Deception is NOT my intention!

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Admittedly, today’s post is not my usual shtick.

But, I do love to stir the memory pot on occasion, especially when it involves a brush with fame.

As you already know, (if you have been reading all the way to the end of my long weekly posts), I’ve been participating in fellow blogger Terri Webster Schrandt’s weekly feature “Sunday Stills” since mid-October 2023. It has been fun cherry-picking photos accumulated in my 2023 excursions to match Terri’s weekly prompts.

So, when the February 25th “Fun with Photo Editing” prompt came along, I knew I could dig into my archive of vintage photos and rise to the occasion.

I really enjoy photography, a renewed hobby for me since starting my blog in 2013, but, save for adding a little text to a photo for holiday shots at a free image editing site, I’ve not yet ventured into serious photo editing. I know that in this age of Artificial Intelligence, I could easily put my image next to a celebrity’s image, living or dead. Today’s prompt lets me share a few fun photos from my past.

Laurel and Hardy … and Little Ol’ Me.

I attended Henry Ford Community College after high school, before finishing up at Wayne State University to graduate with a B.A. in Mass Communications. While at HFCC, I got involved in extracurricular activities, something I didn’t get a chance to do in high school as you had to be a “cool kid” – but here, at HFCC, it was different.

I was eager to work on the college newspaper The Ford Estate and it was a fun time as fellow staffers became fast friends and we hung out as a group every weekend, attended outdoor concerts in the Summer and remained friends after parting for our respective career paths.

Besides being a reporter on the school paper, I kicked my college experience up a notch or two by joining the National Model United Nations Club, Associated Student Government and also became the Editor of the Student Handbook.

I could fill this blog post with photos from those days, but instead I want to focus on photos taken at the ASG Banquet in the Spring of 1975. A fellow student government rep was Jim Mulleague, whose mother was “Gundella the Witch” an actual witch and local TV celebrity.

Well, Jim had an entertainment gig of his own; he and his friend, Rick Underwood, dressed and acted the part of Laurel and Hardy. They were the spittin’ images of the comic duo and these impressionists had their comedic routine down pat. Jim and Rick’s guest appearances at local events helped pay for their college tuition. For our end-of-the-school-year ASG banquet, Jim and Rick arrived dressed as this famous duo, (who made over 100 long and short films together between 1926 and 1940 and were considered to be the most successful comedy team in the history of Hollywood).

Because I never went anywhere without my trusty Kodak Pocket Camera, even if it meant smooshing it into the fancy little purse I was carrying, I was ready for the unexpected surprise, when the pair walked into the banquet room, dressed as this famous dapper duo.

Hurriedly, I snapped a photo of the two of them (yes, a bit off-center) …

… then I asked them to pose with me.

They brought along copies of photos used to advertise their services and autographed them …

Over Thanksgiving weekend 2017, I digitized all my photo albums and scrapbooks. This was no easy feat, especially since some albums and scrapbooks did not have removable pages, so this project is not complete since some images are raw and need tweaking. But happily, with just a mouse click or two, I can hop onto Shutterfly, the online imaging company where I store those digitized albums and scrapbooks, to reminisce over decades of memories.

A couple of years ago, I was in my Shutterfly online scrapbook in search of a particular image for a blog post. Flipping through endlessly, I paused at the photo of Jim, Rick and me. I decided the off-kilter belt on this long gown was definitely a distraction in this fun shot. So, I went onto Facebook to see if Shutterfly had a community where members might edit your images for free.

Bingo! They did have such a group, so I asked to join and here’s what happened next:

So, using “Image Compare” in WordPress, which photo below do you prefer?

Just slide the bar over to compare the before/after images.

Jessica did a great job and, as you see above, I thanked her, but zapping the belt from the dress and eliminating a spot on the curtain, seemed to make the photo blurry. Hmm – while it was fun to see what Jessica did with a little photo editing, I think I liked the imperfect photo better.

Yep, there’s no pleasin’ people sometimes is there?

Now, let’s fast forward a few years, shall we?

Foto Fun – so, are these photos the “real deal” or not?

So, while it was fun getting photos taken with “Laurel and Hardy” I was also mixing and mingling back in the day with a former Prez and the Royal Family, circa 1979.

