Marshmallow pies and berry-blue skies.

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Linda Schaub

How many shades of blue are in this photo? I counted five with four different shades in the sky alone. I am reminded of the lyrics to “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin.

“Blue skies smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see.”

The sun has emerged sparingly this month in the Great Lakes State as brutally cold Arctic air enveloped most of the U.S. “Ineffective sunshine” is what the meteorologists call it. I know that just a hint of the sun’s rays can put a little pep in my step, but any steps for me have been sparse since January 12th. I intended to make my way to the Park today to feed my furry and feathered friends, but it was still bitter cold, they never plow the path there and we had snow, rain, a flash freeze and two more bouts of minimal snowfalls. Sigh. I decided not to take any chances. We are in the 40s mid-week, so then I will venture forth.

This long walk was taken on October 8th and is a companion to a post where I wrote about the drab brown marshland of Sterling State Park. I told you how the marsh was nondescript but for the bevy of beautiful Mute Swans, several Great Blue Heron and elegant Great Egrets that graced it on that day. It was not until I looked at my photos many weeks later that I realized I had taken shots of Trumpeter Swans, a species long-coveted on my Birdie Bucket List. Click here for that post in case you missed it.

The Sterling Marsh Trail encircles the large lagoon at Sterling State Park. The actual trail is 3.6 miles (5.8 kilometers). While on the Sterling Marsh Trail that day I took a ton of photos, so many it took an afternoon to go through them. This is the second of what will be three posts – the next post will focus on the Lake Erie shoreline which was just across the street from where I parked the car.

During the pendency of this three-hour marsh meander, the skies went from aquamarine to berry-blue and, at the end of my long excursion, the last picture I snapped was the header image, mostly for that contrail that sliced through the multi-hued sky. I thought the clouds looked like marshmallows!

I began this excursion at the trailhead, near where I parked my car.

There is signage everywhere, to ensure you don’t miss anything the woodsy area of this 1,300-acre state park has to offer. 

The light blue signage caught my eye.

This sign made me veer to the left …

… where a solitary angler sat fishing on the pier.

I neared the bridge, but not before pausing to take note (and a photo) of this sign and momentarily remembering the 60s song “Ode to Billie Joe” about the fate of Billie Joe McAllister. Have a listen here if you have never heard this song.

The trees and bushes had erupted into vibrant shades of red on one side of the bridge.

It was a beautiful Fall day and I encountered several people along the way, like this woman with her dog …

… and this guy with his long lens trained on a eagle’s nest. He must have sensed my presence as he turned around and said “I just saw an eagle taking a stick to its nest.” So I was excited for this potential photo op, but alas, the eagle never exited the nest again.

You may recall I wrote about the uneven pavement on this asphalt trail. I had encountered a lot of raised areas, that were difficult to see due to the leaves and finally I stepped off the trail onto the grass for a break from it, then walked toward the water as I saw a lot of white birds. There were swans and egrets.

Elegant Egrets.

I know Great Egrets are often the subject of my excursions to Lake Erie Metropark, but here in this marshy area were all the Great Egrets I would see that day. So they were evidently having a gathering of the clan.

These were my favorite egret pictures from that day.

I’d like to include a special treat for all the birders out there. Fellow blogger JP commented on the previous Sterling State Park post by sending me a link to a historical film about the sad practice by poachers of killing Snowy Egrets to strip them of their plumes. In the early 1900s, it was popular in that era for fashionable, wealthy women to don hats adorned with the Snowy Egret plumes, which caused thousands of these beautiful birds to be killed for just a few of their decorative feathers. The plumes, ounce for ounce, were worth more than gold. Also in this film you will see President Theodore Roosevelt, often referred to as the father of conservation in this country. He spearheaded the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, a law making it a federal crime to kill non-game birds or to collect bird parts, including feathers.

You will see “Teddy” Roosevelt relaxing on a beach and watching the birds enjoy their freedom. You can view the film by clicking here.

