WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Beauty and grace still exist in our sometimes-upside-down world.

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Linda Schaub

Ever since I was a little nipper, I have been fascinated by swans.

Was I captivated by their majestic beauty in the images found in my fairy tale books?

Or was it because when we still lived in Toronto, my parents often bundled me up, plunked me into my stroller …

… and off we went to visit Toronto’s High Park. I thought the swans were the prettiest of the waterfowl at High Park – sure there were geese and ducks along the shorelines too, but in my mind – swans ruled!

After all, what’s not to like about that graceful, curved neck, black “mask” around the snowy-white face and bright-orange bill? Many a prize-winning photographer has captured images of two swans, their bills touching and necks arched in the shape of a heart. This hobby photographer has not captured such a beautiful photo … yet.

That early fascination with swans (and geese and ducks too) never waned and here I am, almost seven decades later, still appreciating and photographing these beauties.

Part of my Labor Day weekend 2025 was spent going through my old albums to digitize some photos and scrapbook items not included in my four-day scanning marathon over Thanksgiving weekend 2017.

As I flipped through, paused and reflected on the items on those pages, I gleaned many images I had deemed necessary for future “Stir the Memory Pot” posts and happily, I also located my Mute Swan photos taken many years ago.

Mute Swans at Hidden Lake Gardens circa June 1983.

In 1983, my grandmother spent most of the Summer at our house. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you already know that Nanny loved her flowers, whether she grew them, or just admired them, so my parents thought she might enjoy a Sunday drive and stop at Hidden Lake Gardens, a botanical garden and arboretum in Michigan’s Irish Hills.

**Visitor Center & Conservatory, Hidden Lake Gardens (1983)**

The day before we visited that venue, I had returned from a three-week vacation in four Scandinavian countries and Russia. I had not used up the last roll of film, so I toted my 35mm camera along to finish off the roll.

Of course, there were the usual poses by family members in and around Hidden Lake Gardens and a Mute Swan family captured my attention that day.

**Mute Swan, Hidden Lake Gardens (1983)**

**Mute Swan and Cygnets, Hidden Lake Gardens (1983)**

Flash forward 42 years ….

I have seen plenty of Mute Swan pairs, some with their cygnets in tow, since that Summer day back in ’83 and my joy was renewed as I followed a swan family and watched the cygnets growing in leaps and bounds throughout the Summer/early Fall of 2025.

In retrospect, had I ventured to Lake Erie Metropark more times than I did this past Summer, I may have been able to document the cygnets’ growth spurts in less-dramatic fashion, but, over the course of five visits, they went from tiny fluffballs struggling to keep up with their parents, to sleek-looking cygnets mimicking their parents’ graceful demeanor.

In September and October, they had positioned themselves in the same location where I’d found them previously, but unfortunately, even though the cygnets were almost full grown, the reeds had grown so high and thick, all I could glimpse was white images interspersed with green.

While standing at the edge of the marsh, hoping the family would move on and nibble some reeds elsewhere, a woman came over near me and we chatted about this Mute Swan family. It turned out that Vicky was similarly monitoring the family, only on an everyday basis, as she lives near the park and walks here daily. Just as I observed, they always stayed in that area of the marsh.

Together we marveled at the beauty and grace of the young cygnets that mimicked their parents in how they dipped their heads to sip water, nibbled on reeds and even turned upside down to explore and find more reeds beneath the surface of the water.

After Vicky left, I stayed a short time for a photo op, but, whether the Mute Swan family was merely camera shy or content to remain in the shelter of this little island and tall reeds, they did not budge, so I have no pictures from the last two sightings, but I have some to share from previous meanders.

My first cygnets sighting was on June 1^st.

I first saw the family when the cygnets were still fluffy young’uns wedged in between their parents.

My second cygnets sighting was on July 21st.

Due to the heat, humidity, rain/storms in July, not to mention occasional wildfire smoke, I did not visit Lake Erie Metropark from June 1^st until July 21st, but, when I returned, I headed straight for the North Shore Fishing Bridge to look for the Sandhill Crane pair (MIA since Spring and Vicky concurred with that observation).

On a tiny “island” of marsh nesting materials and nestled in the tall reeds, clear across the marsh, I saw the swan family, clustered around Mama, with Papa “patrolling” nearby.

Even from afar, it is easy to distinguish between the male and female Mute Swan by the predominant black knob at the base of the bill; it is not as predominant in the female. Notice Mama and Papa switched places for this photo!

I liked this photo the best of the bunch that day.

My third cygnets sighting was on August 28^th.

My, how those babies had grown!

Lucky for me, the cygnets strayed from Mama and Papa’s watchful eyes, so I got this shot.