Not everyone can say they had their picture taken next to a former U.S. President, but I can. Of course, it would be cheating if I didn’t add that the picture was taken at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London, England.

President Carter was the nation’s 39th president. His term was from January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 and he was the sitting President at the time I visited Madame Tussauds in May 1979.

His wax likeness at Madame Tussauds was put in place in November 1976 after winning the election against incumbent President Gerald Ford.

Hmm – it looks as if President Carter was giving me a side-eye here? The photo even looks like it was spliced together, but it was because President Carter stood in front of a red wall and I was standing to the side of that red wall.

Out with the old, in with the new: if you click here, you will see a short video showing President Ford’s wax likeness being replaced with the newly minted President Carter and you can see the two different walls.

I was full of smiles, having just gotten my mouthful of braces removed a week or so before the trip. I sure didn’t mind the thin retainer over my top teeth after enduring wrap-around metal jackets on each tooth for almost three years? Ugh!

I am also including these two photos of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Prince Charles in this post. There were other folks waiting to have their photos taken with the wax Royal Family members, so it was a quick meet-and-greet photo event and no time for tea and crumpets.

Hope you enjoyed taking this stroll down Memory Lane with me.

As mentioned earlier, I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills February 25th Challenge: “Fun with Photo Editing”.

Posted in Memories | Tagged , | 71 Comments

The Red-winged Blackbirds are back; it must be Spring!  #Wordless Wednesday  #My stats: 27th annual GBBC (“Great Backyard Bird Count”)

Posted on February 21, 2024 by Linda Schaub


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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, Birds,#GBBC,, nature, walk | Tagged , , , , , | 58 Comments

Let me tell you ‘bout the birds and the bees and …

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Linda Schaub

… the flowers and the trees, all seen on my second trip to the Environmental Interpretive Center (“EIC”) on Saturday, August 19th.

My first visit to this woodsy setting at the edge of the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s campus was back on May 12, 2023. You can read the post about that excursion here if you missed it.

The EIC was just one stop on a journey wherein I meandered along the Rouge Gateway Trail and past Fair Lane Manor, the home of Henry and Clara Ford.

During that first visit to this venue, the trees were just beginning to leaf out, the grass was lush and green and I was happy to photograph a couple of Wild Turkeys, a Chipmunk and some Canada Geese and their goslings. Clara Ford’s extensive flower gardens were devoid of color, save for the Lilac bushes.

After that visit, I subscribed to the EIC newsletter where I learned the Center is a Monarch Way Station, which means this venue provides the resources necessary for Monarch butterflies to sustain life and provide successive generations, mainly through Milkweed which gives them sustenance and the energy to migrate to warmer climates in advance of harsh Winters. Recently, it was disappointing news for butterfly enthusiasts to learn that the Monarch butterfly migration from Mexico this year is down 60%.

After last Spring’s visit, I planned to return to the EIC in the Summer when the warmth and abundant sunshine would create a garden setting filled with birds, bees, butterflies and flowers.

Having become more familiar with the proximity of the EIC to Fair Lane Manor, (just a half-mile/8 km down the road), I knew at the end of my EIC meander, I could simply zigzag through the Manor’s Great Meadow on the way back to the car. I planned to revisit those architectural ruins, (the original Rose Garden, Pond and Summer House), as well as check out that frog pond that an interpretive guide wowed a group of students on a field trip when he repeatedly dipped a net into the murky waters producing frogs and giggles galore.

There is no need to write endless words about Henry and Clara Ford’s iconic places and spaces, as I’ve done so in the past, so today, I’ll touch upon only the ruins briefly and spotlight an iconic tree, new-to-your-eyes items at the Estate.

Exploring the EIC and beyond.

On a hot and humid August morn, there I was, tripping down the familiar path, a/k/a the Rouge Gateway Trail, scanning for deer and/or turkeys, but instead of veering left to enter the grounds of the iconic Ford Estate Manor, I continued walking along Fair Lane Drive to reach the EIC.

Last May it was a Friday morning and the nearby campus was bustling with students dashing from building to building for their classes.

It was very quiet this time.

Some fungi on a fallen log were not really worth pulling the camera out for a photo – it’s not like they were colorful Turkey Tails, so I kept on walking.

But then I saw this sign along Fair Lane Drive – well yikes! Was this sign here the last time?

