friend/neighbor Marge, who kept sending me other people’s blogs as a hint), but this time I thought it would be fun to pick my favorite posts. You’re right, Parker’s treat sure wouldn’t resemble a cookie by the time Spring came. It was cold that day, but as I left to get home to start work, he was digging furiously. My parents often referred to two different cars they had that I was too young to remember, first “the Pontiac” and then “the Monarch”. Each of them were Sunday cars and he rented a garage and only took it out for Sunday drives and then washed it and put it back in the garage. At that time they lived in an apartment in Toronto and he took the streetcar to work.
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Happy 12th Blogging Anniversary, Linda! 🎉 🐿️ 🌹 🎊
You have so many fond memories to look back on, and so much to look forward to as you continue on with your fantastic walking goals and your adventures with the squirrels and all the other critters. I absolutely ❤️ the pictures of Parker with that heart cookie, the first one of the little fawn, and that darling little yellow gosling. It was lovely to see the first and last pictures of you and your mom together. 💕 You’ve taken such good care of your heart, both physically and emotionally — your journey is very inspiring!
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Thank you Barbara! I hope to be around, walking and blogging for a very long time. 🙂 I also hope Parker and my other pals at the Park remember me since I’ve not seen them since Groundhog Day due to all the ice we’ve had in the neighborhood and most likely the Park is also like a skating rink and we have two snowstorms this week, one sizable – sigh. I was so excited for each of these nature encounters … Parker with that cookie was so sweet and also that fawn and the goose and goslings. Just so memorable and I guess each time I go to parks I hope to create more memories like this. I am so grateful to Barb for taking that last photo of us – usually whenever someone took photos of us, since I was so much taller, they cut my head off.
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Your mother would be so proud of her baby girl! You’ve found your way through life.
Great shots too! You’ve become a very good wildlife photographer!
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Thank you for saying that Wayne – coming from you, a wildlife photographer, I am honored. My mom inspired me and I hope I didn’t disappoint her. I wish she knew about the blog and my nature encounters and I think she would be pleased. I think of her with any duck pictures as she loved ducks. Just like Marge would enjoy this blog and the photos … I had not really explored beyond Council Point Park until 2018 and she passed away in 2017. I’m glad you like the shots – my favorites of all the photos I’ve taken. I was tempted to include the ducklings in the sewer rescue posts (I did a follow-up on the orphan duckling), but this post was getting too long at that point.
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Oh I’m sure she knows how her special girl is doing!
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Yes, I am sure. She is looking down smiling. 🙂
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Parker is so cute with his Valentines cookie ! So many memories you have and can cherish, I still miss my Mom and she has been gone 51 years now. So hard to believe how fast time goes.
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Parker has always been a ham and I was surprised he grabbed the cookie before the peanuts, but he did and posed perfectly with the red sugar side out. 🙂 I remember you wrote once with photos about your mom and said she passed away when you were young. I think you had photos near a dock or cottage; 51 years is a long time Susan and you never forget those good times. It was just 15 years for my mom on January 31st and I marveled that it didn’t seem that long to me.
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A nice retrospective, Linda. Congratulations on 12 years of blogging!
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Thank you Eilene. I enjoyed putting this post together and I hope to be blogging for a very long time!
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Your choice of five favorites seems like it came easily to you, Linda. Twelve years times fifty-two posts (600+ not including Wednesdays) is a lot to choose from! Congratulations on your writing anniversary. Yours is a blog where I wouldn’t normally be interested in the subject matter, but your style of writing always draws me in. Maybe the next time you consider your favorites you’ll throw in one of the ones with turtles 😉
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Picking my favorites over a dozen years did come easy to me Dave. I left out the ducklings-in-the-sewer rescue and the follow-up about the orphaned duckling left behind by its Mama, albeit reluctantly, as this post was already getting long. Usually every year I just write about how/why I started this blog, as I started it because of my good friend/neighbor Marge’s insistence. I have actually published 2,018 posts believe it or not! In the beginning, when I walked mostly around the ‘hood, I did shorter and more frequent posts and the first four years, I rarely used my own photos, buying photos to match the topic of the post from “Dollar Photo Club” (now out of business). I bought my digital compact camera in 2015, then began taking my own photos and then I really got interested in photography again. Thank you for saying that you enjoy the writing because that is the most fun of every post for me, writing it. The nature part of my blog did not really happen until 2018 when I went to larger parks – longer posts and more photos. I like the twice-weekly posting schedule … it gives me a chance to use my quirky or sometimes beautiful shots for Wordless Wednesday and the rest for my “stories”. I will do my best to find turtles to write about to make it a favorite post down the line, although I did one long ago about a turtle laying eggs at the Park – I was fascinated and researched how long until they would hatch and was disappointed they exited the nest under cover of night!