Thank you JP – I enjoyed the film, as will the birders/nature lovers who follow this blog.

I decided to give my shutter-happy self and the camera a rest by returning to the trail where I saw a few informational signs about the marsh waterfowl, including mention of poaching of heron and egret plumes and the Migratory Bird Act of 1918 as mentioned above.

There was also this sign about bird migration at Sterling State Park. I like the “bird watching” aspect as opposed to the “hunting” aspect. In the Fall, I can hear hunters at Point Mouillee when I am at Lake Erie Metropark and hunters are permitted to go onto the Humbug Marsh shoreline. Well, that is unfortunate.

Continuing on this lengthy excursion ….

… while stepping carefully because of the dips, cracks and bumps on the asphalt path and there was even a sign to warn walkers about them. Hmm.

This pathway is bumpy – if you look closely you can see it. It looks like a carpet that wasn’t laid properly.

Likewise, there were “hills and valleys” on this pathway – on a highway maybe, but on a walking path it was not so great.

Ruts and uneven pavement kept me looking down more than around most of the time.

There were dabs of bright red along this trail.

There was this information sign about marsh mammals. I would have liked to see a deer, but I would pass on the raccoon, skunk, weasel and wolf. It didn’t matter as I saw no furry critters, not even a squirrel.

The blue signage at the trailhead told of a wooden overlook and an observation deck, but there were no signs along the Sterling Marsh Trail to point me in the direction of them, so I just kept walking. I found that overlook which was okay, nothing to see but the dried-up lotus leaves and the observation tower, while interesting and would give me a bird’s eye view of the park, I passed on climbing it. I’m not even sure my younger, more-adventurous self would have climbed it, although I did stand at the base of it and took a shot looking up. I do concede it had railings, but it was still a hard pass.

I finally exited the trail and then crossed the street to walk along the shoreline and that will be the subject of another post.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Aquamarine.

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Some like snow/ice and frigid temps …. #Wordless Wednesday #Michigan identifies as Wisconsin!

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , | 41 Comments

Strolling for dollars …

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Linda Schaub

This trek was taken June 3, 2023 at picturesque Heritage Park, the site of the 14th Annual Happy Soles 5k. Although the actual 5k event was held the following day, since there was an option to do the event virtually, I was there the day before. This would be my sixth Happy Soles 5k. In 2018 and 2019 I participated in person and for those years participants were runners or walkers only. But, along came COVID and, even though the event kept the moniker “Happy Soles” it also allowed bicyclists to do their miles on two wheels rather than two feet and rowers to row the equivalent of 5 kilometers/3.2 miles.

The Happy Soles 5k is such a worthwhile endeavor – it raises funds for the local/Downriver Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry to help stock shelves with nutritious foods for families facing food insecurity. I registered this week for the June 2, 2024 Happy Soles 5k event.

And … I was off, raring to go, albeit in a foot race with myself …

… oh, okay and this fine feathered guy or gal, putting their best foot forward.

I did not follow the same route as the certified “fast and flat course” event, which begins and ends at the Sheridan Pavilion, goes through a residential neighborhood, then around the baseball field, home of the Junior League World Series, then through the historical area and around Coan Lake. That’s all good, but a bit boring.

So instead, like before, I opted to amble around the historical area surrounding Coan Lake, with its many Mallards and Canada Geese, then I made the long trek over to the Botanical Gardens. Because it was still Spring, the Gardens were not at their full beauty, but it made for a delightful stroll and I ended up with more than the 3.2 miles/5 kilometers, plus it’s more picturesque.

It was a beautiful day when I visited, as was the following day, the actual event.

The charm of Coan Lake.

I don’t have to pack any peanuts when visiting this venue as the squirrels here don’t beg or even come near you. But on a warm day, you’re sure to find a few turtles sunbathing.

There’s also Barn Swallows flitting about grabbing insects to feed themselves or their chicks, or industriously building nests in the rafters of the covered bridge.

