Summer was on the wane when I took a long stroll at Lake Erie Metropark. I was eager to return for the first time since late July. The worrisome explosion of ticks kept me away as did the relentless heat and humidity. By the second week of September Southeast Michigan was enjoying tolerable temps and beautiful sunshiny days. I walked every day that week, scrambling to bulk up my miles, as well as my cache of walk photos, just in case we reverted back to Summer-like temps again.
This walk was taken September 9th and I am splitting it up into two posts: today’s post will focus on a new-to-me plant in this park’s Grow Zone, a plant that was a magnet to butterflies and bees, even a dragonfly. That evening, after I drafted my notes about the walk, I reached out to the Metropark’s interpretive guides to inquire about the plant’s name and learned it was Virginia Mountain Mint; Google told me it was a pollinator favorite.
There was a hint of Fall in the Grow Zone.
Stepping out of the car I saw a few subtle hints suggesting we were closing in on Fall. The Goldenrod was vibrant against the brown seedheads of the Cut-Leaf Teasels as seen in the featured image.
The once-frilly Queen Anne’s Lace was similarly reduced to a seedhead …
… and this Cattail had already gone rogue with an explosion of seeds.
It would seem these brown images would signify Summer’s demise, but … don’t let those images fool you because Summer was in full swing at the Grow Zone where bees and butterflies nestled amongst the blooms.
Get a grip!
I spent about a half-hour gazing and photographing these winged beauties, taking many shots, but using very few, because, wouldn’t you know it, the slight breeze picked up, forcing the always-graceful butterflies to grip the blooms with an abundance of wing fluttering as they swayed along with the plant.
This Red Admiral butterfly flitted in and out of one plant. The pattern on its closed wings …
… was quite different from when its wings were outstretched. It didn’t really look like the same butterfly … to me anyway.
From my vantage point, the Red Admiral’s body looked velvety soft.
It gave me one last parting shot before fluttering off.
From what I’ve read, the year 2025 was not kind to the Monarch butterfly, with a diminished number of them reaching central Mexico where they overwinter. I know I didn’t see as many Monarch butterflies last year, but I blamed that on not going to as many parks as usual.
I can’t think of a prettier picture than that of a Monarch butterfly in profile …
… but, even with wings flared out, flattened against the bloom while collecting nectar, it is also pretty and picturesque, albeit a bit blurry in this shot.
There were multiple butterflies dipping and sipping amongst the Virginia Mountain Mint that day, but a bumblebee also got my attention.
This bee, desperate to reach the nectar at the top of the plant, reminded me of the childhood story The Little Engine That Could and the train saying “I think I can, I think I can!” Look how it pulls itself up.
Well my fuzzy little friend made it to the top, where it happily settled into the nectar.
Good thing I looked down!
After taking a slew of shots, I was about to go down the slope to visit Luc when a flash of orange and black caught my eye, as it emerged out of nowhere, then fluttered down to the cement curb. No, it was not another Monarch, but instead a Viceroy, instantly identifiable by the black bars on its hindwings. There it sat, posing this way and that as if to say “take some pictures of me – I’m just as pretty as the other butterflies!”
And, just as I finally prepared to saunter down to see Luc and check out the marsh near the boathouse, I saw the dragonfly pictured in last week’s 2025 recap post. I was excited about seeing/photographing my first dragonfly. Here it is again, in case you missed it.
The water level at the marsh was very low, the result of our moderate drought, but it didn’t stop the egrets from gathering there; they will be featured in a future post which will continue this walk.
I am not joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge (Aquamarine and Icy Blue) but instead am linking to her Flower Hour Challenge on Tuesday.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Great butterfly shots Linda!
What kind of Dragonfly is that? Can’t say I remember seeing one before?
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Thanks Wayne! What a day I had, standing close to these tall plants and watching the butterflies. Too bad it got so windy as the butterflies were losing their grip on the blooms and fluttering their wings wildly. This is a Black Saddlebags Dragonfly and it is named for the large markings that resemble saddlebags. I took photos of it, but didn’t know if they came out and since I had other Summer photos to use for posts, I have just started going through my photos taken in the Fall and was happy to find it – my first dragonfly. In going through those photos I also found a brown snake in a tree which I never saw in “real time” – good thing!
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Beautiful butterflies!
