WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Happy trails to you, er … me!

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Linda Schaub

I’ve blazed many new trails, (for me anyway), since I began my walking regimen in 2011. I started out slowly on Labor Day weekend 2011, walking one block in the ‘hood, then adding an extra block daily as time went on. Soon I was hooked on walking and bought a pedometer, some cushioned socks and a backup pair of walking shoes. But the following month, the later sunrise meant I had to curtail my steps to return home timely for work. Lucky for me the Winter of 2011 – 2012 was mild, (similar to our 2023 – 2024 Winter), so I was able to walk most of that season and early Spring.

After discovering Council Point Park in 2013, any neighborhood jaunts were solely to get to and from my favorite local nature nook and in 2017 when I began venturing to larger parks, my blog posts started groaning with nature photos.

Walking the walk, then talking about it ….

Through the years many fellow bloggers have remarked how lucky I am to have so many nearby parks.

Michigan’s moniker is “The Mitten State” for its unique mitten shape, but our “Pure Michigan” campaign boasts that we are known as “The Great Lakes State” because “you are never more than six miles away from water in Michigan, 85 miles away from a Great Lake and we have 20% of the world’s fresh water.”

So there are plenty of shoreline parks to go for a stroll.

Many are free like lovely Elizabeth Park, a county park where you can feel the breeze in your hair as you stroll the Boardwalk along the Detroit River, or the Humbug Marsh Unit of the Detroit International Wildlife Refuge where you can wander along a rustic trail in the 300-year-old Old Growth Forest and catch a glimpse of the last undeveloped mile of the Detroit River on the U.S. side.

For our state parks, we do pay a daily fee or buy a pass to enter, but you will get your money’s worth since we have 103 of them. I’ve only blogged about Sterling State Park in Monroe. Monroe also has one of our state’s six National Parks, the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. After I retired I told myself I would visit five new venues a year and this one was on my agenda. Time is zipping by and it is already July and I’ve visited only one new venue in 2024, in large part due to crummy weather and an overabundance of ticks and, that one new venue visited is where I brought home the hitchhiker (tick). Grrr!

Although there are 13 Metroparks with 400 miles of trails, since I bought my first yearly pass in 2018, I have only been to four Metroparks to date. By far, my favorite one is Lake Erie Metropark and that will be the topic of today’s post.

Our weather has been “no walk in the park” of late.

Having been sprung from the daily grind of working, I was excited how I would while away the hours walking and taking photos on beautiful Pure Michigan days.

Unfortunately, the weather has not been much to my liking, but then the 2024 weather everywhere has been nothing special has it? I don’t remember any time when we had as many windy days … oh sure, we had those March winds in that ditty we recited when we were kids. Only these gusty winds have been present all Spring and lingered into Summer as well. Strong winds and shoreline strolls are not a good combo. And the very heavy rain was not just the dregs of Beryl either. We have had days where it was torrential rain a good part of the day and it seems to me that every day rain or a storm have been in the forecast. Hit and miss rain isn’t great when you’re on a trail miles away from the car.

Seize the day!

So, on the rare days when the moon and stars align and you seemingly have a picture-perfect day you get out and make the most of it, right?

I have been to Lake Erie Metropark seven times so far this year. I know the Cherry Island Trail is a sure bet if we’ve not had rain for three or four days, but recent rain means I’m on the other side walking the Cove Point shoreline to the marina, which is where I was on May 7, 2024.

I stepped out of the car and realized the gentle breeze at my house was not what I was feeling here – it was windy here and oh look, the sun faded behind the clouds. Sigh.

It would be a day defined by wind and birds.

I craned my neck for my Sandhill Crane buddies, but they must have slept in. Maybe later I’d catch up with them – nope, they remained at large that trip.

The gray morning and gusty breezes were a pain and I soon realized in my zeal to get here for a long morning meander, I may have misjudged the impact of the last rainfall on the Cove Point walking path.