Coan Lake is stocked with fish for catch-and-release fishing for kids and adults.

The Great Blue Herons pretend not to read the sign, so they are often poised at the seawall, grabbing up some grub. On that day Coan Lake was devoid of Herons, Cormorants and Ring-billed Seagulls, but there were lots of the usual feathered friends.

There was a fisherman who took the time to snap a pic of his catch-of-the-day before he grudgingly had to toss that Bass back.

It was still Spring, so there were babies!

Okay, admittedly they were BIG babies and while I know you can’t resist seeing those sweet and fluffy goslings, those little nippers do grow up pretty quickly. Here are some goslings in different stages of growth. I couldn’t help but wonder if these were any of the sweet chicks I saw here earlier in the Spring.

These almost adult-sized goslings were on the move – why?

It was because this gentleman was eating Cheez-it crackers and Mama Goose and her goslings wandered over – he tossed these two a few tidbits. Uh-oh, big mistake as they soon clamored for more.

This family of geese lined up along the water’s edge pondering “to plunge or not to plunge?”

They did hop off eventually, each with a big splash, so I was happy I was clear across the pond when they sprayed water everywhere.

There was a Mama Mallard.

At first I didn’t see her ducklings as they shyly hid behind Mama and this piece of driftwood. These were also big babies, because I’ve been here at Heritage Park in June and was lucky to see tiny ducklings, yellow and dark-brown, striped balls of fluff. These ducklings still had some downy fuzz, but were almost as big as their Mama.

And, while we are discussing baby birdies, just like in past years, an enterprising Mama Sparrow made a nest in one of the pole lights around the Park. What a concept – lining the lamp with cozy nest materials, incubating the eggs and raising your young, without worries about inclement weather. I am curious why the lamp glass is left open like that – this is not the only instance.

This House Sparrow was watching the goings-on at the light. Was it Dad? Maybe a bird deciding they would stake their claim in the Spring of 2024?

The Sparrow grew weary of the food delivery service and moved on to ponder life near the covered bridge.

No trip to Heritage Park would be complete without the turtles.

The turtles are a fixture at Heritage Park. People like them and stop and take pictures as they lounge on their personal ramp or sunbathe on the warm rocks. A word to the wise: don’t even think about a selfie with the turtles because you can only get so close to them before they freak out and plop into the water. I took this photo from under the covered bridge, where I guess I remained invisible.

There were feathers in the water … lots of feathers and it wasn’t even molting time for our feathered friends.

After taking a lot of photos at Coan Lake, I walked through the historical area. The old Grist Mill brightens up the perimeter of Coan Lake.

The Little Red Schoolhouse.

The Little Red Schoolhouse is my favorite building at this park. This is an actual one-room schoolhouse, originally constructed in 1882 as a catechism room for St. John’s Lutheran Church and purchased and moved to Heritage Park in 1989 and restored, then displayed here since 1992. A Magnolia bush was in the “schoolyard”.

Once a year the Taylor Historical Society has an open house to go and tour the Schoolhouse and the Log Cabin and I’d like to do that someday. Once I was curious about what the classroom looked like, so I walked around trying to take photos and not have myself reflected in the glass panes, especially on a sunny day. On the other side of the schoolhouse were two windows.

As I peered through a window on the left side, a shy young girl looked out at me.

And, as I peered through a window on the right side, there was a young man standing next to some books and seemingly waiving “hello” to me.

The historical Log Cabin house.

As mentioned above, the other historical building is the old Log Cabin house. There is a sign that informs you it is the City of Taylor’s oldest existing home, having been constructed around 1850. It was moved to Heritage Park in 1986 and is used today for various school and civic organization meetings. The back of the Log Cabin house is rather nondescript.

Yes, because I am nosy, I had to peer through each curtained window, though it is dark inside. 

The Taylor Historical Society has a skeleton named “Skelly” which they often pose at one of the windows of the Log Cabin for the Halloween event at Heritage Park.

