We’re right in the thick of it … the ambience and magic of the holiday season that is. Tonight Hanukkah begins and now there are merely eleven more sleeps until Santa arrives. Bakers are bustling, mail carriers are hustling, all giving the holiday spirit great momentum.
So, logically you would assume this blog title pertains to the fractious fellow pictured above, a/k/a “The Grinch”.
But, wait a minute, not so fast! Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, today’s post is NOT about the Grinch, but is about a nature walk as you will see as the post unfolds.
This post is part two of a very long April 24th walk that began at Ford Park in Dearborn, along the Rouge Gateway Trail and around the Ford Estate where I paused to photograph everything pink, from tulips to tree blossoms. If you missed it, you can find that post here.
Green abounds!
It was a very green scene that enveloped me on this meander at and around the Environmental Interpretive Center.
From the moment I stepped onto the Lakeside Trail on that beautiful Spring day, green was everywhere. The trees had just leafed out along the entire shoreline and there were exquisite reflections on Ford Lake.
I stopped to admire and photograph those reflections on water that was as smooth as glass. I did not alter the color of the water – it was all Mother Nature’s doing!
But, there was much more to see that day, where I walked six miles and was pretty pooped out by the time I reached the last leg of this meander. It was also uncharacteristically warm that day!
Lingering on Lakeside Trail at Ford Lake.
How wonderful to see color after the gloomy gray landscape that defines Winter!
The path had been freshly mulched and I padded along the trail silently. This Great Blue Heron decided to depart and, as I heard the flutter of wings, I watched that bird go airborne, legs streaming behind it, simultaneously filling the morning air with a raucous screech that could wake the dead, a noise that I believe was intended for me, a mere walker that had intruded on its thoughts. 🙂
Quite honestly, it was a lot of hullabaloo to simply fly to a nearby perch, an old log, seemingly out of my view (in its opinion anyway).
There it stood, ruffled feathers and all.
It finally settled down after giving those feathers a shake and remained there, standing tall, in an almost statuesque pose, but not for my benefit. Was it waiting for a friend, or a significant other? This Great Blue Heron might have been lacking social skills, but it made a pretty portrait, don’t you think?
Well I know I was as quiet as could be, but then it detected me – a sixth sense perhaps and off it went again, to a third spot – in the water. But I would not be deterred by this scrawny, five-pound/2.2-kilogram bird repeatedly fleeing from me, so I merely tucked myself neatly up against a tree and got a final shot of this Heron in all its lean and mean glory as it prepared to go fishing.
Up ahead I saw a chunk of partially submerged tree, a small oasis in Ford Lake, where a Red-eared Slider was sunbathing. I noted that even this old log was showing signs of new growth.
As I neared the end of Lakeside Trail, I tried to remember where to turn, so I didn’t get lost. But first, I saw another person, eyeballing the trees …
… so I waited to see if I should also train my camera on the same subject, but I saw nothing.
Perhaps he was just enjoying the green scene and a very blue sky, just like me.
I meandered along the trail, putting the camera away as I neared the building that is the Environmental Interpretive Center (“EIC”). I knew there was not much to see now, except the building and their see-through box of in-progress mushrooms.
But, as I rounded the corner, I was pleasantly surprised to find birds busy at several feeders at the side of the Center. I would have thought the EIC would stop feeding them in the Spring. I hurriedly unzipped the camera case to get a few shots of those feasting birds.
The male Red-bellied Woodpecker managed to eke out some suet from the holder …
The male Downy Woodpecker was busily filling his beak with sunflower seeds.
Well, he stole a glance at me, but food was more important than some silly photographer, so he didn’t budge.
One Blue Jay remained, gathering seeds the Downy had dropped.
There were a few more Jays at another hopper feeder, but they scattered when they saw me.
The birds at the birdfeeder reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas ornaments, a green hopper feeder with some fine-feathered friends created by Dutch artist Marjolein Bastin. It was part of her “Nature’s Sketchbook” series and we got it in 2005. We bought several ornaments by her, along with Christmas cards, over the years.