As you can see, ahead of me was a Canada Goose ankle deep in a puddle and not wearing galoshes.

Thankfully my walking soles have heavy soles, so I picked my way along the pathway, traversing a puddle here and there and finally decided if I was going to have wet shoes, I might as well just walk along the shoreline.

The water was choppy …

… and waves were crashing onto the rocks.

In my May 15th post, I showed some of the Tree Swallows that had overtaken Bluebird nesting boxes. These are a few more photos of them. Happily, a hesitant sun finally decided to brighten up my walk, but it was intermittent at best.

It amused me that these fairly small Tree Swallows were diligently parked on the rooftop of the boxes, but because the wind was clipping along, occasionally those Swallows would be swaying from side to side. This Swallow in particular seemed to say “look at me – I’m an airplane!” Or maybe it was airing out its armpits?

The wind didn’t agree with the Starling either as it ruffled its feathers, both literally and figuratively. It was wearing an angry, if not comical, look. A little feather gel was in order.

I was getting to the end of the walkable shoreline portion and saw dry asphalt ahead – yay, so I headed that way.

Intermittently, the sun would peek out of the clouds on this long asphalt path that would take me down to the marina, then along a marsh …

… all the way to where this park had built a platform for a pair of Ospreys to nest.

With any luck, they might be around.

To my left, the marina was a bit boring and blah – no one on their boats and only a handful of boats in their slips.

To my right, I scanned the marsh for goslings, but there were none. An Egret stood silently in the still-dry reeds.

In the marsh, the trill of Red-winged Blackbirds filled the air. This is one of them.

I kept walking as I knew sooner or later I would reach the crossroads where the nest was located. Before the pandemic, I took several Sea Grant boat excursions on Lake Erie and the sightseeing boat, the E/V Clinton, was docked here at the marina. I remembered driving up that very long gravel road from West Jefferson.

Well there it was … the big nest, but it was empty. I stepped out into the road on either side of this huge nest and looked up, pointing at the nest with my camera – clearly the sun was not in my favor.

A bit disappointed after my long walk, I planned to wait for them. I figured the occupants were likely out scouting for twigs as it was nesting season. But I was wrong because suddenly a head popped out of the nest …

… and after a few chirps, the Osprey hopped out, perched on the pole and pondered life for a minute or so. Note the ruffled feathers, also needing a dab of feather gel.

Patiently I waited, looking around seeking some shade for picture-taking and myself as it was getting hot, when suddenly the Osprey lifted off – yikes, I missed its takeoff as suddenly it was airborne, gliding over me.

Osprey are nicknamed “Fish Hawks” for their aerial angling prowess as you see below.

It circled around, dipped into a wooded area and returned with a twig in its talons, same which went into nest.

This scenario happened several times, always with nesting materials, never a fish and I only saw one Osprey the entire half hour or so I was there. This is my final photo taken; again, no matter how I positioned myself, the background was pale. A big twig, a short hop onto the pole, then into the nest.

This outing, as mentioned above, was on May 7th. I’ve been on baby watch ever since. I have taken more/better photos of the pair, but no chicks. My last visit to see the nest was June 27th and they were still loading up on twigs.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s June 14^th Sunday Stills Photo Challenge: Local and State Parks.

Posted in birds, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, birds, nature, walk, walking | 42 Comments

Bad Boy of the Marsh. #Wordless Wednesday #Red-winged Blackbird and exploding cattails.

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, male Red-winged Blackbird, nature | 34 Comments

A renewed focus on my furry and feathered friends …

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Linda Schaub

… this time with my camera in hand.

You may recall this recent post, wherein I visited Council Point Park a few days after the massive amphibious vehicle munched through all the vegetation along the Ecorse Creek shoreline, felling every tree, many containing squirrels’ and birds’ nests, plus unearthing countless turtles, flinging them from the depths of the murky Ecorse Creek.