Continuing on my amble around the historical area …

Here’s another shot of the Grist Mill with its darkened windows – I’m tall but not that tall to look through those windows …

The historical West Mound Church’s beautiful stained windows were still covered up, the result of a massive fire which nearly gutted the structure in November 2020. Renovations were extensive and the Church just re-opened in August 2023.

Outside the church was this wishing well.

Having meandered around the most-picturesque park areas, including the covered bridge …

… it was time to bulk up my mileage, so I took the long way to the Botanical Gardens which are located near the Petting Farm, both on the fringe of the Heritage Park campus.

The growing season was young, so the flowers were minimal but still pretty.

The potted plants looked cheery – no butterflies or hummingbirds were around though.

A photo of the event swag is the header image of this post. Participants are invited to send in a “tagline” for the tee-shirt. My tagline was: “WE STRIDE, RIDE & GLIDE TO OVERRIDE HUNGER!” I didn’t win; as you can see, the swag tagline for 2023 was “Run & Roll Over Hunger”. Participants have until May 1st to submit a 2024 tagline entry. I’m thinking of “Strolling and Rolling for Dollars”.

All in a day’s stroll for a worthy cause. Ellen Pfafflin, Fish & Loaves Board member and event organizer advised that the 165 participants who either ran/walked/rowed or biked “helped Fish and Loaves Community Food Pantry purchase enough food to distribute over 2.2 million pounds of food to 21,634 households.”

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Challenge for January 14, 2024: “Through a Window”.

P.S. – All the photos in this post were taken on my June 3, 2023 walk with the exception of the close-up photos of the kids at the Little Red Schoolhouse and the curtained windows at the Log Cabin House which were from a prior Fish & Loaves 5k event and I have included these shots for Terri’s Challenge.

Posted in 5K events, nature, walk, walking | Tagged , , , , , | 66 Comments

Are these aDOORable or fun and funky door handles?? #Wordless Wednesday

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, walk, walking | Tagged , , , | 48 Comments

Wandering the Wyandotte Waterfront.

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Linda Schaub

Some of you have remarked in the past how lucky I am to live near so many big parks and/or riverfront venues. I do feel lucky about that fact and, if you didn’t know, Michigan’s state motto (Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice) translated from Latin means “if you seek a pleasant peninsula look around you.” This is because Michigan enjoys being number one as to total area occupied by water, boasting 41.5%. Michigan has more than 64,980 inland lakes and ponds and is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake St. Clair. The tourism bureau touts “no Michigander is more than six miles from a body of water in Michigan or 85 miles from a Great Lake.”

There is always something happening in this city, from festivals at the River, fireworks, the annual street fair and, on New Year’s Eve they had “Wyandotte Rockin’ NYE” which was a free outdoor event in the town square, with a ball drop for kids at 9:00 p.m. and another at midnight and multiple bands all evening.

In the Summertime, there has always been outdoor seating at the many eateries, even pre-COVID, with flowers brimming over hanging bags, baskets or whiskey barrels.

Summertime Vibes.

So, several times each Summer I take a stroll on Wyandotte’s waterfront along the Detroit River and through the heart of the City along Biddle Avenue.

Before I go, I ensure it is not a special event day or it’s not “fishfly time”. While fishflies aren’t scary like creepy crawlies, I’d just as soon not return to my car with their flimsy bodies clinging to my clothes, like this guy or gal that landed on my shirtsleeve a few years ago. Eww.

So, on this warmish August morning, under gray and gloomy skies, I made that five-mile-drive to the Riverfront, camera in tow, to stalk and photograph the seagulls and see if I could catch up with Joanne.

Long-time followers will recall a few past posts about Joanne, a Boardwalk stroller in her 90s, who uses a rolling walker to travel daily from Bishop Co-op, a nearby senior citizen apartment building, to Bishop Park. There she makes multiple trips along the water’s edge before returning to her home base, but not before waving “hi” or stopping to chitchat with all the anglers and fellow strollers.