I was alone once again. I admit this sign did give me cause to pause, but I continued on, albeit a little more mindful of my surroundings.

No, I wasn’t a scaredy-cat, but a few steps later, I saw this.

Well, my eyes told me what it looked like, but my brain said “no Linda, it is not someone’s brain on the side of the roadway” (um, even though is sure looked like that). Thanks to a Google Image Search I learned this was a hedge apple produced by an Osage Orange Tree. Did you know that?

Well those two items had piqued my interest, but there was no time to dwell on either as suddenly I had arrived at the Environment Interpretive Center, which looked decidedly different than back in May, as it was surrounded by an abundance of yellow flowers called Woodland Sunflowers or simply Ditch Daisies.

The flowers were photo ops for birds and bees.

I’d guess the person that originally planted these flowers loved the color yellow, but most likely these patches of vibrant beauties are solely due to pollination. There were a few purple flowers as well, but not many.

I already knew there were several bee hotels – these are two of them.

And here are some bees enjoying the Ditch Daisies.

I stood very quietly hoping the bird feeders might give me a glimpse of some songbirds.

But they were empty like the bee hotels, although I did see a Sparrow (or Finch?) posing nicely on a flower stem.

“What no butterflies?” I wondered as I stepped away from the flowers to venture down a trail. Then alighting on some greenery was an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

I decided to take the White Oak Trail …

… and wondered where I would end up. (Hmm – it looked a little dark in there.)

What a scenic view greeted me at the end of this trail! I had walked along the shoreline of Ford Lake back in May, but now could see this body of water in its glory. The reflections were stunning and there were already some American Lotuses.

After leaving picturesque Ford Lake, the next trail sign was for Clara’s Rose Garden. The humid morning made dew drops on the sign.

I stopped at the pond to peer inside its murky depths for frogs. There were none. In May the Canada geese and their goslings were paddling around and nibbling on reeds, but today there were a few Lotuses and Pond Lilies and that was it.

I learned from an EIC newsletter that Clara’s Rose Garden with its Pond will eventually be turned into a contemporary green space by the University of Michigan – Dearborn in conjunction with the EIC.

It seems that Clara’s Summer House is unloved and in disrepair.

Interestingly, since 2010, ongoing renovations at Fair Lane Manor have sought to meticulously recreate the glory and grandeur of the mansion when Clara and Henry Ford lived at this peaceful, nature-laden sanctuary from 1915 until their deaths in 1950 and 1947, respectively. Fair Lane Estate was named a National Historic Landmark in Michigan in 1966.

There was a cessation of renovations due to the COVID pandemic, but outside renovations, plus inside, including each of the 56 rooms in this 31,770-square-foot home are being painstakingly restored. I have followed the Facebook briefings of each meticulous detail and synopses of work done by the Conservation Team by various restorative experts, so it boggles my mind, that the once-iconic Rose Garden, Pond and especially the Summer House, have been allowed to languish into the current dilapidated state where these items were once a highlight in the “Great Meadow” (the expanse of land where these structures are found).

All that is left of the Summer House structure is its frame, seen in the first two pictures.

In these two pictures you will see the frame of the Summer House as it faces the Pond and rock wall and a close-up of the rock wall.

To me, allowing this iconic area of the Estate grounds to fall in disrepair is akin to leaving this dead leaf clinging to a fence at the current gardens near the mansion.

Speaking of leaves, I made one more pit stop at the Estate that day, lingering at the historic Weeping Birch Tree, which was planted in 1948 to commemorate the Fords’ 50th wedding anniversary. The tree is massive and I had to stand way back to get the entire tree in the frame. (Note the signs.)

The sun was climbing higher in the sky and it was still horribly humid. My walking shoes were soaked from the wet grass and my clothes were clinging to me. I put the camera away as I was heading directly to the car. The chances of seeing deer or turkeys now at mid-day were slim to none. They were likely smarter than me and in the cool woods.

I trudged along, but, wait, I squinted and wondered “what’s that in the distance?” It seemed more birds would grace my walk, when a pair of Wild Turkeys trotted past me, quickly escaping to the brush and away from me and a potential photo op or two. I managed to muster a few faraway shots.