Before that devastation began on May 8th I wrote our City’s mayor to ask if the project, already one month late commencing, could not wait until after nesting season, but was told “yes, this may be hard on animals for a bit, but in the long run this project will be good for the wildlife, flow of the water and good for cities from Dearborn Heights to Lincoln Park.”

Well, alright then.

I had no choice but to accept the doom and gloom that ensued from that May 8th rampage.

Day after day of seeing tree debris all along the shoreline was so disheartening.

The trees that once graced the shoreline remain, albeit reduced to either stumps or trunks about five or six feet tall. Some of the stumps are even sporting new growth.

So essentially, that initial destruction could have occurred on the other side of the Park first, sparing the nesting critters’ habitats for the time being … but I digress.

Maybe with no haste to mow down everything in sight, both in the water and on land, this mangled park bench might have been spared?

The mangled park bench was located at “The Point” where the project ends as the Creek is wider there. The bench at least provided a good view, unlike this park bench located on the other side of the Park.

Unbelievably, just in the past ten days, the same mammoth amphibious vehicle has removed all that tree debris parallel to the walking path. I sure would like to think it was because of my June 4th e-mail suggesting the piles of dry debris be removed before the Fourth of July when neighborhood folks gather in the Park’s parking lot to shoot off large fireworks, same which can be seen and heard at my house one mile away.

After all, just one errant firecracker with all the dry debris … well you can imagine the scenario for yourself. Let’s just say neither Smokey the Bear, nor Linda Schaub, would have been happy.

So yay, the debris is gone and Council Point Park did not go up in flames. Weeds and long grass have overtaken the shoreline landscape. But the debris has not been totally transported from the venue – some of it is now piled on the opposite side of the Ecorse Creek awaiting final disposition.

On May 12th, I declared I would not take my camera to my favorite nature nook for a very long time. Sure, the non-profit organization Friends of the Detroit River will put in native plants along the Ecorse Creek shoreline … great. But it will be a long time before this once beautiful park looks whole again.

Okay, I’ll step down from my soapbox now.

So what changed my mind about picture-taking at the Park?

A few ounces of feather and bones with an oversized yellow beak gave me a new perspective on the Park and propelled me to once again hook my camera case onto my fanny pack.

In an upcoming post I will be sharing my Mama Robin and offspring experience that helped me shake off the bitterness that had permeated my soul over my beloved Council Point Park.

But today, this post will center on a walk taken a month after the initial destruction.

Once on the walking path, it was like old times with the camera … so what did I see?

I already knew this would be a peaceful Sunday morning meander, with zero construction work and no incessant humming by the various earth-moving machines as had become the norm. In the near-silence I imagined that if I closed my eyes I could pretend the destruction and debris were gone and the squirrels would race toward me, Blue Jays and Cardinals would hover nearby, then gravitate to the Safe Haven Tree to await a “drop” of sunflower seeds and peanuts, shelled and unshelled. Rex the Red-bellied Woodpecker would swoop down near my feet and Harry the Great Blue Heron would give that horrible screech since I interrupted his breakfast fishing expedition.

So expectations were high for some nice nature shots as I arrived at the entrance to the Park, the day after I discovered the Robin family. Before I could peer at the nest, I spotted this Cottontail bunny who immediately froze in place. “I thought I was alone” he or she seemed to say as I evidently had interrupted dining on clover. It didn’t move for the longest time, so I quietly shifted my bag of goodies to my left arm, so I could pull the camera out of its case.

I got the one shot above before the bunny bolted over to the fence and began quivering, so I cooed at it, but it remained parked by the fence seemingly terrified of me. Concerned my furry pal might bolt into busy River Drive and be killed, I got this shot, then left so it could eat in peace.

I next headed toward the Pavilion area where a few Sparrows flew over and one black squirrel was dancing around my feet, careful not to alert anyone else I had arrived, so it did not have to share any goodies. I spread some peanuts and sunflower seeds, then headed to the other two places I leave treats.

“Can you see me now?”