When I first met Joanne on a cold November day in 2020, she had just celebrated her 90th birthday. She is a bundle of energy and every time I walk alongside her, it’s difficult to carry on a conversation as she literally “works the crowd” happily chattin’ it up with her contingent of fans. This is the last time I wrote about her in case you missed it.

Joanne, like me, enjoys the Boardwalk stroll with its breezes off the Detroit River. We both remarked about the weather and a predicted storm later that day, caught up with each other’s lives and I asked if I could take some photos for my blog. It’s hard to believe she is 93, going on 94. 

This shot of the Boardwalk is just a small portion of her daily stroll.

After Joanne headed back home, I looked around to see what else might catch my eye for a potential post.

The anglers are usually lined up along the Boardwalk, but today they were only on the pier that juts out into the Detroit River, or in their boats, all hoping for their catch of the day. Seagulls were swooping, similarly hoping for a bite, while eying each angler to watch for any small fish getting tossed back into the River, or perhaps an unattended bite of donut or breakfast biscuit. The gulls’ incessant screeching would make you believe you are at the beach, not in the middle of a hoppin’ city and residential neighborhood.

Sweet seat sentiments.

I wandered off the Boardwalk and over to the collection of memorial park benches scattered around Bishop Park. Camera in hand, I twice roused a snoozing squirrel …

… and was hoping those benches were not too marred by seagull poop to take photos of them.

Some inscriptions are fun remembrances or tributes to loved ones, while others serve as memorials to the dearly departed. The rest of the benches are in this slideshow.

I continued on my little jaunt through the heart of downtown Wyandotte.

It was a work day, so I had to keep moving. It’s fun to window shop at the collection of different stores along Biddle Avenue. I always peek in the windows of the artsy shops or many casual dining places that line the Avenue – sometimes there is something fun that catches my eye, like this flamingo door wreath.

I even got some photos of a few doors with unusual-looking handles which I’ll spotlight in this week’s Wordless Wednesday, then maybe repurpose them for Thursday Doors.

I especially liked the flowers near the vintage truck at “Whiskeys on the Water” eatery …

… and these beautiful flowers in the outdoor seating areas along Biddle Avenue.

Summer vibes.

Soon I had walked one more mile and arrived at BASF Waterfront Park, another riverfront venue tucked along busy Biddle Avenue and the Detroit River.

I walked through the Memorial Garden toward the River.

It was long past gosling time so I was sure there would be no photo ops. Too bad as the sun was finally filtering through the clouds. In the past, during May or June, I’ve gotten some fun shots of geese and their goslings around the Yacht Club or pavilion area. Apparently the goslings were grown up and at other riverside venues on this morning, or annoying the golfers at Wyandotte Shores Golf Course.

But I noticed the Yacht Club was a hubbub of activity, so I went over to see why so many people were milling about. There are often regattas, or races, on the River, but those are on weekends. Your Roving Reporter said: “Must. Investigate. This!”

The Wyandotte Boat club has been around since 1875 and is the largest rowing facility in the Midwest, with some 600 members.

I arrived just in time to see several rowing boats, a/k/a shells, being moved by a group of rowers. I recalled the proverb about how “many hands make light work” as the shells were flipped over and moved effortlessly.

You can see the process below and see a close-up of the shell.

There were already some shells, moving swiftly through the water – for rowers using two oars, it is called sculling. A lookout or spotter in his/her boat always hovers nearby with a megaphone and life vests. It was still a bit hazy so the photos aren’t clear.

Meanwhile, back on shore, here is the dock from where the rowers depart …

… and here on this platform, I wondered if their shoes and socks weighed THAT MUCH that the rowers would have left them behind? After all they didn’t wear life vests either. There is no swimming allowed.

Good thing the geese weren’t there – they like hanging out or sleeping on the platform where the shells set off, just soaking up the Summer sun. They’d probably flip the shoes in the water just to be ornery.