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I’m glad you like them Kate – we need some butterflies right now to remind us of Summer. I wanted the name of the plant, thinking it might be a good butterfly magnet for the garden. It is somewhat invasive, but the info I read said to put it in a planter and you’ll still get butterflies. I’m thinking about it.
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I have a variegated grass plant that I love. Every time I put it in the ground, it’s invasive (just like grass!) so I keep it in a large pot. It’s gorgeous.
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I have always liked those various grass plants and wondered how invasive they were. That’s a good idea to put it in a pot. I’m considering getting some of this Virginia Mountain Mint. I don’t have anywhere to put it to get sun in the house for over the Winter, so I’d have to start it from scratch every year, or maybe cut it down, cover the pot and hope for the best.
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If it grows in the park, it must be a perennial. It would winter over in a pot.
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Yes, it was growing everywhere and these plants were not there in 2024 as I always park at the same place and would have seen them. They also established some wildflower growing zones that was new last year, but they didn’t have this plant there. Do you cover your pots in the winter or start new plants in the pots every Spring?
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I do neither for the perennials. They just come up. They are out so they get rain and snow but if we have a dry spot I will give the pots a drink.
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Okay, your pots survive the Winter then. I know they are perennials but I didn’t want them to go in the ground in case they “take over” like my Forget-me-Nots I planted once. I just put a few seeds in some bare spots and they became invasive and one package of seeds created a monster!
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Marvelous photos of our small winged beauties!
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Thanks Anne! They were so beautiful and seeing them now reminds me how all this beauty will eventually return as I look around at the boring Winter landscape.
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I’m glad you enjoyed those out of season photos while you shared them with us.
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I was preparing this post and at that time it was 70 days until Spring – as of today, it is 67. I have never been a fan of Winter, but just dealt with it, but then I was not looking back at photos of warm and sunny days I had enjoyed, but maybe was looking at gardening magazines and had some wishful thinking.
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The second photo of the Viceroy looks like a stick figure (with antennae) hauling a massive set of wings along the curb. And as much as I enjoyed the photos of the Mint and the butterflies, I got stuck on the Queen Anne’s Lace. We have a beautiful painting over our fireplace by that name, more for the horses than the Lace they’re standing in. Have a look 🙂 https://artusa.com/product/queen-annes-lace/
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I went back for a closer look and yes, that Viceroy does look like a stick figure with exaggerated wings. 🙂 It was backlit by the sun, so maybe that made its wings look even bigger. Thanks for this link Dave – what a gorgeous picture and I can see why you and your wife, or anyone that loves horses would buy it. What a tender moment, but yes, the Queen Anne’s Lace in the field is beautiful and it’s interesting that the painting is named for the flower, not the mare and foal. I know people think Queen Anne’s Lace is a weed – some call it Wild Carrot, but most people think of it as a wildflower. Years ago I did a post comparing Queen Anne’s Lace to my great-grandmother’s tatted doilies that are still under some of the lamps. They had the same intricate pattern.
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These are really lovely photos. I don’t look at butterflies often enough.
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Thank you JP! They are beautiful creatures. I look for butterflies every chance I get, but don’t see enough of them, that’s for sure.
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Much beauty can be in the fading seedheads. I enjoy seeing them on our country road. You got some beautiful photos of the butterflies.
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Thank you Rebecca! I was lucky to be close to these plants and I hope, since they are perennials, they come back to the Grow Zone at this park, despite our brutal cold we’ve had since Thanksgiving. I held back a photo of a Thistle gone to seed to pair up with a Thistle in Summer for a Wordless Wednesday. It has a spider web on it, adding some interest to the seedhead.
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Linda…..what is the difference between a monarch and the viceroy? That first photo is stunning.
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Thanks Joni! If you look closely at the Viceroy, it has a black line that is seen just above its hind wings. It is also smaller than a Monarch. I will send a comparison in a different comment.
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Thanks Linda…..I bet most people wouldn’t even notice….they are focused on the beautiful color!