I made a mental note to get the ornament out for the holidays and take some photos of it for a Christmassy post … so here it is.
I decided to just leave it in the kitchen for the holiday season.
The EIC birds flitted off soon after my arrival, so once again I was off.
What – more birds? Well I found four more birds, those Wild Turkeys you recently “met” in my Wordless Wednesday Thanksgiving post.
Next door, University of Michigan-Dearborn adjoins the Interpretive Center. I stopped to peer into the holes of the “Block M” bee hotel, but everything was apparently still dormant.
A sign remained touting the idea of leaving your leaves for small critters instead of raking them.
There you go, some green and red NATURE colors … the lean and somewhat mean Heron, but NOT the lean, mean and green Grinch in his red Santa cap. The red “caps” belong to the Red-bellied Woodpecker and that little touch of red on the back of the head of the Downy Woodpecker which identified him as a male. Just a little nature to enjoy and help you to relax, breathe in deeply and catch your breath in this busy holiday season.
I’ll leave you with a quote: “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” – John Ruskin
I am joining Terri’s Color Challenge: Festive reds and greens.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wonderful Heron and tortoise photos Linda. It was very green and the birds were enjoying them selves
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Brian! It’s great to look back and marvel how green everything was and how the critters also enjoyed the warmer weather, as we battle the gray, gloomy, cold late Fall days we are experiencing right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your bird drawings Linda! You are making great strides!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Wayne! I just did five more paintings over the weekend, one which is a bird, which I will use at year end.
LikeLike
As we are suffering through an early winter, It’s lovely to see the lush greenery in your photos, Linda! 🥬 And your bird sketches look amazing ! Not only an excellent nature photographer, but a talented artist as well.👌 Such a charming ornament to brighten your kitchen for the holidays. 💫 All in all, a very UN-Grinchy post! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Debbie! Now I am blushing for both the nice comments. 🙂 I did some more paintings over the very cold weekend. It was such an incredibly “green-everywhere” walk! It’s like the first Spring day the trees leaf out in the neighborhood and suddenly you are surrounded by a canopy of green. I really like this ornament and we collected different styles of Marjolein Bastin ornaments over the years, all so lifelike. This one is bigger than most; some are ceramic disks with a painting of a bird, suspended on a ribbon. I thought it would be fun to make it appear this post was about the Grinch as you can’t get much leaner and meaner than a scrawny, loud Great Blue Heron. If you’ve never heard them screech, they are very vocal, with a raucous call.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think I”ve ever seen a Great Blue Heron up close, let alone heard one screech, but I believe it. 🙂 They are interesting birds, for sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They make a lot of noise for a bird that only weighs around five pounds. Over the years, I have heard them be compared to Pterodactyls, the “flying dinosaur” birds we saw in museums.
LikeLike
It’s wonderful to see a green spring day especially since it’s 17 this morning! Brrrrr!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, doesn’t it seem impossible we could ever experience color like this when it is so gray and gloomy and so barren outside now? That’s cold for you! We are on day #3 of this extreme cold, lessening its grip a bit tomorrow, 47 on Thursday, then trending colder again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved all the green!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s something to look forward to after all this bitter cold, snow and ice and we’re not even in Winter yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for bringing some green into our very white life. I don’t even remember spring, so it was nice going for a walk with you. Herons are some of my favorite birds to photograph. And your art work is wonderful. I have never successfully painted a blue jay. Nor have I even attempted a woodpecker of any sort! Looking at my birds now I see the feeders are empty. I was gone most of yesterday and I haven’t been out yet this morning. A squirel is sitting on top of a feeder, having figured out how to open the top. Sigh. And it’s snowing sideways. Of course. Ahhhh spring. I miss you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I figured I’d infuse some color and warmth into our brutally cold late Fall day. I like herons too and this was nice because there were no people along the lake at that time. They have interpretative walks and kids take field trips there, so it was very peaceful. Thank you – they were my first woodpeckers and jay. The Red-bellied Woodpecker I had draw on my own, while the others were tutorials from Julia. Julia did not have her landscaping feedback class and I found another artist whom I like for some landscaping and fun seasonal watercolor paintings. She does a variety of tutorials, so I did five seasonal paintings over the weekend which were fun to do. I went outside to run the car and it went from the predicted flurries to a snow squall in the course of five minutes. Squirrels and their acrobatics – they know all the angles!