As they turned tail, their rapid departure left a few feathers behind.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills February 18th Challenge:  “Iconic Places and Spaces”.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged , , , , , | 60 Comments

Peace -n- Love. #Wordless Wednesday #60s Vibes #Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, Valentine's Day | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

Have a heart.

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Linda Schaub

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you may have hearts, flowers and chocolate on your mind, whether you are the potential giver or the hopeful recipient. Today’s post will include some hearts and flowers, but sorry … no chocolate.

This post is about the Running to Honor 5K Run/Walk. The actual event was held Saturday, July 29, 2023 at Heritage Park, but I did the 5K walk virtually the following day at the same venue.

The Running to Honor event was organized by Aaron Bartal, a veteran from Lincoln Park, who spent six years in the Army. The inaugural event in 2019 was created to memorialize his comrades lost on his tour in Iraq. Aaron Bartal lost nine fellow soldiers on the battlefield and even more after returning home.

You may be surprised to learn that in the U.S., there are 22 veterans per day that die from suicide or PTSD, some many years after they return from the battlefield. So Aaron Bartal has made it his mission to use the event’s registration fees to raise funds for resources so veterans may get help, plus honor and keep the memory of our fallen soldiers alive, while reminding all of us that freedom is never free.

How I learned about Aaron Bartal’s mission.

You may recall my heartfelt post last Memorial Day about Army Specialist Craig S. Frank, 24, of Lincoln Park, Michigan, who died on July 17, 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq from injuries from a rocket-propelled grenade that struck him from behind. He was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1775th Military Police Company from Pontiac, Michigan and just days from returning home from that tour. He was posthumously promoted to Sergeant on July 21, 2004. There is a Fallen Heroes statue in Sergeant Craig’s honor at Memorial Park. If you want to see the photos of Sergeant Craig and his memorial from my prior post, you can click here.

In 2022, a portion of M-85 (Fort Street), a busy thoroughfare in Lincoln Park, Michigan,was renamed Craig S. Frank Memorial Highway. I read about our Governor signing the highway dedication legislation into law in the local paper and assumed (incorrectly) that our City had sponsored this highway dedication. But after the renaming ceremony I learned funds were raised from Aaron Bartal’s event Running to Honor so I knew I would sign up in 2023 (and I have also registered for the July 27, 2024 event as well).

A morning walk to reflect on the loss of these fallen soldiers.

It was a beautiful Summer morning, albeit hot and humid, when I visited Heritage Park in association with the Running to Honor 5K. That event focused on the number 22. As mentioned above, 22 is the number of service men and women in the U.S. daily who did not perish due to war, but from taking their own lives as a result of their time spent in the service. Yes, you may be as surprised as I was to read this statistic.

I decided that due to the solemnity of this charitable event, I would wend my way through the historical area of Heritage Park, then meander over to the Botanical Gardens which is located on the fringes of the park’s campus. I intended to seek serene scenes, so instead of fun and frivolous shots of turtles plopping off their ramp, a Canada goose giving me a side-eye or a group of Mallards splashing happily under the cascading fountain, I focused on pretty reflections at Coan Lake …

… then took the long way to visit the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to photograph some flowers.

I promised you hearts and flowers.

There was Francesca’s Heart, a sculpture dedicated to Francesca Weatherhead, (nee Vitale), a 25-year-old newlywed who was tragically killed by a parolee who was fleeing police and broadsided her car in 2014. The artist of the sculpture is a friend of the family.

At the Conservatory I found another heart, which you see below and enlarged as the header image.

On that moist morning, there were hot pink petals with dewdrops.

I saw red and white flower combos.

But was there some blue as well for a patriotic theme? Why yes … there were twin contrails high above the Conservatory.

There was even some red-white-and-blue patriotic décor mixed in with those flowers, presumably from the event.

I took these photos to show how the humid air and dew drops shimmered on spider webs in the Knot Gardens.

After my long walk I was ready to get to the car, enjoy the A/C and cool off before driving home.

The race swag was mailed a few weeks before the event. You can see the stats displayed on the back of the finishing medal regarding veteran deaths by day/week/month and year (enlarged in the last photo).

I am including this photo from the Running to Honor Facebook page of some of the fallen heroes honored at the event. The photos and flags were placed here the night before with one honor guard respectfully watching over them through the night. There will be over 100 fallen soldiers and fallen veterans to be honored at the 2024 Running To Honor 5K Run/Walk.