A glance at my watch told me I should be heading back to the car at Bishop Park as I intended to make a fast pit stop at Council Point Park to get in a lap and feed my furry and feathered friends.

I am not participating in Terri’s Challenge this week – it is week two of “Your 2023 Year-in-Review” and I crammed everything into last week’s post.

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Ouch! Road trip with Parker and pals (plus a bucket) on my 2024 agenda. #Wordless Wednesday #Black Walnut Tree at Fair Lane Estate

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

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

Head tilt. #Wordless Wednesday 

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, Uncategorized, walk, walking | Tagged , , , , , | 45 Comments

Mallard musings and revisiting my 2023.

Posted on December 31, 2023 by Linda Schaub

It was “Ladies Night Out” for Mallory and Mandy. They were getting ready for the Annual Mallard Mingle.

Mallory was a natural beauty and only needed a quick preen to look presentable …

… so she was gobsmacked watching her bestie’s beauty ritual in advance of this New Year’s Eve party. She rolled her eyes and thought “all this primping just for a peck on the bill from a handsome Drake at midnight? – Pfft!”

Mallory was only interested in chillin’ with a glass of Cold Duck. Growing impatient, she began tapping one webbed foot, giving a side-eye glance toward Mandy.

Mallory finally voiced her aggravation with her friend … “really Mandy, I don’t know about you girl!” and, with a tilt of her head, suggested her pal get a move on. Mandy replied “quit your wisequacks – just a few more minutes!”

But then Mandy stopped in mid-preen – she knew her friend wasn’t fooling and she’d leave without her.

She finally emerged, looking ducky, her feathers glistening from the swampy duckweed. Soon the ladies paddled across the lagoon to the Mallard Mingle.

And now, let’s delve into my personal musings, shall we?

Whew – first and foremost, I met my 2023 walking goal!!

Wanderlust was a joy as usual, but admittedly, with way fewer extra miles at year end. Thankfully, I did meet my goal of 1,257 miles/2,023 km, thanks in part to record-setting warm temps in November and December. Here in the Metro Detroit area we enjoyed the 3rd warmest and 2nd least-snowiest December on record.

But, throughout this year it seemed like there was a litany of endless errands and/or contractor appointments to deal with. I always try to bulk up my miles by mid-November when the snow starts to fly, or pesky freezing rain occurs, both unfavorable conditions for walking. Lucky for me our El Niño weather pattern was in my favor as snow was almost non-existent (just .01 inch/0.254 cm in December), but we’ve been plagued by morning fog or drizzly conditions throughout this holiday season. We may get snow tonight – poor timing Mother Nature, (even though I am staying in).

So onward and upward in 2024 – I will add just one more mile to my present goal, so 1,258 miles/2,024 kilometers for 2024.

And, no snickering please – I drove more miles this year – well yay me! All those 30-mile roundtrips to Lake Erie Metropark equaled 1,435 miles driven in 2024. (Ruth and JP are laughing at this total, but when I first began my walking regimen, not only did I strive to reach a walking goal, but also I ensured I walked more miles than I drove). Hey, there is always room for improvement.

I did not fare as well with my Goodreads goal in 2023.

What was I thinking? Reading 25 books in one year, when on average I read six books per year, usually accomplishing a book only on each long holiday weekend? I reconfigured my Goodreads goal to a more manageable 15 books, but in the end, I finished only a dozen books, most read in the first half of the year, including after we had an ice storm the evening of February 22nd and I lost internet for three days. Since I couldn’t work, reading was a great option.

I plan to do better in 2024!

I had an unintentional milestone; this is my 1,900th blog post!

I marked a milestone of one decade of blogging back on February 11th. When I got to the last quarter of 2023, I glanced at the Posts section of my blog and realized I’d likely reach 1,900 posts by year end, so, although an unplanned goal – today’s post will be the 1,900th blog post to date.

In 2023 I marked a 50th-year anniversary for many significant events.

