WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

As I started along the perimeter path at Council Point Park this morning, I could not help but notice that the path was a plethora of wet doggie paw prints. Nearby, the light glaze of frost had been stepped on, was slightly matted down and lacking the frosty covering, no doubt accounting for those medium-sized wet blobs. I suspected the pair of Chocolate Labs, with their owners in tow, had arrived before me today. Sure enough, when I rounded the first bend, there they were, untethered from their respective leashes and frolicking through the wide expanse of the Park, tails just a’waggin’ and they were smilin’ – yes … you have seen dogs smile haven’t you? Their joy at being allowed to roam and run in the Park off-leash rivals that of any kids turned loose in the playground area.

It was a quiet journey today, and except for the Labs and their pet parents, I saw no one else on the Park path. The little alcove was devoid of ducks and they were absent from their alternative spots as well. I saw a branch with a few bedraggled sparrows sitting in a row, and figured they’d appreciate some tasty tidbits of bread so I tossed it on the ground toward their tree. They all flew down at once, grateful for the unexpected treat.

Next, I dragged the bag of peanuts out of my pocket to dispense them to my squirrel buddies. I didn’t see any for a few minutes, but I guesssed that once the squirrels were assured the dogs were far enough away, they spied my zip-loc bag and me so they ventured over to get the scoop on any salty snacks. It seems unbelievable that a mere five days of feeding them peanuts on an every-day basis and they now know me by the moniker of “Peanut Buddy”. I scattered some nuts, and they just went nuts, and soon their family and friends were there for a meet-and-greet and to grab some peanuts as well. Their best method is to go for the gusto – one nut gets placed into one chubby cheek “to go” and the second one is gobbled up on the spot. Those little buggers are much more clever than people give ‘em credit for. Smart as a whip when it comes to their food; unfortunately, not always so smart when they chase one another down from the tree and into the street. I always gasp and look away, then soon I see them scurry back to the curb in the nick of time just before a car zooms by, or perhaps I hear their nails as they shimmy up the tree at the speed of sound. Some are not so lucky of course.

I can’t imagine what the squirrels are eating these days – a few bushes still have berries, but there are no oak trees in the Park, so there are no acorns to munch on and use to bulk up for the long Winter ahead. Soon, I left the little nippers behind and continued walking. The sun was up and cast a pale light on the trail and me as I walked, then I noticed a small shadow on my heels. I turned around and there was one brown squirrel trailing along behind me as if he thought I might perchance adopt him and take him home as a pet. He had such a sweet face and I told him he was lucky that I was down to the dregs of my nut cache, but I had a few just for him. I bent down close to his level and tossed the peanuts toward him. They rolled a little and he seized the opportunity to grab them and vamoose.

Once again I resumed walking, eager to get back on the trail and maximize my miles since it was a beautiful morning. The Park was so quiet and I was enjoying the peace and solitude when suddenly the train gave one extraordinarily loud, shrill whistle and infiltrated my wool-gathering and I nearly flew out of my skin. I would have liked to have another turn around the Park, but my bird and squirrel sessions ate up some of my “me” time so I just headed home, having clocked 3 ½ miles more to add to my grand total of 426 miles so far in 2013. That’s 53 more miles that I have driven. Another 74 more miles to go to reach the 500-mile mark, and still hoping that the weather cooperates, although it may not over the course of the next few days.