I generated some interest as a few squirrels popped up on their haunches to ensure I didn’t miss them – “yes I can see you” I told them.

Soon a few more of those boop-on-the-snoot-cute squirrels were scurrying down tree trunks …

… and/or peeking around a tree trunk like the featured image up top.

You’d think I hadn’t visited here in ages as my furry friends eagerly chomped on peanuts, a dramatically pared-down crowd from the 30-40 plus that greeted me daily in the past. There were a lot of gray squirrels as their nests were not near the project. I figure some got their “get out of jail card” validated and were finally allowed to leave the nest. They were running everywhere, a little apprehensive about the human that was lurking nearby. I think they took their cue to approach me from their parents.

Parker ambled over, asking for double peanuts, some for him, some for his shadow.

I miss the black squirrels, which are few now as there were many nests along the shoreline and those trees are gone. I think some have relocated to the neighborhood and a fellow walker who feeds the squirrels told me he saw a man bring a Havahart capture/release cage to the Park and as he lifted the trap door, two black squirrels scurried out.

There would be more critters as I happily clicked away.

There was one Canada goose. The rest were already gone, along with their goslings. Their departure was imminent once I saw all the large flight feathers littering the grass like you see below.

The Mallards are long gone, since the onset of the project, with the exception of the Mama Wood Duck and her ducklings which made a cameo appearance, never to be seen again.

I tendered a few more peanuts as I walked along the perimeter path, then, shielding my eyes from the sun while glancing at the cringe-worthy landscape, I saw Harry who, having been denied his usual fishing spot on the now debris-covered cement ledge, was standing on the opposite shoreline.

I zoomed in for a close-up.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed one of the “spared turtles” languishing on a log enjoying the sun’s early morning rays.

The morning was young and I had no plans to go to any other parks as the winds were clipping along at 15 mph and gusting to 25 mph … at a big shoreline park it would be uncomfortably windy. Besides, the fishflies had returned to Wyandotte, along with the annual Swiggin’ Pig Music Fest and Carnival and it was free fishing weekend at all Michigan parks, so I would stay put.

With a little more spring in my step I went along the perimeter path two more times, camera in hand.

If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!

I saw this Mama squirrel sitting on a branch near ground level, but she scrambled up into the tree immediately as I approached.

To lure her to ground level I laid peanuts on the path in the dappled sunshine …

… but no amount of coaxing could get her back to the path to eat them. There she sat, rather defiantly, perched on the branch, refusing to come down.

In this photo I thought she wore a rather pained “I am weary with the world” look – raising her kits was clearly taking its toll on her … and her body.

I glanced around, hopeful for a sign of her little ones to no avail. I think she considered me a pain with this look.

I thought Mama might have a change of heart here, but she steadfastly remained up in the tree.

And then something colorful and poignant.

While waiting for Mama Squirrel to get an attitude adjustment, I noticed a flag flapping vigorously at a nearby memorial tree.

In the past I have written about several of the memorial trees in this Park and about this tree, in particular. At the base of it at one time were some painted rocks, a children’s plaque about “Grandpa” and a tiny gnome.

This is Grandpa “Bill” Lee’s memorial stone.

There has been a metal American Flag near the memorial stone for some time.

But on this walk I noticed some new items, so I went over to investigate.

I couldn’t miss the red-white-and-blue wind chimes that were tinkling with each gust of wind. Were they new as well?

The grandparents must have liked birds – I see a theme in the wind chimes. The wind chimes here were also swaying in the breeze.

Then I saw the bright-red flower and stepped to the other side of the tree to take a photo.

I saw this sweet message nearby.

That’s when I saw the second memorial stone under the tree. This was a new stone, even if “Betty” had passed away several years ago.

Grandparents loved and missed deeply.