It simply did not seem like it was 50 years since I traveled on my first solo trip, graduated from high school, got my first car, started my first real job waitressing at a diner and began college. I reflected on those vintage memories here in case you missed it.

This year-end post will recount some critter encounters.

If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you know I have taken a ton of critter photos this year and there are still more 2023 walks I’ve not yet blogged about. After each long excursion, I do a draft narrative the same day of what I saw or did since I often don’t sort through my photos for weeks or even months. The exception is if I photograph something extraordinary (for me) and I’m dying to see how the photos turned out.

So, suffice it to say my computer files are brimming with stories and critter photos yet to be shared. I also have some fun Wordless Wednesday photos to share that are non-nature related; I hope you enjoy them.

I got a few “wants” from my “2023 Birdie Bucket List”.

In my morning meanders, I was lucky to fulfill two bird “wants” from my “2023 Birdie Bucket List”.

I saw my first Trumpeter Swans at Sterling State Park …

… and my first Wood Ducks at Lake Erie Metropark (although I am greedy and would like to see a male Wood Duck with its fantastic plumage).

And then there were a few unexpected critter “firsts”.

Like this Raccoon at Council Point Park …

… and a Red Fox at Lake Erie Metropark.

Plus, I had a new “bird find” that I wasn’t even looking for … this Pied-billed Grebe.

In perusing my 2023 photos to make a slideshow, I realized it was a pretty good year and I hope it will be better in 2024. There were many construction woes keeping me from venturing to other parks and places I originally had on my 2023 agenda.

My “2024 Birdie Bucket List” is considerably shorter. Still looking for those elusive owls. Sigh.

Here is a slideshow of my favorite 2023 pics. Most were taken at Lake Erie Metropark or Council Point Park.

‘Tis the season for well wishes, so please click here for mine.

Did you know 2023 ends on an epic note, with this once-in-a-century date? It is: 123123!

Thanks a bunch if you’re still here at the end of this long and picture-laden post.

I am joining Terri Webster Schrandt’s Sunday Stills Challenge for December 31st and January 7th: Your 2023 Year-in-Review!

Happy New Year!

Posted in nature, walk, walking, Year-end Recap, | Tagged , , , , | 73 Comments

Looking ahead as 2024 creeps closer. #Wordless Wednesday #Sandhill Cranes

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged , , , , | 48 Comments

Nutcracker Sweet.

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Linda Schaub

Oh boy, I know what you’re thinking … “Linda made a spelling boo-boo because she was sipping spiked eggnog before sitting down to write this post.” Nope, I purposely spelled the title of this post incorrectly.

Do you care to take a guess why?

No worries – the real reason will be revealed as you read on.

The original idea for today’s post was borne last Winter when I went to the Park on a cold and snowy day, laden with mixed nuts in the shell as a special treat for my furry friends since I’d been absent almost a week due to bad weather.

As they munched and crunched away, I instantly knew the title and narrative and what photos I would need to make this holiday post happen.

I knew I would tell you that although I’ve never seen The Nutcracker Ballet, I did visit a Moscow Ballet Company show in 1983. Moscow and Leningrad were on the itinerary for a three-week trip taken to four Scandinavian countries with a week’s stay in Russia. Our group members were given a choice of seeing the Moscow Circus or the Moscow Ballet. With either choice we would be escorted by a Russian-English-speaking guide, so there would be no language barrier issues. At that time the Moscow Circus was world-renowned, particularly for its dancing-and-bicycle-riding bears and death-defying tricks on the trapeze. Everyone in our tour group opted for the Circus, but a last-minute problem with a broken bridge to get to and from our hotel, made it necessary to see the Moscow Ballet instead.

Also, in conjunction with this ballet-themed post, I intended to tell you that later that same year, perhaps inspired by those Russian ballerinas, I took ballet lessons for a year or so. Every Wednesday night I’d pull my long hair into a bun, don a black leotard and tights and step into my pointe shoes to do barre work at Bertha Ray’s studio.