I left early this morning for a walk preceded by a quick trip around the house to inspect for any storm or wind-related damage, and thankfully there was none. Our neighborhood looked, for the most part, to be unscathed by those howling winds which lasted nearly 24 hours, but two blocks away I saw a beautiful tree that had split down the middle, and branches were resting up against the back windows of the home. The fury of this recent wind whisked through the neighborhood and Council Point Park stripping the trees of their remaining foliage, leaving them bare and forlorn looking. The huge squirrels’ nests are now exposed and I marvel at how those massive twiggy nests remained intact after such gusty winds. I took along some critter treats and while the ducks were acting rather blasé this morning, the squirrels quickly scrambled to attention and scurried near the path where I was walking to ensure they were in my line of sight. I dipped deep into my pockets to produce some peanuts for them and tossed them out and immediately I had multiple takers, including one small fellow who scampered out from behind a bush. I thought of my grandmother when I arose this morning and later as I idly watched the squirrels’ antics. Wilhelmina Godard, née Klein was born on this day in 1906 and passed away in her 80th year. She was known as “Minnie” to friends and family and I called her “Nanny”. On her first trip to the U.S. back in the late 60s, she stayed at our house one entire Summer and was astonished to see our brown squirrels with their bushy tails … “your American squirrels” she called them. You see, in Toronto’s residential areas, as well as the parks, they had the much-smaller and sleeker black squirrels which I’ve been seeing here in our own neighborhoods the past few years. My grandmother could not believe how large our backyard fox squirrels were and then we told her that the neighbor a few yards away regularly shot and ate them. He and his wife were from the South and he proudly told us that “shooting the little varmints helped keep the squirrel population in check and the wife makes ‘em into a tasty squirrel pie” … (yep, turned my stomach just a tad too).

I didn’t even attempt a walk this morning with winds gusting well over 35 mph when I got up. But you’ll hear no grumbling on my part since walking seems inconsequential; I’m only too glad that I didn’t lose power here. While I certainly don’t want the inconvenience of being in the deep-freeze inside the house (because that happened years ago in the middle of Winter), nor the expense of spoiled food, my main concern is for Buddy and how I’d keep him warm. Canaries are not very cuddly nor are they portable pets. My next-door neighbor Marge would take us, but her power likely would be out as well. A hotel would be the best bet but I’m certainly not the only one with that idea and there aren’t many hotels around here anyway. The rockin’ and rollin’ going on outside seems like it will never end, but those gusts last night were just incredible. I’m usually a very sound sleeper, but the wind kept waking me up. Each time I pulled the alarm clock over, then crooked my neck to see if the stove’s digital clock was casting the dim light in the still-dark kitchen as it usually does. When I saw that pale light I was relieved and knew there were no power issues, I laid my head back onto the pillow and was soon fast asleep. It seems that every time I hear an update on the area power outages, there are thousands of additional homes and businesses with no power – the latest well over 200,000. My heart goes out to the people in Illinois – the pictures of the devastation that I watched online made me gasp in horror. It is surprising more lives were not lost with this string of tornadoes. Sometimes Mother Nature just wants to emphasize who is boss … the typhoon, now the tornadoes; let’s hope the adage that “things happen in threes” does not come to fruition.

Well I really didn’t intend to go to Council Point Park this morning since an all-morning rain was in the forecast. Believing the meteorologists, last night I didn’t even set the alarm deciding to sleep in and do some much-needed chores around the house instead. I gathered the garbage to put outside, then peered out the front door to see if I could just zip out and back without a coat since the weather was so mild. To my surprise, there was no rain, the sky was blue and a pale sun was trying to make an appearance. So, throwing caution (and chores) to the wind, I decided since I had to take the garbage outside anyway, I might as well lace up my walking shoes and get some miles in. I didn’t stop to grab any critter treats or take along any rain gear since it was a spur-of-the moment trip. Just as I reached the Park entrance, which is nearly a mile from my home, there was a horribly loud and long rumble of thunder. It stopped me in my tracks and I pivoted and peeled out for home. Unfortunately, though the sky was bright, the roll of thunder was the precursor to the quick pitter-patter of raindrops and within a block a drenching rain ensued. Well, the only good thing was that it was such a mild day that the rain likewise was warmish, but still! My sweats were sopping wet by the time I reached my house and my hair was dripping as well. As I stripped off my soggy clothing, I glanced at the pedometer, grumbling to myself that the trip was rather a waste of time and energy for a measly two miles. The gadget confirmed that nearly 4,000 steps had been walked, but it also displayed a flashing “battery low” message. Well, that just added insult to injury as to my shortened walk and my mood. Luckily, I have committed my walking mileage amounts to memory for all my favorite routes, so no big deal until I replace the battery or get a new pedometer. Now, like all of you, I await and worry as this fractious storm nears and I will shut down and unplug my computer as soon as this blog about my Sunday “sogg”a is posted. I saw this picture the other day … it sure is appropriate for our impending stormy weather so I am sharing it with you. Be safe everyone.