After three miles walked at the Park, I headed for home, another mile to go.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge for July: Red, white and blue.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge, nature, Red/White/Blue, walk, walking | 43 Comments

Doggone it, the Dog Days of Summer are back (07-03 to 08/11)! Grrr! #Wordless Wednesday

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday | Tagged #Wordless Wednesday, Rock art, Summer sizzle | 31 Comments

Rambling along the River’s Edge … and beyond.

Posted on June 30, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Change is abundant wherever I wander these days and, while I will concede it ain’t always pretty, the events have provided me fodder for multiple blog posts.

Michiganders joke that orange construction barrels should be declared our state flower and our Governor even suggested that the “flower” be named “orange barrelius” – hmm. Well, those barrels (and cones) sure are vibrant … and plentiful.

A mere ten days into the Summer season and changes are a ’plenty, from construction impacting asphalt and cement, but more so as to many familiar landscapes.

You already know how I feel about the radical Ecorse Creek shoreline changes at Council Point Park, so I won’t belabor that point today. I continue to shake my head at the devastation and I know the planned native plants will likely never restore the ambiance, nor the woodsy portion of the perimeter path, to how I remember it the past eleven years. During our blistering-hot June, thanks to the project’s new “landscaping efforts” the lack of shade didn’t score any points with me and I’m sure my furry and feathered friends would agree.

Changes have been afoot along the local Detroit River shoreline too.

Longtime readers will recall my photos taken along the Detroit River shoreline parks or at Grosse Ile included glimpses of the Trenton Channel Power Plant with its massive boiler house and twin smokestacks that resembled peppermint sticks. The “Stacks”, as locals referred to them, were visible in this view from nearby Grosse Ile as they towered over the landscape.

After the power plant was decommissioned in December 2022, a two-step demolition was planned to implode the Stacks, then the boiler house.

Once I knew the Stacks’ implosion date and, to ensure I would have before-and-after photos, I headed to Humbug Marsh on two occasions as seen below.

You may recall this recent post showing the March 15, 2024 implosion and how those twin 536-foot tall smokestacks toppled to the ground. Later that day Downriver residents waxed nostalgic about the Stacks on various local social media sites, saying they used the Stacks as navigational tools, whether piloting a small plane or when boating, especially when nightfall literally left them “in the dark” about their location on the Detroit River.

On June 21st at 6:00 a.m., local residents and the news media gathered for an encore implosion – this time the nine-story boiler house would be taken down. Unlike the hype associated with the Stacks, there really was no mention by the local media about this upcoming implosion until that morning, likely because our heat wave and volatile weather, including massive flooding the day before, encompassed each newscast.

Here is that video if you would like to see the implosion. After the initial explosion and burst of flames, a lot of black smoke billowed from the collapsed building. In the video you will see two Great Blue Herons, likely roosting in the rookery on nearby Stony Island, streaking across the morning sky.

So now the Detroit River shoreline has now been changed forever, landscape now unmarred by this coal-burning industrial site after nearly 100 years. An artist’s rendition shows a low and flat building, which our energy-provider DTE will call “The Trenton Channel Energy Center”. The facility will store 220 megawatts of electricity, enough clean energy to power 40,000 homes once completed in 2026.

Glimpses of the new bridge from two riverside Boardwalks.

A few miles down West Jefferson Avenue, the shoreline view has also changed with the addition of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. I was able to glimpse the revised landscape as I bopped along the Boardwalks at both Elizabeth Park in Trenton and also Bishop Park in Wyandotte.

The critters, i.e. the squirrel, ducks and goose you’ll see later in this post, seemed unimpressed by the hoopla.

In these shots when it was still a little hazy, you can see a portion of the new bridge from Elizabeth Park …

… and I was a bit closer in this shot from Bishop Park. (Unfortunately the crane was in all these shots.)

In a recent post about Elizabeth Park, I alluded to the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the second bridge to cross the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario. I stated this bridge was on the brink of being joined from each side and that would take place in July.

The joining of the bridge happened earlier than planned, in the early morning hours of June 14th when two ironworkers, one Canadian and one American, met and shook hands, then both flags were displayed. I learned that the tradesmen were on the job in pre-dawn hours due to the intense heat, not only for them, but because steel swells in the heat.