LikeLike
“Leave the leaves”. A bird-friendly neighbor of ours just FB-posted that advice for those who choose to haul away their leaves instead of mulching them. Birds don’t necessarily play into decisions when all you’re trying to do is clean up your yard. Your feeder ornament reminds me of some of our bigger ones. Our tree can never hold them because they’re just too heavy. Finally, the long neck on those herons fascinates me. I’d like to have an anatomy lesson to learn how everything works under the skin!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dave, I do see that advice on a lot of the nature sites I follow, right down to the breakdown of types of very small creatures you would be supporting by leaving your leaves, in addition to the birds. I remember seeing suggestions through the years encouraging people to put their live Christmas trees in their backyard, after removing the tinsel, so birds can take refuge from the bitter cold. I seem to recall you posted a photo of your very large Christmas tree when you lived in Colorado – maybe you had a cathedral ceiling, if memory serves me right? Each year I say I will decorate more – next year for sure. A fellow blogger posted a video once showing a heron downing a very large fish. After these herons spear the fish, they manipulate it around in their bill to prepare to swallow it. In this case, you could see that very alive fish thrashing about in the heron’s neck. Just incredible!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good memory, Linda. Our last house allowed for really tall Christmas trees. This year we have a small one, more because we won’t be here on Christmas (we’ll be in TX with our son) than for lack of a cathedral ceiling. Maybe next year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dave. Yes, I remember it was a stunning look with that tall tree in your home. You can make up for this smaller tree next year if/when you are home and I promise myself I will put up a tree next year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous heron amidst all the lush greenery, Linda! The bird pics are beautiful and I love your drawings! Marvelous! 11 sleeps til Christmas, coming fast!
We’re in the midst of another warm rain downpour with high winds right behind. Then snow by this weekend… crazy! Another temperature record bites the dust, er should I say, drowns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Terri! I’ve been having fun painting and did some more paintings this past bitter cold weekend. I planned to use this post earlier in the year, but when I looked ahead to the color challenges, I decided it would be fun to save it for Christmastime. The weather is so extreme anymore! All your rain, then suddenly snow. We’re the opposite as we’ve had the snow and all this bitter cold, but Thursday it will rain all day and be 47 degrees! Great, it will melt the snow and ice which suits me fine as we are getting colder a few days later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was a nice theme Linda…..and nicely coordinated! I’d love to see some of that spring green right now. Loved your paintings – especially the Blue Jay – you definitely have talent! I’ve never heard of a red eared slider turtle or a Bee Hotel. Are the bees dormant inside the holes, or do they just drop by and visit during bee season?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s always amazing to me how quickly everything greens up come Spring. Even in the neighborhood, but especially in wooded areas like this. Thank you Joni! I am enjoying this hobby and painted five new paintings over this past very cold weekend. The Red Sliders are the same as the pet turtles that people used to buy for their kids at the pet shop. I had one after we moved here – they were kept in a plastic dish with water and a little ramp. We have different types of turtles here, mostly the Red Sliders, Map Turtles (like I had on the log in last week’s post) and Snapping Turtles. The bee hotels are very unique and people buy them for their yards as well. They have several at the Interpretive Center. The female bee lays eggs in each of the holes and feeds the larva pollen, then when it gets colder, the larva go into a cocoon and emerge in Spring. It helps our bee population which is hampered by pesticides.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a neat idea re the bee hotel. I had no idea there were so many native different types of turtles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the bee hotels are neat too Joni. If you have a lot of flowers in the yard, like you do with all your roses, you could attract even more bees, helping to save them. I just Googled and bees like geraniums and you always have geraniums too. Yes, we have all three turtle types here. Several years ago I was at Council Point Park and there was a turtle laying eggs and I took photos of it and watched that location daily (after about 60 days) to see the baby turtles emerging. Another walker saw it and said it was fascinating to watch. The turtles make a nest, lay the eggs, then cover the area with dirt, never far from the water. She saw the turtles head to the water, just like you see photos sometimes of sea turtles hatching on the beach and heading to the water immediately.