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You’re welcome Joni! Yes, you’re right as the colors are so vibrant, you would hardly notice. Funny thing though … when I first started going to Lake Erie Metropark when I bought my first pass in 2018, I took several interpretive hikes. The guides are knowledgeable and I had the camera out and saw one of these Viceroy butterflies and said “oh, I have to take a picture of this Monarch!” He corrected me and said he wanted to point out the difference before I took the picture. Then he said they were smaller and did not travel in graceful movements like a Monarch, but choppy movements. They don’t migrate South either, but overwinter here. I learned a lot in that little lesson. I can’t remember if the butterfly was still there or not after my lesson. I forgot that I did a Wordless Wednesday once showing the difference (before you returned) and in my opinion, the Monarch has more polka dots on the wings. I’ll put the post in a separate comment.
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These were my own pictures in a Wordless Wednesday from October 2024:
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Here is a comparison for you to see Joni. Both are beautiful butterflies!
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I love dragonflies, they are pretty awesome. You mentioned ticks, we have so many up here. I have had two on me but neither were carriers. We are always careful now and people here who have dogs are always searching for them and picking them off. They are a big nuisance that I don’t remember having when we were kids.
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I don’t remember having ticks around either Susan. When I was a kid and we lived in Oakville, we had undeveloped property, a meadow and creek, at the end of our subdivision and that meadowland eventually became a mall, but there were no ticks, not even mosquitoes hanging out at the Creek – nothing we worried about. We used to chew the red clover in the grass as it tasted like honey.
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The good old days. I can remember just flopping down in the grass and staring at the sky. You wouldn’t do that now !
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Yes, no way, with all the pesticides, pollution, wildfire smoke and whatnot swirling around and landing on the ground now.
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You got some great butterfly shots! It seems like just about the time you’ve got focus a breeze comes up and they start moving! I swear it always happens!
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Thanks Dawn! Yes, the breeze always comes up at inopportune times – sigh. On many walks last year, I stepped out of the car and it was tranquil out, no breeze at all, but, by the time I got back, it was windy, if not gusty. I thought of going to the Detroit River today to see if the ice was frozen for some waterfowl-on-the-ice-floes shots as it was nice and sunny, but it was already 25 mph winds.
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It’s been a while, but back in 2017 I blogged about a plant that I needed help identifying. It was mountain mint. https://donteatitsoap.com/2017/08/11/mystery-solved-thank-you-lisa/ In 2019 you commented on that blog post. Our patch of mountain mint gets bigger every year and when in bloom is always full of pollinators.
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Ruth, that was interesting re-reading the post about this plant. Thank you for sending it to me. I guess I didn’t tuck it away very well, but then, that was back in 2019 and I decided a couple of years ago not to plant a butterfly garden as I’d lost so many plants before and I wasn’t sure I wanted to start over … but I waver on it all the time, as I did enjoy the garden, but after I had the groundhog that ate my entire Twist-and-Shout Hydrangea (root and all as it didn’t come back), then I had the two opossums, I was not sure I wanted any more plants in the backyard, except the roses and bushes. I was considering getting some of these, but just to pot them – I know they’re invasive but at least they are attractive flowers and a pollinator magnet. Thanks for sharing this post again as I forgot about it. Yes, customer service is important to me too. I was happy the Metroparks interpretive guides took the time to write back with the name of the plant.
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Wonderful photos as always. I love dragonflies, but they’re hard to photograph as they’re always on the move.
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Thank you Linda! I was fortunate to be close by to all these butterflies and they were content to stay on the plant, so it was lucky for me. This was my first dragonfly capture and I was excited to share it as I’m just now going through my Fall photos now with lots of fun surprises, including a snake I didn’t know was in a tree when I took the photo!
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Sorry a bit late…wow, Linda, stunning pics of the monarch butterflies and bees! All those sunshiny pics made my day! I also love photographing dragonflies. Your saddlebag one is so unusual!
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Thanks Terri – no worries as actually I thought you’d just comment when I linked to your Flower Hour post. I had a great time photographing these beauties – too bad the breeze picked up and the butterflies were having difficulty hanging on. I knew these sunshiny pics would make your day! This was my first dragonfly capture, so I was pretty happy to see it on the screen. I took a lot of photos in the Fall, but I’m only now going through them as I had other photos to use. I had to do an image search to see what type of dragonfly it was. As soon as those flowers are blooming, I’ll be back, but I read they don’t bloom until late Summer, same as the Goldenrod.