This morning, as I scuffed through the massive piles of leaves that littered the sidewalks while I made my way to the Park, I figured most homeowners would be scrambling around later today trying to contain them. Our City’s yard waste collection ceases Thanksgiving week. Sure enough, when I was walking home, the air was abuzz with the whirring of leaf blowers either sucking up or funneling bunches of leaves and the whining of mulching mowers masticating too-full intake chutes of leaves and still-lush grass. Wide rakes scrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraped the cement sidewalk in an effort to contain leaves within the tines and get them bagged quickly and ready to haul out to the curb. I passed one house where they had a regular assembly line going – there were rakers, baggers and a couple of kids who were opening the bags and wrangling them over those tube gizmos which hold the brown paper yard waste bag upright. One homeowner had stacks and stacks of yard waste bags sitting on his porch and I called out to him that he had his work cut out for him today.

In 2011 I volunteered to be a Salvation Army bell ringer for four weekends starting in mid-November. My post was outside ACO Hardware. The store was hopping the duration of my shift, alternating between people streaming out carrying multiple waste bags under their arm or pushing shopping carts laden with outdoor Christmas decorations. One man kept returning to buy more leaf bags and said he felt obligated to drop some change into my kettle each time he passed me to access the store entrance. The last time on his way into ACO, he grinned sheepishly and declared he was “going to buy the rest of the store’s supply of leaf bags and quit this nonsense”. There never seems to be that many leaves on the trees until gravity brings ‘em free falling to the ground. After a brief drizzle, while walking home, my nose detected the leaves had a faintly musty smell and they are not so pretty now, having been whipped around possibly from blocks away, or co-mingled along the cement with their bedraggled-looking, sometimes-spotted or otherwise-mangled counter-parts. But we shan’t complain because the leaves sure look better than snow sitting on our lawns and sidewalks.

At the Park today, in an effort to garner more miles I decided to make two complete laps on the perimeter path. On the first leg of my journey, I stopped at the cement landing to position myself, without slipping into the Creek, to dispense duck bon-bons … well, bread to us, but candy for our feathered friends. While standing there clicking my tongue and watching the mallards swim toward me, a young guy came over to sit on the ledge and we chatted. His name was Todd and I’ve often seen him running on the path or sprinting across the open soccer fields. He told me he has been working out in the Park for over 20 years, since he was 12 years old. He has watched the Park grow from one paved loop to two and told me, that if I enjoy the Park during the Spring, Summer and Fall months, I must come back in the Winter season since the City plows the Park path at 6:00 a.m. daily because there are so many walkers and runners. Todd told me where the ducks congregate in the Winter months … as many as 200 of them at a time, while seeking shelter from the cold, close to a storm sewer. He said the wetland area across the Ecorse Creek is home to fox and coyotes and when the trees are completely bare they are easy to spot. Well, that clinched it for me. Now, there will be something to look forward to in the Winter months and I will surely try to get some wildlife pictures during my weekend forays to Council Point Park. Perhaps these photo ops will yield some great shots to share on my blog posts. Finally, my bread bag was empty and so I said goodbye to Todd and moved on as I still wanted to do another full lap. Just as I was strolling along the path and thinking it was a perfect Fall day, it started to rain. Just a few spits here and there and it was more of a mist but it was getting my clothes wet nonetheless. I certainly didn’t melt and it stopped fairly quickly. During the second leg of my journey, the strains of some of the brass bands at the Wyandotte Christmas Parade came through loud and clear and I had the feeling of marching along with them in spirit. Before I knew it, two laps were done and I was heading home, with five miles more added toward my goal. The weather sounds dicey for tomorrow and I’m hoping they are wrong about their projected forecasts for thunderstorms, gusty winds and possible tornadic activity.