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That must have been amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was amazing to see according to the woman walker who saw it. I just looked up my post (it was in 2018) to see how long before the hatchings would emerge and it was predicted to be at least 72 days and I got that info since I sent the photos I took to one of the interpreters at Crosswinds Marsh as she posts about a lot of wildlife there and had recently posted about turtles laying eggs. She told me some facts and to look out for them emerging early in the morning. Ever since then, I’m on the lookout for turtles digging holes to lay eggs. It was fascinating to watch and I’d have stayed but I had to get home for work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your drawings are great Linda! Great job on them, you are doing a wonderful job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Susan! I am having fun with this hobby. I did five more paintings over the weekend, but I am going to put the paints away for a bit in January to sort through six or seven walks that I’ve not even looked at the pictures yet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have taken up painting again, I like it but I’m not too good at it. Yours are quite good😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I am glad I kind of inspired you to take up painting again Susan! I remember you did acrylics. Thank you and I hope you will post some of your paintings too?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm maybe not lol. Clint said I should but I’m not quite comfortable yet to do that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha – you can do it Susan! Or … down the road then. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share my first batch of paintings and I went ahead and did it. I wish you could see the two pieces of “art” (if you could call them that) after I took two wax pencil drawing classes in April. I thought it would be fun – one class was painting water, the other trees. It was a waste of time and money to be honest, so then I signed up for Julia’s online classes the same weekend. I took photos of my whimsical paintings done in ink and wash last weekend. I think I am going to post them at year end, but part of me isn’t sure either. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We need to be braver! Or not… lol. Well the paintings you have showed so far have been really good. I am just gonna keep plugging away at it because I do enjoy it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well thank you and remember that we didn’t take formal schooling but are learning on the fly. These artists have had years to practice and hone their skills, plus getting paid for doing well, so there’s an incentive. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s true for sure. So we just need someone to pay us 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it would be a great incentive to hone our skills! 🙂
LikeLike
Well I’m glad the Grinch didn’t steal Linda’s lovely green post! Your bird paintings look great! You’re becoming a prolific artist, I see. Enjoyed your story about the heron.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Eilene! That heron and I spent about a half-hour together trying to outwit one another and it was one of those first days of Spring, when every plant and tree erupts into bright green. I am enjoying this new hobby and I did five more paintings this past weekend, trying something new for me: pen and watercolor wash, which was different, but something fun to try. I don’t know if you have tried it, but you draw using a waterproof fine liner, then you apply a light wash of color, but not filling in the entire picture. It was a good way to spend the cold weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for brightening up my bleak winter landscape with a bit of green! I am longing for spring and it’s not even officially winter yet!
We went to a beach town with my son and his family last weekend. On the way home, I saw a great blue heron standing in a marsh. He looked so cold and lonely! I bet he is looking forward to some warmer weather and some better fishing too.
The closer we got to home, the more we realized it had snowed while we were gone. We had to clear our driveway before we could park in our garage. We got about 3 – 4 inches, more than we got all last year! Ugh!!! Winter!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh Laurie, I know exactly what you mean! Today we got above freezing and Thursday we will get to 47 … for one day only! The weather is crazy here and has been since Thanksgiving. I can just imagine when you realized all the snow you had to deal with when you got home – ugh indeed! I hope things tame down when the “real Winter” arrives. I often wonder how the herons and egrets survive once the water freezes over. When I was at the Park the other day, the Ecorse Creek had already frozen over and there is ice on the Detroit River. I wish we could fast forward to Spring.