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These summery shots are such mood-brighteners, Linda! 💫 Beautiful captures, especially the butterflies. 🦋
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Thank you Debbie! I figured by the time January rolls around, we all need something Summery to get us through the Winter. I was torn which butterfly to use as the featured image, so I decided to show some end-of-the-year flowers first.
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It almost feels like spring! I wish we had more dragonflies in our area… they are so much fun to watch as they flitter around.
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We had almost 50 degrees today so a very Springlike feel to the air here – the bottom falls out though tomorrow for the next five days of frigid temps and snow. I am counting the days until Spring. I was excited to see and photograph this dragonfly Janis – it was my first dragonfly and I was lucky it stayed put long enough to take a photo and even capture the pinkish glint on its wings!
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Your insect shots are just wonderful, Linda! I’ve never seen a dragonfly like that one. Curious plant, though. Doesn’t look like a mint. More like something in the sunflower family with those composite flower heads. Not one I’m familiar with as it doesn’t grow here.
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Thank you Eilene! That plant was a pollinator magnet! I just went down a rabbit hole after seeing your second post and Googling Late Boneset. I found a blog post that shows this plant which looks the same, blooms in Fall and the blogger said there were 33 different insects on the plant – it had a Monarch on the plant. She lives in Pennsylvania. I poked around the blog and decided to subscribe, only to find it had not been updated since the Fall of 2024. Too bad – it looked interesting. I’ll read up on it as I wouldn’t mind some for my backyard. While I’m still reluctant to plant a butterfly garden like I had before, I would not mind getting some of this plant. The Mint was considered invasive.
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This is what Google thinks: The plant is a type of boneset or thoroughwort, likely the Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum).
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Thanks for this information Eilene – I didn’t look any further after I got the answer from the Metroparks, but I am interested in seeing if I could attract some pollinators.
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The viceroy and monarch are so similar Linda. The Viceroy on the curb looks like it has a web string coming out of its antenna. These pictures are so fun to see in the dead of winter.
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I know – it is amazing Diane and I never knew the difference between them until I took one of those interpretive walks at Lake Erie Metropark back in 2018. It was not for butterflies, but I saw what I thought was a Monarch and said “oh, I want to take a picture of this Monarch” and then the guide explained why it was a Viceroy, not a Monarch – the black mark, they’re smaller than a Monarch. Also, they fly kind of choppy, not smoothly and gracefully as a Monarch does and they don’t migrate. I had to go back and look at the web you pointed out as I didn’t notice it – you are very observant! I have a photo I took of a thistle gone to seed and it has a web hanging off it – it looks interesting.
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I am always so in awed of the beauty of the monarch butterflies. We don’t have any here, so when I see photos I am just astounded.
I am also super jealous of the incredible dragonfly photo you got. I have attempted to take SO MANY photos of dragonflies but the moment I press the button, they’re away and I’m left with an empty leaf or a blurry smudge!
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Yes, I agree with you Ari – the monarchs are so beautiful. They are dwindling in population here due to pesticides and the weather – I do hope we never lose them altogether. This one was exquisite looking for September as they often have tattered wings late in the season, but this one was perfect.
I was excited about this dragonfly picture – my first picture of a dragonfly! It settled down and I took a lot of photos before it flitted off. I’ve missed them so often and come home with no dragonfly at all, not even a blurry smudge!
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Miss Linda………………………………..Butterflies are here for our enjoyment and you are clever enough to go out and photograph them up close so we can catch their beauty too………………………….Thank You so much………………………..I can never see them as beautiful as that!!
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Thank you Ann Marie! I was lucky to be just a few feet away from these beauties in the “Grow Area” across from the Marshlands Museum. The Grow Area is really nothing special, just in between the two sides of the parking lot … that is, except for these plants attracting the butterflies and bees. I don’t recall seeing these Mountain Mint plants there before, so I will be checking for it when it warms up. I was there earlier in the Summer and the plants weren’t there, so they don’t bloom until late Summer.
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Beautiful photos… we just got a snow storm yesterday. Ice everywhere! Anxious for Spring.
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Thank you! It was a lucky day for me getting all the butterflies. We are having some horrible weather here too. Brutally cold and had about six inches of snow on top of that. Ugh!
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It’s brutally cold here too. Yesterday I was without gloves for 30 sec to 1 min, I felt like my fingers were good to get frost bitten. Well, this is winter. REALLY looking forward to Spring this year.