I had 22 photos in this post to honor the 22 military lives lost from suicide/PTSD in a solitary day.

I thought I’d share this quote:

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry from The Little Prince.

I want to mention that today is also my 11th blogging anniversary.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s “Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Pink and/or Red”.

Posted in 5K events, Flowers, nature, walk, walking | Tagged , , , | 65 Comments

Hmm – Who Dunnit?  #Wordless Wednesday  #Cue the “Murder, She Wrote” theme song.

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Linda Schaub
https://youtu.be/Ir5czCiOpsk?si=EiAY-Gn3LdigMtER

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , | 52 Comments

Backyard friends and foes.

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Linda Schaub

In January, the days seem to flow into one another and thus gave me lots of time to ponder. My biggest problem that I wished to resolve over the Winter months was determining what to do with my backyard, once my paradise … my pride and joy. Do I fill it with flowers and welcome back the birds and butterflies, or enjoy them in nature locales?

The backyard back story.

Through the years, fellow bloggers have commiserated with me over my backyard woes. Once an avid gardener, I spent countless hours every weekend creating a picture-perfect nirvana for birds and butterflies. But, in 2008 a new neighbor’s dog, left outside 24/7 and fed table scraps, brought rats. The pest control service said all my bird paraphernalia had to go. I couldn’t bear to see the woeful faces as birds lined up on the chain-link fence wondering why I no longer provided seeds and birdbaths for them. That neighbor eventually moved, so mercifully there were no more rats, but I never resumed feeding/watering the birds, as I didn’t want to tempt fate and encourage any critters that didn’t belong in my backyard, though I’d never had so much as a mouse before.

Then the Polar Vortex in the Winter of 2013-2014 killed off my entire butterfly garden and multiple bushes. I tucked away the butterfly houses and trappings in the garage and decided qué será, será (what will be, will be) – if any plants survived and thrived, so be it. By then, walking and blogging consumed a lot of my free time.

After a downed wire fire that occurred in December 2022 after a branch from the dead tree two houses away burned one-quarter of my backyard and my energy provider hacked up two trees (which had nothing to do with the fire), I had those trees removed last Summer – I know the squirrels and birds were not amused.

Thus my backyard languished in a sorry state and I fully realized my lackadaisical attitude toward it when, to my horror, I discovered the large groundhog burrow at the foundation on September 13th. I hired a pest control service pronto, but one month later we had two ‘possum captures, still no groundhog, so the burrow was filled with soil and pea gravel and I now check daily for “infiltrations” – so far, so good. My neighbor Jeff found three burrows at his foundation and layered mothballs and dirt to deter any future diggings, then decided to tear out every bush at the fence line. He even cut down a beautiful Weeping Mulberry Tree vowing “no more critters will make their home in my yard!” He even cautioned me “if you don’t want critters hiding back there, rip out your remaining bushes, put in grass and be done with it!”

Well, that statement gave me cause to pause about my backyard and whether I should try to recapture the magic of my long-gone paradise?

Fast forward a few months ….

Our Fall foliage peaked later than usual due to a three-week drought in June.

I arrived home from walking on a gorgeous November day and saw the sun lighting up Jeff’s Red Maple tree, the only tree spared from his tree/bush-clearing rampage. I wanted a photo of that tree, aglow in its glory and quickly fished the camera out of my pocket. When I focused on the tree, I saw two suet feeders hanging among those brilliant leaves.

And then I saw a bird or two at the feeders … woo hoo!

I lingered, taking some more photos of the Maple from different angles, then noticed some seed feeders in the yard.

Jeff saw me taking pictures and came out of the house. I said “the tree is gorgeous and I’m surprised to see you put out bird food.” He replied “I love feeding the birds and now that Woody is gone, I thought I’d feed them.”

(Woody was Marge’s beloved dog and he was euthanized last Spring. This is a picture of my late friend/neighbor and Woody.)

I couldn’t help myself and said “but you showed me a photo on your phone of a Mama and baby raccoon in your garbage bin, you know the trap got two ‘possums and a groundhog burrowed at both our homes – you may get more unwanted critters feeding the birds.” He said “no I won’t” so I said “okay … well I’ll contribute to the cause; I loved feeding the birds and stopped when the rats arrived.” He said he bought several large bags of seed, so I went into the house and carried out a brand-new platform feeder and a ten-pound bag of sunflower seeds, part of my stash for my Park critters. I was thinking of all the Jays and Cardinals I’d see, but only the regular seeds were put in the platform feeder.