Love the trees until their leaves fall off,
then encourage them to try again next year.
~ Chad Sugg

The sun was up early and so I hit the ground runnin’ on this mild, mid-November morn. Destination: Council Point Park. The hunters also were early risers and they gathered en masse at the crack of dawn in search of their prey. The big bucks should watch their collective backs as firearms deer-hunting season began today. You already know I’m a softie when it comes to critters of any kind, so you can guess that I’ll cringe and turn my head the other way if I see a big buck’s bloody carcass slung across the top of a vehicle or peeking out from the bed of a Dodge Ram pick-up truck. It upsets me seeing a deer laying on the pick-up bed floor, its once-majestic head now lolling to the side. Often the deer’s neck is twisted as it lays prone, its head propped up by the antlers. It’s macabre and disturbing – to me anyway.

My high school chum Carol lives in the village of Honeoye Falls in Upstate New York. Her property butts up against a large wooded area and she often looks out the doorwall to see deer wandering around her backyard. She snaps their picture and posts it on Facebook with a description of how they meandered into her backyard, perhaps to “visit” or nibble on berries on the fringe of her very picturesque property. Sometimes the moms and their offspring will gather around the gazebo. I guess that big white structure is quite a novelty to the deer. It all sounds very idyllic to this city girl, but I know deer can wreak havoc in neighborhoods when out of their element, and of course car/deer accidents, especially this time of year, have caused the death of many a motorist. Granted, the deer herds need to be thinned out, but the nature lover in me could not see past the big eyes and gentle face to harm this creature.

In the past, I’ve recounted my wonderful memories as a child feeding the wildlife at High Park in Toronto. On vacation we’d often visit Algonquin Park near Georgian Bay in northern Canada which further fostered my love and respect for wildlife. The picture above was taken at Algonquin Park when I was six. I know those happy childhood moments contribute to my current whole enjoyable experience in my forays to Council Point Park. Maybe it is the bullfrog croaking, or perhaps it might be the sweet song of a bird high up in the tree as I happen by. Sometimes a silly smile crosses my face while I am just tossing treats to the critters. It is just such a simple pleasure to visit the Park, be one with nature and interact with a critter or two. It mellows out my morning and brightens my day. Like a condemned man counting off his remaining days, a glance at the calendar and the colder temps outside tell me to make the most of my moments at the Park before the rough weather settles in. So, before I left on my journey this morning I gathered up my treats to take to the Park … peanuts which I will confirm brought an unexpected delight to some already-chubby brown squirrels who scampered by my feet then promptly sat on their haunches and begged. Indeed, they knew a sucker when they saw one and their cute antics brought the desired result … a few more peanuts fished from my pocket to be strewn at their feet.

Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. Albert Einstein

The last few years I’ve been on a bit of a health kick. The better-eating regimen, plus my annual sacrificing of a favorite food for Lent, then just giving up that treat permanently, has left me with a healthy, but somewhat blah diet. Several years ago I gave up sweets for Lent and I can’t say that I miss or crave baked goods or gum or the occasional hard candy. I do drink sugarless chocolate milk but a tall glass of it would not satisfy a sweet craving. I have convinced myself that cornbread is not a sweet so it is an indulgence about four times a year. I gave up fast food and take-out food as well. I must admit that walking past Burger King and smelling fries or onion rings could make me re-think that move, but I’ve not fallen off the wagon yet. I don’t eat fried food at home either – health wise that’s a great move, but it is also because I am lazy. Too much grease plus too much mess equals too many dishes. Not a happy equation for me. In 2012 I gave up salty snacks for Lent so going forward those treats bit the dust. I could sing the praises of White Cheddar Cheez-its forever. I would not even have the decency to pour them out into a bowl, but would sit idly eating them straight from the box, while watching the contents dwindle down as the telltale cheddar dust lingered on my fingers. I recently gave up flavored coffee creamers and have gone back to the boring powdered creamers. Today, as I wandered around the aisles of Meijer, I did get just a tad wistful for the olden days of carefree eating with reckless abandon, especially around the holidays. I think it was the large clear Santa boot of jumbo cashews I spied when buying the peanuts for the squirrels. Cashews were my mom’s favorite and we always had them around for the holidays. Another perennial salty snack favorite at our house was what my mom called “nuts and bolts” … it is what Americans call “Chex Party Mix”. She used the same salty snack ingredients, then would toast them in the oven. Half of the batch got garlic powder sprinkled over it and the other half remained bare. The garlic stayed with you for days, but both were yummy.