The Bridge’s official X (f/k/a Twitter) page showed the ceremonial handshake after the two pieces of metal were fitted together, thus connecting the halves of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the newest international bridge crossing.

There were a few more pictures posted on the site like this aerial view …

… and the installation of the “good luck evergreen” to celebrate a job well done.

Upon the fitting of the pieces, this bridge was crowned as the tenth longest bridge in the world as it is one-half mile between the two towers. Excitement is building for the bridge opening in September 2025, not only because this second crossing will alleviate traffic congestion, but there will also be a multi-use path (1.5 miles/2.5 km long by 12 feet/3.6 meters wide). For Michigan adventure seekers, a 17,000-mile/27,000 km trail network awaits them on the Canadian side. Canada will waive the bridge tolls!

I know that’s a lot of facts and figures to absorb, but here’s one more. The bridge was named for “Mr. Hockey” ranked as the G.O.A.T. (the greatest of all time) in the game of hockey.

So now let’s dispense with the stats and I’ll show you a few of my non-construction photos taken on Saturday, June 15th, the day following the fanfare of joining the bridge.

By now I’m sure you recognize Elizabeth Park and Bishop Park.

It was going to be a scorching-hot day and, since I intended to go to multiple shoreline parks, I was out and about early.

The sun, filtering through the clouds, cast a nice reflection on the water.

It was a bit early for the “Dog Days of Summer” but this pooch took an enthusiastic romp through the canal water.

This Canada Goose was content just to soak its feet.

Nearby was a Mallard drake, hardly recognizable with its mottled plumage due to molting. Poor guy.

Another solitary Mallard that morning was serenely perched, almost en silhouette.

A Mallard flew by simultaneously and I swiveled my head to take a photo …

… and also missed the first Mallard as he quickly performed his morning ablutions, then drip-dried with a wing flap or two or three.

I neared the steps to cross the largest canal bridge. The park benches looked inviting for a quick sit-down as it was really getting warm, but I moved along.

Up on top of the bridge, I encountered a furry friend (who held that pose without any peanuts I might add).

On the other side of the bridge the wild iris bloomed profusely with one timid purple Coneflower that stood out in the riot of yellow flowers.

While on the Boardwalk, I was NOT having fun …

… as the haze was gone and I was in the full sun by then. I took these photos of the bridge I had just crossed and the canal reeds, then headed to the car.

Five miles later I was at Bishop Park where the view of the bridge (see earlier photo) was a bit better. I guess it was too hot for the anglers – usually this pier and the Boardwalk are swarming with anglers on a Saturday morning.

My last stop, Dingell Park, was not a good viewing point as the bridge wasn’t even visible from that waterfront park.

The best viewing would have been at Belanger Park in River Rouge, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is removing soil contaminated with lead and cadmium, so this waterfront park is off limits to everyone at this time.

Rambling along the edge of the Detroit River on a boardwalk seems like a good idea in lieu of widespread ticks in Michigan these days. I am always very careful to do a “tick check” after each outing, however, this morning I found a tick inside my ear, happily not inside the ear canal. I grabbed it easily with a Kleenex, so hopefully it had just settled in and not bitten me, but I’m curious where it was hanging out since I returned home from a woodsy walk on Friday morning?

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s June 30th Sunday Stills Challenge: Landscapes.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Challenge, nature, walk, walking | 59 Comments

Dare to be different! #Wordless Wednesday #Sunday Stills: Plant Life

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, Flowers, nature | Tagged #Wordless Wednesday, Flowers, nature | 35 Comments

Blame it on the Bossa Nova … and Terri.

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Linda Schaub

You’re scratching your head over the title – I’ll explain that later, so bear with me, okay?