LikeLike
A lovely post. I so enjoyed your paintings! With winter and cold temps in full swing, your post was a reminder that soon Spring will be here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and yes, for both of us, there is too much cold and wintry weather already in place before we even get to Winter, it is nice to remember how it all was. I just started taking painting classes in the Spring and am enjoying it so far. I painted last weekend as it was so bitter cold, so it was a good time to hunker down and paint.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A painting class, a great idea. I’ve always wanted to learn about water colors. I took a class, but the instructor was not very good. I’ll have to try another one. It’s so nice to have different creative outlets.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had been following a blog by a nature artist, Julia Bausenhardt, for a few years. I saw her videos on Facebook and followed her blog, so she had this feedback class starting April 28th and I decided to try it out. It was four weeks long and all flowers with new assignments every Monday, due the following Sunday. Then I took her tutorials in butterflies and birds, plus a sketching class of just birds, so I’ve really enjoyed it. She was supposed to have a feedback class in painting watercolor landscapes this Fall, but hasn’t sent out an e-mail about it yet. This new artist I’ve been following does some nature, but the seasonal and ink and wash is fun. The beginning of the year I have six or seven walks with tons of photos I’ve not even looked at yet – it will take a long time to sort through those photos. When it finally got cooler, I got out to big parks with the camera.
LikeLike
What an enjoyable post! We’ve lived in Michigan for just about one year and I had not heard of Ford Lake. Of course there’s a Ford Lake in the Detroit area! 😁 Thanks for the pics. I’ve got to get there soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Pepper! I remember Esther told me you had moved to Michigan and you would soon be finding many new photographic opportunities here. You are right about the name “Ford” – if you go to Dearborn, almost everything has a Ford name attached to it. I like going to Clara and Henry Ford’s Estate (Fair Lane) and on the outskirts of the Estate are the gardens, woods, Ford Lake and the Environmental Interpretive Center. It is nice to visit with your camera, although the Estate is undergoing renovations outside and they have a lot of construction in place right now. The renovations inside have been ongoing for about 10-15 years, off and on, partly due to COVID. They are restoring everything inside the mansion to look like it did when the Fords moved in, but that is still off limits to the public for another two years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, we do go to Dearborn. We have been to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village multiple times. I had no idea about the Ford Estate and Ford Lake. I will definitely have to explore there. Thanks for the info. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re doing better than I am Pepper as to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village as I’ve not been there since 1976 when I took my grandmother there. She had a wonderful time looking at the vintage clothing and pointing out items she and her sister wore when they moved to Toronto from Ariss, a small community in Ontario, where they grew up on a farm. She also pointed out and named every farm implement and machine in the museum. She had a wonderful time there! I hope you enjoy visiting the Ford Estate – there is plenty to see on the grounds and it is steeped in history.
LikeLike
Such a lovely photos!
I have purchased many Marjolein Bastin calendars over the years. I love her work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Linda! I didn’t know Marjolein Bastin created calendars too. I always liked her Christmas cards and ornaments, so I’m sure I’d like the calendars as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoyed seeing all the beautiful greens of Spring — a perfect post for this time of year. You got some nice photos of the heron and turtle and birds. I’m glad you shared some of your lovely bird paintings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Rebecca! It was such a gorgeous Spring day, everything turning green, unlike our blah and gloomy-looking landscape we have out there right now. (Although as I write this comment, it is 50 degrees before this cold front rolls through, a one-day occurrence and it felt balmy to walk this morning!). I was lucky to be the only one on this trail along Ford Lake. That time of year, they have kids on field trips with the interpretive guides, so I had the turtle, heron and birds to myself. I went back a few weeks later for Lilac photos and saw a duck on a log in the sunlight. Nice memories from back then too. I have been having fun painting and did more paintings last weekend, but they a different type of paintings, from a different artist who did some whimsical Christmas cards which I tried out. I think I’m going to use them on the 28th.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Miss Linda…………………………………….besides everything else You are a great painter of birds………………………….beautiful young lady…………………………..it was nice to see all of the green background after the terrible icy cold windy weather that we had for the last several weeks………………………………………………………….Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Ann Marie – you’re making me blush! Yes, all the green reminds us how it looked back in May, a far cry from what we’re looking at the last few weeks, weather that has pretty much decimated our respective walking regimens. Just another five months, give or take a day or two, then hopefully we’ll be seeing this lush green once again.
LikeLike