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Our next two days will be dangerously cold here … -20 to -25 windchill and 40 mph winds. I will go out to run the car for a while and hope we don’t get more snow to shovel – 60 days still Spring!
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Same cold temps here. Stay warm.
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Superb photos, Linda! I miss the warm weather!
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Thank you Tom! It was fun taking photos of these beautiful butterflies and the bee. I really miss the warm weather too. I have never liked the Winter and these brutal temps and all the snow (we got about six inches yesterday – we were supposed to get a dusting) and more brutally cold weather on the way. In the middle of the night I was awakened by frost quakes in the backyard. That’s not the first time that has happened. That is a beautiful parrot you have – I Googled to find a photo.
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I love every single one of these images. I’ve been to Lake Erie Metropark once. Had to check it off for the Metropark challenge.
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Thank you Pepper – it was fun standing there watching these beautiful butterflies. I didn’t take any photos of the Grow Zone area as it’s basically a strip of wildflowers alongside the parking lot. I did see that Metropark challenge, but I only go here and have been to Willow, Oakwoods and Lower Huron as well.
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Good for you! You’ve already been to more of the Metroparks than a lot of people have. 😉
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That may be true! I liked Willow Park when they had a beautiful man-made pond, (Washago Pond), which was picturesque and you could rent a paddleboat or a rowboat. But then there was a problem with a dam that burst and damaged the pond and it drained until it was dry. They are not going to restore the pond the last I heard.
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Oh, no! That makes me sad. I would have liked to have seen the pond.
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I saw it a year or so before – just beautiful and peaceful. Then I went back after the pond drained and it was sad to see. The dock was gone where the colorful paddleboats (shaped like animals) had been lined up and there was mud and weeds in its place. I only returned because the Detroit Institute of Arts had one of their Inside/Out paintings collections and I wanted to write a post about it.
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Those are beautiful choices.
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Thank you Kirstin! These beauties remind us that even in the dead of Winter, one day Summer will return with all its wonderment.
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I had an Admiral butterfly land on my knee one afternoon while I sat on our deck. He/she stayed there for quite some time and I was able to take in the beauty of those scalloped wings. Also notable: the black and yellow stripes on the antennae. It amazes me that God includes such detail, in places not really necessary and that many people will likely never notice!
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Nancy, you sure were lucky to see that Admiral butterfly so close up. Were you wearing colorful clothing that made it land on you? I am always amazed when I see an Admiral butterfly’s closed versus open wings … it’s just like a different butterfly. I went back to my post to enlarge the pictures of the butterfly and I now see the dainty black and yellow stripes on the antennae and a little dab of yellow on the tip of the antennae too. Thank you for pointing it out as I was focused more on its colors and especially its velvety-looking body. Yes, God makes these little details so we will stop and admire his handiwork. I always pause to look at beautiful butterflies, whether I have the camera or not.
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Linda, this post was truly a boost on this cold winter’s day. Loved the monarch shots (sad their numbers are down) and the Red Admiral shots were great. BUt the post has many tasty details in so many photos – with textures, moods, and colors – so refreshing.
Also, just earlier I saw a hint of yellow Forsythia buds coming out in my yard – seems early but we are in the south and then i realized it was mid January already. yikes.
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Thank you Yvette! I know it is a mood brightener to see butterflies and bees in the dead of Winter. I was lucky that I got to see them so close-up. We have some really bitter cold weather today and in the next two days as well. We had a one-day warm-up to 60 and I thought if it lasted too long, it would mess up the trees. A fellow blogger lives in Georgia and a few days ago she posted pictures of her Daffodils, not just emerging from the ground, but standing tall and in bloom. She said it got to 80 I believe on Christmas – now it is cold.
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wow – you might be right about the trees getting impacted if the warm weather stays too long.
Also, in Richmond, I often had my daffodils come up in January – and your friend in GA having them in full bloom? might have been that warm xmas weather. – Speaking of daffodils, I do not have any currently and might need to get some bulbs in the ground this year. I did notice that the azaelas had some bright green leaves today – near the place the buds might come – and I bet it means they are moving into the direction of blooming….