This week’s Photo Challenge is “Plant Life in the Great Outdoors” and in Michigan, by mid-June it is easy to find some pretty flowers to photograph. Sadly, it was not going to be happening in my yard, even though I reached out to a local landscaper in early March about reconfiguring my backyard and getting a butterfly garden planted. They acknowledged my e-mail and promised to get in touch when they opened up after their Winter break; I’m still waiting. I stewed over that a bit … “should I contact them again and ask ‘did you forget me?’” In the end I was defiant about not doing this, plus the long-term meteorological predictions for sizzling Summer heat began to surface, so I tabled the butterfly garden plans until 2025, declaring “if I want to see butterflies, I’ll go to Heritage Park or Memorial Park. Pfft with having my own butterfly garden – been there, done that already and it was a lot of work!”

So, in search of beautiful blooms, Your Roving Reporter did the next best thing and headed up to Heritage Park and did some double-dipping, i.e. one long walk for two upcoming posts.

I plunked my wide-brimmed sunhat onto my head and, with camera in hand, I got in a five-mile walk on a delightfully sunny day while gleaning lots of photos for both the virtual Fish & Loaves 5K AND bopping by the Botanical Gardens and Woodland Trails gathering shots for this “Plant Life” post. Whew!

I enjoyed seeing the early bloomers.

I was amazed the Gardens were looking so good for June 1st – even some of the perennials were blooming. The Cottonwood tree fuzz was flying and was embedded in some of the flowers.

In the Conservatory area there was a greeter, so I stopped to take his picture.

The metal openwork feature of the Conservatory cast a shadow on the paver bricks.

There are a hundred or more paver bricks dedicated to deceased loved ones, or honoring events or achievements – there are lots of paver bricks awaiting inscriptions. I suspect some are dedicated to the many volunteers at the Gardens as quotations like these would fit a flower lover to a T.

While wandering around the Conservatory area, I paused to photograph the prettiest potted plants first and this is where my featured image and blog title originated.

This stunning flower is a Begonia known as Bossa Nova® Pink Glow.

I am going to date myself by saying that upon learning the plant’s name I immediately thought of the song “Blame it on the Bossa Nova” a tune from the early 60s by Eydie Gormé. The Bossa Nova was a dance. I remember the song from my past – did my parents listen to it? Was the tune turned into a commercial? Most likely I heard it on the TV series “Mad Men” – I can’t tell you that, but it’s kind of catchy, so if you click here to listen, please don’t blame me for the resulting ear worm.

So, I “blamed” Terri’s Challenge “Plant Life” for my visit to the Botanical Gardens as I usually don’t wander over here until much later in the season when all the flowers are at peak, but this beautiful Begonia Bossa Nova® Pink Glow had me dredging up this decades-old song for my blog post title.

Here are a few more of the pretty flowers and/or plants displayed around the Conservatory that day.

A bonus glimpse of critters at and near the Woodland Trails.

Along with my original intention to see and photograph some beautiful blooms for this week’s post, I assumed on such a hot, sunny day, surely I would find some delicate winged creatures to accompany the flowers in this post.

So, were hummingbirds humming?

Were bees buzzing?

Were butterflies dancing and hovering amongst the blooms?

No, no and no!

However, once again, I was graced by the presence of multiple escapees from Heritage Park’s Petting Farm.

Now, not everyone goes tripping along these newish Woodland Trails located near the Woodland Gardens (where I took photos of the Dogwood, Crabapple and flowers for my recent “Pretty in Pink” post). It was peaceful and not only did I get several mosquito bites in record time, but I gleaned some fun shots too

I was lured by the crowing of a very loud rooster, which I suspected was inside this woodsy area and not where he belonged at the Petting Farm.

I let my ears be my guide on the mulched paths and sure enough, there he stood in the dappled sunshine of the woods …

… along with his peckin’-and-scratchin’ girlfriends.

After our little photo session, I stepped over to the “Rock Lounge” in case any more critters were lurking there.