Naturally, it was all about the holiday season at the grocery store. One display was all the fixin’s for the bird, right down to the lacy frills to put on its legs. The green bean casserole necessities were at the ready as well and the pumpkin pie paraphernalia was handy to just grab and go. I passed up the pie fixin’s but reached for some Piñata apples which have finally arrived. I love their tropical taste and they are so crunchy. Grapefruit and bananas rounded out my fruits and lots of broccoli and baby carrots for Buddy and me to share. Michelle Obama would give me an atta girl if she inspected the contents of my cart. I did pause a long time gazing at the various eggnog products as I tried to reconcile if this was a treat or merely a glorified milk product. I’ll consider how much wiggle room I have over the next few weeks.

Christmas definitely trumped Thanksgiving and though a few displays had some customers talkin’ turkey, Christmas toys, treats and gift suggestions were at every available end cap. I must admit I had to stifle a giggle as I saw various Chia pets on display with each one bearing a likeness to one of the Duck Dynasty boys. There is a face and the seeds are planted to become the eventual plant/beard. Looks like Duck Dynasty items are the go-to gift this season. I saw the Duck Dynasty logo everywhere I looked – well ain’t that ducky?

Two tours of Meijer’s perimeter and my grocery shopping yielded many extra steps logged on the pedometer and when I got home I was surprised and pleased to see I had racked up 2 ½ miles this morning. It wasn’t exactly a “shop-‘til-you drop” event but multi-tasking works for me.

I really must confess that it was oh-so-tempting to stay curled up in the confines of my comfy bed and perhaps skip the frosty walk this morning. It is not as if the below-average temps, which hovered at 21 degrees, and the accompanying 11-degree wind chill factor, beckoned me to throw off the covers, swing my legs over the side of the bed and get going anytime soon. I hit the snooze button once, then another time, as I wavered on taking further action. Then the greedy part of me wanting to grab the golden ring, i.e. the goal attainment of 500 miles walked by December 31st, and that was the deciding factor, so I just acquiesced and got up.

Shortly after sunrise I was bundled up and out the door. The snow was still lingering in dribs and drabs on grassy areas and amidst the light layer of snow where grass blades dared to poke through, there were dabs and smidges of color from the still-perky perennials and annuals. Some of the rosebushes I’ve seen are still in brilliant bloom and even have rosebuds frozen upon their stems. There are no sweet smells emitting from them anymore, just a beautiful still life picture of a perfectly formed bud, like the one you see above, and so very picturesque in an otherwise drab yard. The dusty miller plants look as fresh as near Labor Day and are the hardiest of any of the annuals. I’ve seen people in my neighborhood leave them out all Winter and they don’t look bedraggled, but just perpetually wearing their white hazy color which looks like sugar coating or a layer of frost on the plant. I saw cold-weather pansies popping their faces out from beneath holiday decorations and even the petunias and a few impatiens are plucky given the heavy layer of frost on the ground. In some cases, these annuals looked like they have fared better than the potted mums which took a beating with all the rain we have had in the last fortnight or so. Unfortunately the hanging baskets are wearing a hangdog look and really, it is time to pack up some of those porch pots from Summer of 2013.

I’m happy to hear this cold snap may be over by tomorrow. I saw breath vapors as I hurried along and once down at Council Point Park I saw steam rising out of the Creek and there were ducks aplenty at their usual spot just quacking up a storm. They looked at me expectantly and I shrugged my shoulders and mouthed “soon, I promise”. I’ll buy a cheap loaf of bread next time I’m at the store, then divvy it up for several treat-giving trips. Plus, the way a squirrel stopped me in my tracks, sat on his haunches and begged as I walked along the Park path, just about melted my heart. I must look like a soft touch, so I guess I will add peanuts in the shell to my grocery list. I’ll scatter a few along the trail when I see some of my squirrel buddies. It will make their day and I will go to Heaven for sure.

On this World Kindness Day, did you brighten someone’s day with a smile or a kind word? Mother Teresa said it best: “Peace begins with a smile.”