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I envy you enjoying those spots of color already Yvette. Yes, Linda in Georgia said it was very warm at Christmas time, but they have cold weather now, so hopefully it didn’t damage anything. I hope you don’t get any of this cold weather that is affecting many of the southern states. We are supposed to be cold and snowy through the beginning of February.
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Linda, we are right in the path of the coming storm. – And my yoga teacher last night said the storm is named Winter Storm Fern.
I hope i t does not blast you too much
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I wondered if you were after the weather reports I heard on the national news today. I hope you are not getting the ice storms too – I know you’re near Tennessee and they will have a bad ice storm. I didn’t know the Weather Channel had named this storm. Well Fern is a pretty name for such a storm that will wreak so much havoc. I hope you and your family stays safe too Yvette.
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Thanks Linda, and sure hope we do not lose power – prayers for those who are in the main path and. hope it is not us
xxx
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Yes, I have several blogging buddies in the path of this wicked storm. Prayers for all of them to stay unscathed.
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yes – I have been following along in the news and blahhhhh
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I know – I hope you are okay or is it still on the way for you? I saw a video on X today of all the linemen staging in Asheville, North Carolina. We are still getting four inches of snow, maybe more if the storm tracks another way, but lucky for us, because it is still so brutally cold, it will be powdery snow, not heavy.
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glad your snow is not. heavy heavy – and things were okay here, a lot of ice, a little snow and then as you noted – it is “brutally cold” and just grateful we did not lose power.
oh and I heard NC was at risk and going to check on them now. Prayers for those in the storm and those that are helping.
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I’m glad you didn’t lose your power – whew! That is great news. We ended up getting about 6.5 inches of snow … it was a little heavier than “powdery” as predicted, but not wet snow. It was supposed to come through the day, but a lot of it came early Sunday morning. I have to check on some of my WP peeps in North Carolina too and see if they wrote an update. I finished going through pictures and was reading and got here later than usual.
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well stay warm and be in touch in a few
xxx
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I’m hoping to stay warm Yvette; we have a wind chill of -27 tonight and air temps of 6. This is a one-day event, but still cold all week. I swear I will not complain about the heat next Summer!
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itis funny to think of the heat at a time like this – hmmm both extremes are not enjoyable – the cold cold and hot hot – blah!
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I know and in the extreme heat and humidity we kept having all Summer, I kept saying I would not complain this Winter, but little did I know how Winter would unfold. At least Summer you can get out and about – it’s just how uncomfortable you want to feel while you are out and about. My biggest issue with Summer is all the severe weather … tornadoes especially.
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Hi – I agree – at least in summer we can get out and about – even if short short walks. Tonight we ventured out with the dogs, I am so glad I did – but we went slow because I DID not want to fall – and it was slick in spots. But so glad we made a little walk.
—
and I know what you mean about severe weather – and did you hear that tornado alley might have shifted?
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Well Yvette, I have promised myself that I will go out as much as I can next Summer, no matter how hot and humid, even if for short walks, barring inclement weather. I had too many years of taking the bus in bad weather where I was exposed to the elements, so that has always been my reasoning since beginning my walking regimen. I know walking is a mood brightener, especially one taken in nature. I miss walking to/from and around the Park and I feel like the weather has taken away the comfort of everyday routines, etc. But cold, snowy and/or icy weather is essentially a pain (unless it turns dangerous with ice accretion), where tornadic activity is in a whole other category. I just read the article you sent to me. Climate change has intensified my weather worries. I have a weather radio, plus I follow a site called Michigan Storm Chasers. They are meteorologists and they track severe weather and pinpoint where it is and stream live whenever there is dangerous weather. They have 100 weather cameras around the state – the younger guys do go where there is bad weather, but they are not like those “storm chasers” (reckless types). Sometimes I think it is good to be alert up to the minute, but then I think it causes worry too. We did have all the tornadoes last year and we had many severe storms as well, but not all severe weather affected me and some fizzled out. I worry as there are a lot of old trees around me, many of them unkempt for years.
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ahhh – those Michigan storms chasers sound like they are careful and good at what they do.