The next time I went grocery shopping I bought two cases of suet cakes and gave them to Jeff. Yes, I would try out this bird-feeding venture once, but this time with a bit of trepidation and an eye toward opening up MY backyard to birds (and butterflies) once again.

So, let the birding begin!

Or maybe not.

First, I saw a fat black squirrel park its furry bottom in the platform feeder, munching away happily. I watched a few minutes, then thought “this will make a great blog header photo” but, by the time I got the camera ready it jumped off the feeder and ran away. I’ve never seen that squirrel there since. Note to self: get the shot first, be amused later.

The next morning I went out to walk and noticed Jeff had hung a filled suet cake holder on my shepherd’s hook. I had to get a photo since my Burning Bush was at peak color like Jeff’s Maple. (I have two Burning Bushes just a few feet from one another – one always turns red, the other always stays green.)

A few days later I took this photo through the screen door. It looked like the suet made a hit – in fact, Jeff told me this was the second suet cake and the bottom had to be secured with a twist-tie from so much action at the feeder that the original cake fell into the bush..

The Downy Woodpecker saw me open the door, then bolted next door to Jeff’s offerings, clearly miffed by my presence. (“Hey, what’s your issue, I live here Bud!”)

I vowed to have my camera at the ready every time I exited the house going forward.

First, I’d glance toward the platform feeder …

… and all the Sparrows would fly up like I was terrorizing them.

Sparrows seemed to be the most-popular birds bellying up to the platform feeder as you see in this slideshow … the sneaky squirrel cleaned up the remaining seeds on the ground.

I guess I should have tempered my expectations a tad from when I DID have colorful songbirds bopping by the feeders and Birdola seed blocks and happily sipping and splashing in the four birdbaths. “Birding in the backyard” is not how I’d describe this 2023-2024 venture as it has been about as exciting as seeing Hope, the one and only hummingbird that shows up at the two feeders I put out.

So, admittedly feeding the birds had/has been a letdown.

During the bitter cold days of our mid-January Polar Vortex, I saw zero birds. Perhaps they, like the squirrels, stayed tucked in their nests next to their kin?

Plus, from my vantage point, the food sources were frozen solid – that snow/rain then flash freeze caused the suet and birdseed to be covered in snow, then ice and it remained frozen solid for a week. Secretly I hoped Jeff would chisel out a few spots so they could eat – maybe that wasn’t doable?

The yard looked a bit barren and brrrrrr with Jack Frost’s etchings on the garage door window, a frosty backyard thermometer (a bit wonky as it was colder than this temp) and frozen food at the feeders.

The peanut suet balls and sunflower seeds I put into two small feeders …

… both ended up having snow glazed with ice on them.

One frosty morning, since it was too icy to try to walk to the Park, I captured the comings and goings in Jeff’s backyard; yes, it was hardly the “birdie nirvana” I anticipated. Finally, the incessant rain and fog must have made the food more pliable and it rapidly disappeared.

All I’ve really seen are the gazillion Sparrows that perch in my tall Golden Vicary bush (all those brown blobs in the next two photos) …

… and, in a whoosh, take flight every time I head toward the backyard.

There are way too many Starlings to mention; here are a few that flew the coop when they saw me.

I am not discriminating against the Sparrows, nor the Starlings, however, I saw no Cardinals, Blue Jays, Finches or Chickadees. At least there was the one visit from the Downie.

Oh … and there was one Junco munching up high – they are usually ground feeders. I see them at the Park all the time.

The weather wasn’t the only “spoiler” this Winter.

“The Lurker” a/k/a a Cooper’s Hawk came calling. 

One morning I went outside to run the car and heard Blue Jays screeching – not just one.  It was non-stop screeching and, when I glanced up at the trees, I saw a huge Cooper’s Hawk perched on a lower branch glaring at me.  I did a double-take when I saw two brown spots on that speckled chest, but quickly realized it must have been preening and its feathers remained parted. 

This brute was not my idea of backyard birding.