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Here is the post I referenced about the turtle digging a hole to lay her eggs. There is also a Red Slider in here, but I was pretty wordy, so you’ll have to scroll down about 1/3 of the way to find the turtles. The nest was really not noticeable on the hill where the turtle made it. Also, they build 20 feet from water so the hatchlings can dash right to the water for safety from predators. The Creek is right there.
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Thanks for the link! I’d never heard of “painted” turtles before (most common species in North America!) and learned they really do prefer the wetlands environment you described in your previous post. Good to know, because I’d always thought they predominantly lived and bred on ocean beaches.
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You’re welcome Dave! That Summer we had a lot of turtles walking across the path, or simply basking in the sun at the side of the path. I guess they get bored sunning on the log all the time. 🙂 I would have liked to stay to see that turtle laying all her eggs, but I had to get to work. Turtles are fascinating to watch. Usually they are so skittish though; if they’re in the water, they plop into the water once they see the whites of your eyes!
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So much to like about this post, Linda. That photo of Parker with the cookie is adorable. And those older pictures of you and your mother are fabulous. My hubby and I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but I love the red Hibiscus… and I wouldn’t turn down chocolates. Happy 12th!
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Thank you Janis. I liked putting together all those favorite photos. Parker behaved so sweetly that day, as if on cue, posing with the cookie, so I had to make it the #1 favorite. I was so glad that Barb, our dental hygienist, took that photo. We had no recent photos and any photos taken by my father, he usually cut my head off. I know for many it is just a Hallmark holiday and I would not turn down chocolates either.
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What a lovely rosey red post, Linda! Wonderful memories and favorites. What a fabulous idea with the squirrels! 😍
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Thanks Donna! I saved that beautiful rosy red Hibiscus from my recent Emily Frank Gardens post once I saw Terri had this color challenge. Parker is the apple of my eye at the Park and of all the photos I’ve taken of him, this series of photos with the heart-shaped cookie was my favorite … posing on cue. 🙂
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What a fun journey down memory lane, some of which I had never seen before. That goose getting off her eggs had to have been quite a treat for you, and the little deer posing. Precious. Also precious are the photos of you with your Mom. A wonderful 12th Anniversary post!
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Thank you Rebecca! Maybe Parker and his heart-shaped cookie and the deer were before we followed each other? It was such an amazing experience with the Mama leaving her baby there with me. I know you read about how deer hide their fawns if they have to go off to forage for food … maybe because it was older, she felt confident leaving it behind, but the trust she had in me, plus it was not afraid either. A very special nature connection for me. The goose too – I was lucky neither she nor her mate saw me on the bridge, so I could watch her lovingly touching the eggs with her beak and letting the downy feathers drift down to cushion those eggs. A tender moment for her and special for me. My mom post was bubbling around in my head for a while and I kept thinking I wanted to write something, but I was afraid it would be too sad and difficult to put into words, but this way I could write about the good things and make light of her wisdom imparted to me over the years with the photos which I treasure from the family album.
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Happy blog anniversary Linda. Your words and pictures bring a lot of joy to readers. 😊
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Thank you so much for saying that Clare. You were one of my first followers.
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That’s awesome you have been blogging that long Linda. I love your older family pictures and the best part about oder pictures is seeing what the cars looked like back then.
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Yes, a dozen years already Diane, but the first four years was not blogging with other bloggers here on WP – my only followers were e-mail subscribers, a few friends only. I was also in a blogging group for “Patch” where I posted my blog posts to my local Patch hyperlocal newspaper and I interacted on Facebook with other Patch bloggers which was fun – there were about 10-15 of us from across the U.S. Patch was owned by AOL at the time, but they sold it to a new owner who changed things radically, so we all stopped blogging. We were not paid for blogging, but it was fun interacting with the others. I like old pictures and I’m lucky to have so many to fit into my posts.
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Thanks for sharing so many memories! I went back and read the post about you and your mom. So many hardships produced a strong woman.
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I’m glad you liked this post Linda. It was nice to share my favorite posts and reminisce about them and I hope there will be more encounters like these going forward. Thank you for reading the original post about my mom. I did put my heart and soul into this post, but also tried to make it light as well. I agree with you – all the hardships in life, not only give you wrinkles and gray hair, but make you stronger, like my mom.
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Thanks for sharing highlights of your heart over the last few years Linda. Magical memories ❤️
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Thank you Zena – I hope to be sharing many more magical memories through the years!
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