When I returned to the pavilion area of the Gardens, I found these three domestic ducks that similarly decided to escape the confines of the white wooden fence and sample life “outside of the pen!”

The Three Musketeers were enjoying a ducky day, having ducked beneath the lowest fence board and having made a run, er … waddle for it.

The trio of ducks made me decide butterflies, bees and hummingbirds are just so yesterday and luck was with ME, who didn’t have to pay the $5.00 entrance fee to the Petting Farm when all the critters seem to stray beyond there.

I still had the historical area and surrounding Coan Lake to photograph for my Fish & Loaves virtual 5K, so I will leave you with this artwork featured at the Conservatory entrance because we need more peaceful thoughts.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge: Plant Life in the Great Outdoors.

Posted in Flowers, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Challenge, Flowers, nature, walk, walking | 48 Comments

No duck pond – no problem! #Wordless Wednesday #Feelin’ ducky in MY personal pond!

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | 37 Comments

Dad’s Day 2024.

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Linda Schaub

It’s a day to fete our fathers.

I think most of you know why there are scant references to my father in this forum, so suffice it to say that to me, Father’s Day is a grim reminder of days long gone – decades in fact. I have not seen my father in over four decades after he announced on Christmas Day 1983 he was tired of the family and living here, then abruptly abandoned my mother to embark on a new life, but not before taking all the money out of their joint bank and long-term annuity funds, then fleeing the country to Germany and leaving her penniless at 57 years old. I was 27.

Yes, what a guy.

Thereafter, I designated Mom as both my mother AND father. I consider him dead to me, but if he is alive he would be 97 years old.

Recently I spent an afternoon immersed in the treasure trove of greeting cards exchanged between Mom and me through the years to write my Mother’s Day post. In doing so, I read some of those Father’s Day cards given to Mom from 1984 through 2009, the last Father’s Day she was alive.

Today’s post won’t recap a quarter century of Father’s Day cards, nor will it serve to dwell on my somewhat tarnished paternal memories; instead I am going to use the beautiful song “Sunrise, Sunset” in which a father reflects on just how quickly the years have passed now that his daughter is grown. The song was sung at her wedding and is from the 1971 musical “Fiddler on the Roof” which I saw at the movies with my parents that same year. Click here for Perry Como’s version of that tune.

Here are a few of the poignant lyrics:

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

While I am inclined to disparage my father and do not ever wish to be associated with him, it was not always that way.

My parents were married June 11, 1953 …

… three years before I was born.

A line in the song “Sunrise, Sunset” says: “is this the little girl I carried?”

Growing up as an only child, it was Mom who was the disciplinarian and I was “Daddy’s Little Princess” which I thought meant something special at the time.

A tattered picture from long ago – the tattered memories would come decades later.

Christmas Day is a day to make memories with your family like here circa 1959, not a day to announce you want a new life.

I was not spoiled, but my parents were very strict with me.

Mom and Dad were not the Rockefellers, but I did not want for anything.

I had a happy childhood and teenage years. This photo was taken on my Sweet 16th birthday.

My parents provided me with a brand-new car after high school graduation so they did not worry about me breaking down coming home from school or when out with friends.

They told me I could pursue any college curriculum I desired and they would pay my tuition costs through graduation.

Too bad I never found a job to use that B.A. degree in Mass Communications, so I was repeatedly told by my father “I could have bought myself a T-Bird and your mother a mink coat for what I paid for your education!” But I digress ….

Mom and Dad encouraged me to travel and see the world before beginning a career and/or starting a family because “after all, you are only young once.”

I embraced that idea bigtime in my 20s.

All money/tips I earned while waitressing at the diner throughout college were used for personal expenses, mostly travel, clothing and entertainment.

This was the last photo taken with my father, New Year’s Eve 1982. My parents had a small party with some friends in the basement and I made a guest appearance. Yes, you can see I looked just like him (except six inches taller). I may have his last name, but do not have his disposition, nor any of his traits, notably I am not a racist and I am trustworthy and honest.