The Jays, still agitated by this predator’s presence, continued to hop noisily from branch to branch in a nearby tree, sounding the warning alarm to other birds.  I wondered if the squirrels were savvy enough to heed those Jays’ warning calls?  Perhaps, as I saw no squirrels around.  I got these few shots of that hawk before it flew to another tree.  Did I spook it?  I don’t know, but having dealt with the demise of the contingent of neighborhood squirrels by a Cooper’s Hawk in 2020, I decided that our backyard buddies are once again vulnerable, just like poor Grady and his friends.

I think I won’t participate anymore after Winter is over, preferring instead to dole out peanuts, seeds, suet balls and suet cakes to my feathered friends at the Park instead, just as I do year-round.  I get more enjoyment from that interaction and I love seeing them swoop down near me to enjoy their treats.

So yes, February IS Feed the Birds Month and I intended to count the expected “backyard birds” as part of my annual participation in “The Great Backyard Bird Count” on February 16th to 19th.  Instead I’ll probably take my abacus and camera down to Council Point Park as I have in the past.

I’m joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Challenge for February 4, 2024 “February is Feed the Birds Month”.

Posted in birds, nature | Tagged , , | 54 Comments

I saw my shadow first! #Wordless Wednesday #But, I hope Phil does NOT see his shadow! BTW, yes I have feet too!

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, walk, walking | Tagged , , | 55 Comments

Life’s a beach (um, sometimes).

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Water in every form has permeated my thoughts during January and I’ll substantiate that statement later in this post.

Meanwhile, on that topic, I figured I’d share my shoreline shots, the third installment of last Fall’s visit to Sterling State Park in Monroe, Michigan. Previously I wrote about the picturesque view along the Sterling Marsh Trail in two different posts – one featured Mute and Trumpeter Swans, the other Great Egrets and each post had a smattering of non-critter photos as well. I plan to return in the Summertime to see how green and serene this venue is.

In the last post, I ended up at the trailhead near where I had parked my car hours before. I merely had to cross the street to head to the beach. Sterling State Park is extremely busy from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so yes I already knew it would be a bit deserted post-camping season. My hunch was right.

Beachy-keen, but a bit desolate.

As I headed toward the water, I could see the sandy beach and horizon of Lake Erie, the fourth largest, shallowest and warmest of the five Great Lakes. It was October, so I knew I wouldn’t be seeing any bathing beauties, nor barefoot walkers toe-dipping in the water. Even the Ring-billed Seagulls realized the Summertime vibes were long gone, as were any crumbs of food and snacks.

So there I was, the only soul at the beach.

These are a few shots at the shoreline, including one lowly shell, looking as lonely as that quiet beach …

When researching some facts about this park, I was surprised to learn there is a Sterling State Park surfing group – the members love the whopper waves here. Who knew surfing was a “thing” in Michigan?

On this day, the waves were crashing and rushing onto the sandy shore, so I backed up and got a few shots …

… as well as these gnarly-looking tree roots.

The entire shoreline of Lake Erie is 871 miles (1,400 km), but the shoreline and beach at this park is only one mile (1.6 km), with one-half mile consisting of all big boulders.

Unfortunately the picturesque shoreline is marred by man.

If you look straight ahead you’ll see the endless horizon, occasionally a Great Lakes freighter, or two, if you are there long enough. 

But, if you swivel your head to the left, (looking south), you can’t help but notice the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant spewing steam and spoiling the view. Fermi 2 runs carbon free and generates power 24/7. In the Winter, the local Audubon Society conducts tours near Fermi 2 because, thanks to non-stop steam funneling out, Bald Eagles gather in the open waters to fish.

Here are several views of Fermi 2.

f you swivel your head to the right (looking west) you see two more “stacks” but those smokestacks, unlike the pair at Fermi 2, are belching smoke, from the coal-burning DTE Energy Power Plant, originally slated for closure in 2040, but now to be decommissioned in 2028 in an effort to cut pollution. There is pollution aplenty in these two pictures.

Either way, the beautiful, natural beauty of this state park is marred by the view of these behemoth huffing-and-puffing plants.

Mother Nature had her way at this park last year.

There were fallen trees along the beach and I wondered why? Was it part of the seven-tornado rampage last August 24th? Yes, Googling around I confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in Frenchtown Township in Monroe County that scary evening.