Hmm – I was adventurous in a different way in those days.

In the end I included the recap about my ballet encounters forty years ago, but then a walk at Council Point Park last Thursday caused my original idea to veer off-course.

I mentioned earlier this year that 2023 marked a decade of walking at Council Point Park. It was serendipity that on April 26, 2013 I wandered over to this small nature nook along the Ecorse Creek located smack dab in the middle of our City.

Thus began a decade of visiting this venue, instead of pounding the pavement in the ‘hood, the roots of my walking regiment. I believe it would have been difficult to sustain my blog based on neighborhood walks alone.

Along the beaten path, there was holiday joy.

At the Park last week, a festive Christmas wreath at one of the memorial trees caught my eye. You may remember I did a post showing this same tree was decorated with an Easter wreath and colorful plastic eggs hung from every branch.

So I stepped off the path to take a closer look at the wreath and soon pulled the camera out of its case and began clicking away.

I especially liked the Nutcracker ornament which I decided would be fun to use as this post’s header image instead of a stock photo from Pixabay. How cute are these old-fashioned toys, snowman and Christmas village ornaments embedded into the greenery?

Instantly this wreath infused some much-needed Christmas spirit into my morning.

Now will the REAL NUTCRACKER please stand up and take a bow?

You all know my affinity for squirrels and, if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that one squirrel in particular, Parker, has my heart.

Parker, my favorite nut-noshing pal, first became a part of my morning meanderings about seven or eight years ago when I tossed this cute Fox squirrel a few peanuts on the walking path – he lingered, seemingly content to munch the nuts in my presence instead of scampering away to eat them. Later that morning when I was ready to leave the Park, a Fox squirrel was sitting next to the car on the driver’s side. Well, I had a dilemma as I had no more peanuts left to give him and the little bugger refused to budge. I was afraid to back up to pull away in case I ran over him, so I had to wait until someone came to the Park to ask them to distract him so I could leave. As a result of that episode, I vowed to never run out of peanuts after the last leg of my walk and hold some aside. I named this little fellow “Parker” (likely not the most original or cutest name, but he was a “Park” squirrel, “parked” next to my car in a “parking lot”). He does respond to his name, probably because he figures “if she thinks I am attentive when she calls my name, I’ll get more treats.” Of course he is spot-on about that. I do patronize this precocious little squirrel who has provided much whimsy and blog fodder through the years.

As I wend my way along the perimeter path, no matter the season …

… Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, all I have to do is show up and Parker is always there to greet me and beg for peanuts.

It’s such a small gesture on my part to reward him with a treat, much like you do with a pet. For me, who has no pets, I have essentially adopted him and the other squirrels (plus the birds) and they all are an important part of my walking regimen.

Now as “The Peanut Lady” (not “Santa Paws”), I take a lot of photos of my favorite munchkin – here are some through the years. While I would have liked to dispense mixed nuts in the snow for some ambiance for this holiday post, we had no snow, so I dug into my photo archives and rounded up some photos in various slideshows of Parker from all the seasons at the Park.

Let’s start with a short slideshow of our current season, Winter.

Whether I’m wearing boots or shoes, Parker circles around me, then sniffs or stomps my footwear to indicate he is ready for treats. :)

Parker likes to pose in the leaves in the Fall, popping up to ensure I see he is there as it is “nut-burying time”.

Even with his chunky physique in the colder weather, he scales a tree at the speed of sound when he spies or smells peanuts.

Without a shadow of a doubt he is a special munchkin.

Season’s Eatings!

I passed out mixed nuts to my furry pals last weekend. And yes, I painstakingly shelled a few walnuts just for Parker.

They were happily received by Parker and his pals.

Terri has no Blog Challenges this week, so I am concluding this post with best wishes from me with a Christmas card, which is the real deal … Tchaikovsky’s The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker Suite. Just click here for the card – Merry Christmas!

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