And it is so tough to decide about walking in extreme weather – and I also feel bad for those who are used to walking and then cannot walk. Because when you are used to that “mood brightener” and do not get it – well there literally is withdrawal. My blog friend Carl, who runs and hikes, he called it Vitamin N (for Nature) – and so I do hope things clear where you can get some short walks in (that are also safe) xxx
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I know I should get rid of some things downstairs and get a treadmill, but I thought since I am now retired I would no longer be limited to walking in the Winter before work began – I started at 11:00 a.m.) and could anytime. But it’s not been the case. I am hoping since we get to 23 degrees on Sunday, I can give it a try, carefully of course. Navigating the ice, as you did the other day, is tricky. Good thing your dogs didn’t pull each of you off in another direction.
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Linda, for some reason – I thought you had a treadmill?
And hope Sunday works out for you to get some steps in – 😍
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No unfortunately I don’t have a treadmill Yvette. If I got rid of my old computer hutch downstairs I could get one. I only use a laptop now and my old desktop (Windows Vista) and a large computer hutch takes up one entire corner. I do have an exercise bike though. I hope so too … it will be three weeks on Monday.
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Well you are wise to wait on getting a treadmill – to make sure you really want it – because I think it is one of those items that gets brought home but not used like folks think it will.
In Richmond, our treadmill sat, folded up, for years before I finally was able to let it go. It was so good for hanging stuff on – hahah –
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I know a lot of people do that with their exercise bikes. I did use my exercise bike a lot last Summer, but have not been as diligent about going downstairs on it in this cold weather as it’s been so bitter cold so it is cold downstairs. Back when I rode my exercise bike faithfully every evening, in the Winter I had to have two fans running as the heat came on and I’d get too hot pedaling. I used to have the resistance set so I really got a workout and I did 20 miles every night after dinner. Ah, youth! I thought of you today as Richmond got a lot of snow from this latest storm, so you would have been dealing with that mess.
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Yeah, I do still get some of their news and text regularly with some friends from there. My one friend just got back from skiing at Massanutten (so jealous) and so that was one perk of the snow.
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You may remember me mentioning that I had a good friend who lived in Richmond – unfortunately we parted ways over politics after a long friendship. I never discuss politics here or anywhere because I am Canadian, but I did say one thing … one thing mind you. Anyway … some of the photos of snow-covered picnic tables at the beach or palm trees swaying while covered with snow blows my mind. An investigative reporter I follow on “X” lives in Miami and he showed some of the lizards that were frozen on his property. I have read about them dropping from the tree in a torpor state – eyes open, but frozen solid. A little creepy!
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info here – but tornado alley is supposed to be moving east
https://www.wsaz.com/2025/06/10/tornado-alley-is-shifting-east-weather-experts-say/
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Thank you for sending me this article Yvette. Well that is scary; also that tornado season starts that early, as early as February. I have a lot of angst as to tornadoes – I am a weather worrier to begin with. I just Googled to find a stat for you as I knew we broke a record in Michigan with tornadoes last year and the highest amount in decades … this gives me no comfort at all:
As of September 23, 2025, Michigan recorded 33 tornadoes, making it one of the state’s most active years on record. These included 17 EF-0, 15 EF-1, and 1 unknown intensity (EF-U) tornadoes, with none reaching EF-2 or higher strength. This activity ranks 2025 among the top five most active years in the state since 1950.
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Oh my goodness – that is startling about ” 2025 among the top five most active years in the state since 1950″ – and well, I guess we really have to just do the best we can each season at a time
xxx
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Yes, I am not great at reading radar and they do pinpoint exactly where storms are and I can dash down to the basement, or put on a bike helmet (recommended in a tornado or severe storm). I also like that they were encouraging their followers to donate via Amazon to send supplies/food, etc. to be collected and delivered in a truck to those in the Southern states with no power.
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🙂
thanks for the reminder about the bike helmets
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You’re welcome. My favorite meteorologist, now retired, tells everyone to put on a helmet and go to the basement in any type of severe weather. If no basement – use the bathtub.
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yes, I have heard of the bathtub and certain hallways or rooms. They also have above ground strom shelters that canbe installed – and we looked into them and we were shocked they were not that much.
My step daughter had an underground storm shelter put in the backyard and last year they fit about 15 folks in there during a storm.
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I would consider that if I lived in a tornado-prone area and intended to live there the rest of my life as it would be comforting to know you had a hidey-hole to go to if the weather was severe. I’ve been following a meteorologist on X for about 10 years. Paul Gross retired last year after a 40-year career at the same TV station. He is on a lot of climate change panels, goes around the world for lectures and he has a safe room built into his basement. He had the room reinforced with extra bricks and stores canned items/water down there and he goes there, with his bike helmet on, every tornado warning we get. He lives in Oakland County which gets more tornadoes than we do in Wayne County.