I decided to return to the narrow trail along the ledge where I had the deer encounter the prior year. On one side is a chain-link fence and the other side are huge boulders and no barrier (gulp).

It was pretty where the sun’s rays made the water sparkle and the waves splashed with great gusto onto the huge boulders. Because there is no barrier, I scurried to the edge before the drop-off, took a few shots, then returned quickly to the narrow trail. It was a bit windy, so if a gust of wind blew me off, it would have been a bumpy ride down those boulders.

I was content to step away from that narrow path – ahh, this was much better – a stable walkway and barriers along this rocky shoreline of Lake Erie.

I began by walking down …

… then along …

… then retraced my route …

… then went back up again.

Finally, I headed to the car, a bit weary from my hours-long meander.

Water, though lovely, was the bane of my existence in January.

Well admittedly, it wasn’t exactly sink or swim …

… but this month in Southeast Michigan was the third rainiest January on record (records date back to 1874) – we have had five inches of rain so far this month and it is “snizzling” as I write this post. Boo hiss to more slick pavement. I am not amused.

Potential frozen water worries kept me fizzed and frazzled.

It was a red-hot January for the U of M Wolverines and the Detroit Lions – our weather not so much. My walking and driving miles were suspended for 14 days, from the 12th to the 26th, due to the horrible weather. The afternoon of Friday, January 12th, we had snow, rain and a flash freeze, leaving treacherous ice everywhere. A Polar Vortex settled in and temps plummeted to wind chills of -20F (-28C) for many days. I spent eight days doing four small loads of laundry daily and monitoring dripping faucets to ensure there were no frozen pipes. Then we had freezing rain that coated an additional icy glaze, followed by two minor snowfalls, three days of non-stop rain, persistent fog and finally 40F (4C) temps melted the entire mess, but then flooding ensued. Mercifully, I had no water woes, but three City drains malfunctioned in an area near Council Point Park and raw sewage came up through basement drains.

Walking took a hit and with non-existent trips to the Park, I should have had some down time, but I seemed to fritter away any leisure time. I was ecstatic to escape the house yesterday to finally get to my favorite nature nook after fretting daily over “my” munchkins. I didn’t take my camera as it was foggy and damp. While I didn’t count noses and beaks, I am sure I was greeted by every squirrel and bird at Council Point Park. I did a little walnut bowling and doled out peanuts and sunflower seeds to them while functioning as the “hall monitor” to keep the Mallards from eating those goodies. Next time I’ll bring corn for those ducks.

Why does it seem there’s always something to do (that isn’t necessarily fun)?

During the era of gardening-is-my-biggest-hobby, I confess I was overjoyed once I put the yard to bed and raked the last leaf after eight months of toiling in the garden/yard. With any luck, no snow would fall for a while. Woo-hoo … time for myself, with leisure time previously winnowed down to hours or minutes because of watering, weeding and other garden chores. This was long before my walking regimen, blogging and a renewed interest in photography began. I was once a voracious reader, both on the bus, my lunchtime at work, at night … now I’m already behind in my 2024 Goodreads Challenge.

January is recognized as hobby month. It’s a good time to cocoon due to wintry temps, snow, gloomy and gray skies, all which help promote some R and R and scheduling something to do for yourself.

“Time” was my word for the year 2024 … it was supposed to reflect my new “retirement” status scheduled to begin January 1, 2024. That original retirement date got extended when my boss asked me to stay until we moved to a new office (our lease was up and not renewed) the end of February. I agreed. Along the way, this past week I told him I decided to “un-retire” before I officially retired. So, here I am, still scrambling a bit and after the move I’ll only be working four days a week, which pleases me since my principal reason for retiring was to have more leisure time to pursue other hobbies.

I sure hope I find something to do that’s fun in February!

I’m joining Terry Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Challenge for January 28, 2024: “Something to Do,” a nod to January’s National Hobby Month.

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For those who missed Sunday’s post …

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Linda Schaub
Marshmallow pies and berry-blue skies.

… for some reason that post did not show up in Reader. Sigh. I contacted the WP Happiness Engineers and Janrick followed me to see if my Wordless Wednesday post went to Reader today or if we had a technical problem. It did. So this is my previous post – only my subscribers received it. – Linda

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