It was a biting cold when I trudged out to walk to the dentist for part two of my crown. Crispy leaves coated with yesterday’s wintry mix crunched under my shoes as I walked, head bent down to keep the frigid air at bay and stop Jack Frost from nipping on my nose. The temperature was 25 degrees and the wind chill reading a mere 15 degrees as I exited the cozy house. The weather forecasters indeed got it right yesterday and alot of slippin’ and slidin’ was going on for the evening drive-time. Thankfully the slick roads dried out and the only snow was on the grass. The numerologists proclaim today is significant since the calendar date is 11/12/13. The lottery machines will be all abuzz churning out tickets for Lotto faithful who have been scratching their heads to configure today’s date into various number combos. The Little Wedding Chapel in Taylor was featured on WWJ this morning as they breathlessly related today’s agenda: multiple weddings and many couples renewing their vows non-stop throughout the day. The spokeswoman said it is easier to remember your wedding anniversary on a special calendar date. Hmmmmmmm. The only numbers magic that materialized for me today was surpassing the 400-mile mark in my 2013 walking miles. I kept setting the bar higher throughout the course of these three seasons and I will set one more goal – 500 miles before year end. Hopefully I will not bite off more than I can chew with this goal. I am realistic that it may be unattainable in a mere six weeks with wintry weather on the horizon, but I will strive to stride and do my best. Here’s an inspirational quote for you about goals. Stay warm everyone.

Magic is believing in yourself,
if you can do that, you can make anything happen.
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This morning I had Veteran’s Day on my mind as I left the house, as well as musing over my miles walked in 2013 as I teeter on the cusp of reaching 400 miles. I reflected on my daily routine … the conditions in the neighborhoods where I walk are certainly not deplorable, nor dangerous, and the only real concern I have while walking is the driver who backs out of their driveway without looking both ways, or a dog who bares his teeth and lunges on his chain or against the fence as he defends his turf when I walk by. Unlike our servicemen and women, I do not march in searing heat or a similar debilitating clime, nor do I carry pounds of heavy military gear or my possessions upon my back. I need not look ahead and around me for IEDs which might shatter my legs or the rest of my life. My meanderings are so unencumbered next to theirs – every walk or drive may be their last. We must never forget the rigors of military life, nor fail to honor the fallen and active military personnel. For that reason, I factored in a trip to Memorial Park this morning to visit the area where our City honors its war dead. There is a huge cannon and a memorial where the names of those who died serving their country in World War II and the Vietnam War are listed. There is also a newer memorial – a tribute to Sergeant Craig S. Frank, a member of the Army National Guard who died on July 17, 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a result of injuries from a rocket-propelled grenade that struck him from behind. Sergeant Frank’s memorial is a concrete pillar where a likeness of his boots, firearm and helmet have been cast in bronze and sit atop the pillar. A plaque states his name, rank and date and place of death. He was only 24 years old. Shortly after the memorial to Sergeant Frank was dedicated, scrappers stole the original bronze military gear and money was raised and donated to restore Sergeant Frank’s memorial to its original state. I Googled this young soldier’s name to read more about him. I remember when he was killed and the local paper featured a story about him, but I wanted to refresh my memory. Here is some information about him, his photo and his memorial which I referenced above: http://www.fallenheroesmemorialfoundation.org/get-memorial.php?id=60

I felt sad thinking of all these fallen servicemen, especially Craig Frank, and though his family today will no doubt pay a visit to the memorial which honors his participation in the Iraqi conflict, I am sure they would give anything to simply honor him by having him carve up the turkey at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It seems like just yesterday I visited Memorial Park’s tribute to the fallen during the annual Memorial Day ceremony. The Healing Fields, flags representing each Lincoln Park fallen soldier, was a spectacular sight and quite stirring. I wrote about it in my blog post on May 19th of this year: https://lindaschaubblog.net/2013/05/19/remembrances/

God Bless all the veterans who died serving their country, as well as the remaining vets who are either physically or mentally maimed and those who are now in harm’s way. Godspeed as well to those Marines who were dispatched to the Philippines to give assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. We thank you.