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Paul Gross sounds like he had quite a career.
Speaking of meteorologists and weather – I think of you when the weather comes on a radio station that we get in Arkansas. The station is called Smile FM and the weather is provided by Rob Dale, who is a meteorologist and storm chaser. Rob Dale previously worked in Lansing and contributes weather updates to Smile FM, based in Williamston, Michigan,. So here we are – down in AR – getting weather for that area – it is funny sometimes
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That is funny Yvette. You know who I just started following on “X” in the last few days? Josh and Jase, the British influencers who are visiting the U.S. and vlogging about their travels. I don’t follow or pay attention to influencers TBH, but one of the guys was hurt while in Michigan and it made the news. I finally looked at their site as they’ve been here for about a month, trying all the eateries, breweries and tourist attractions. It was fun seeing their videos. Before Michigan, they were in Louisiana – I didn’t go any further back than that … they should have waited and done Louisiana for Fat Tuesday.
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Yvette, I just heard on the news that a convoy of our Michigan DTE linemen are ready to leave for Arkansas to help out in the event of widespread damage. I hope they are not needed.
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wow- I hope they are not needed either – and Linda, stopped at the store last night in little rock and shelves were so empty. It was crazy
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I heard today that 60 of our linemen are already staging in various locales for the ice storm, but there are crews coming from Chicago and Canada as well. I hope they are not needed either. I’ve seen some photos on social media today about empty store shelves in many cities in the South, but then I saw a video of a Trader Joes in New York, with people lined up around the block and their shelves were already bare! Take care Yvette.
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Wow -I have not seen too many lines but we have seen many empty shelves –
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You know I do the “stock up the pantry” routine every Fall and have done that for years, even when my mom was still here as it’s something she did to avoid going out in Winter. She didn’t drive, so tried to get a lot of items in, so my father didn’t have to take her shopping every Sunday. He worked five and a half days a week, so she was being considerate to him. For me, I don’t like to drive in Winter, so it works well for me, but I need more shelving in the basement.
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Hi Linda, I did know about your pantry stocking and it sure has many cons – especially not having to go out in storms.
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Yes, it has been especially great last Winter and this Winter. I have shelf stable dairy products too, so I don’t worry about not having enough dairy, plus I have powdered milk and Triscuits to substitute for bread, which I prefer to be honest – more texture, less sodium. I found a squeezable yogurt that is just as good as regular yogurt. We have snow and very cold temps, below zero wind chills/real feel through next weekend. My gas tank is still at 3/4s full, which surprises me as I’ve been running the car all week for 40-45 minutes daily, plus 30 minutes daily the week before that. I don’t like Winter driving as I never had to drive in Winter since I took the bus at the end of the street for decades.
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xxx
sounds like you are ALL SET! wow.
hope have a great rest of your day
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Yes, hopefully everything is okay at your end and the storm has passed. A lot of our schools are closed again – today for snowfall from yesterday, tomorrow from the cold.
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schools are closed around here for ice and poor roads – but not sure what the week will unfold.
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I can see it would be dangerous especially since many people are not used to driving in ice and snow on the roads. I’ve lived in a four-season state my entire life and will tell you I do not like driving on poor roads due to wintry conditions. With all the snow and ice we have on the ground and this cold, I don’t see a Spring thaw when the roads at least clear up a little bit happening.
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agree! 🙂
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I very much enjoyed this post, Linda, with all the flowers and seedheads, butterflies and bees, and that amazing dragonfly. The winged wonders’ colors contrasted beautifully with the white mountain mint. What better things to see on a late summer day that isn’t too hot and humid? A magical outing indeed.
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Thank you Barbara! I know you like the seedheads and they contrasted nicely with the vibrant colors of the bee and butterflies. That white mountain mint sure was a pollinator magnet. It’s too bad it doesn’t bloom until late Summer, the same time as the Goldenrod. And it was so nice not to deal with the heat and humidity, although now I feel like I’d rather have some of it as we are immersed in this Arctic Blast and the worst is yet to come. I went out on long walks with the camera every day that week!
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