I finally got a clear shot of the nest as some of the reeds were gone. The cygnets were nearly full-size and it looks like Mama was enjoying a little “me time”. 🙂

I returned to Lake Erie Metropark again on September 8th, but as stated previously, no cygnet pics were taken.

On my last visit, October 3rd, it was still shorts and shirt-sleeves weather. There was NO swan song as to our Summer-like temps! This time I only saw one swan in the usual hangout and I think it was Mama basking in the sun and enjoying some more “me time” but there were some other sights to see and photograph – you will see them in next week’s post.

Will I see the family this Fall or Winter? I hope so, because, unlike the Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swans that only spend a portion of the year here in Michigan, the Mute Swans stay year-around.

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I am joining Terri’s Monthly Color Challenge for October: Black and/ or black and white.

Posted in #Monthly Color Challenge, birds, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge, birds, Mute Swans, nature, walk, walking | 46 Comments

Confucius say: “Man who sit on bench while wearing shorts get splinter in bum!” #Wordless Wednesday #Confucius REALLY said: “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday | Tagged #Wordless Wednesday, Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Wise words | 41 Comments

“Adulting” ain’t easy sometimes!

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Linda Schaub

Ya, some days life is just ducky …

… and other days there are obstacles to overcome, dilemmas like when you get into a pickle and sadly neither Google nor chatbots have an easy fix.

I think we never knew how easy we had it when we were kids … no responsibilities, no worries, just pure bliss.

Do you ever wish you were a kid again?

In today’s world, being an adult sure is no walk in the park. My daily walk at Council Point Park to escape the noise of the news and everything that is happening beyond the confines of my humble abode is no longer the same ambiance it once was, but I remain confident it is “gettin’ there” slowly but surely. I’ll fill you in on my peanut-eating pals in a future post.

Sometimes it’s just plain fun to act like a kid again.

Over the years, while walking around the Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park, bees and butterflies were not the only critters that end up on my camera’s memory card. If you’ve followed me for a while you might remember those four Lavender Guinea Pea Fowl strolling around. Click here in case you missed the post.

I frequently see the Farm’s chickens and the resident rooster at the Gardens’ Pavilion area as they hunt, peck and scratch. And, back in July 2018, I attended the Petting Farm’s “Christmas in July” event where Santa donned tropical duds and one of Santa’s reindeer was to be available for pics and petting. It was all good fun, except the weather was stinkin’ hot and the reindeer’s handler did not allow their charge to participate until later in the day when it cooled off – sigh. Here’s a flashback to that post.

So, let’s fast forward to July 18, 2025. I was at Heritage Park doing a walkaround and visiting the Botanical Gardens when one of the chickens crossed my path and, on a whim, I decided to walk over to the Petting Farm for a short visit – what’s wrong with feeling like a kid again?

The Heritage Park Petting Farm.

The website for this venue touts that 90 critters call the Petting Farm home, among them alpacas, goats, sheep, ponies, cows, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, and piglets. They’re just waiting for you to visit, or so the sign on the gate says anyway.

I’ve been inside the big red barn where they all live, but it’s a wee bit dark for picture-taking, so unfortunately there will be no piglet or bunny pics today.

Besides the barnyard critters, there is a nature pond filled with Koi. There is a small bridge that crosses the pond so you can peer at the Koi and the various domestic ducks that paddle alongside the Koi, all amicably sharing their space. I’ve seen Mallards wrangling a fish, then downing it, so I was happy to see these domestic ducks did not look at the Koi as an easy lunch and were neighborly.

Though I didn’t “pet” the critters, I observed some barnyard antics, which I captured with the camera. Like this critter playing peekaboo while peering at me from all angles.

So, were the critters willing to pose sans treats? Um, well some of them, others not so much.

Very bummy, er … funny. Well I fixed that little problem and took a side profile.

Did I lose any fingers?

Nope, all ten digits were present and accounted for at the end of my visit.

So I spent a delightful hour, trading the world’s calamities and noise for whinnies, baas, moos, brays, cackles and quacks. 🙂

Join me on a different type of nature stroll and I guarantee by the end, you will feel young at heart again.

I visited the barnyard first.

I was NOT sheepish about taking pictures of some of these critters – after all my astrological sign is Aries, the Ram.

There were several alpacas, some which clustered together and/or plunked down in the middle of the barnyard …

… while others ventured over to the fence while exhibiting a variety of expressions on their fuzzy faces.

Alpacas are known to spit on people if they feel stressed, or you get too close to them. Happily I remained unscathed by alpaca spit. Since I sometimes visit the Gibraltar Bay Alpaca Farm, I learned to avoid getting spat on by speaking softly and keeping my distance i.e. I let the camera zoom in and I zoom out.

Clearly, this was a MOOdy cow that refused to kowtow to me and leave the confines of the big red barn for a photo session, so I took this shot hurriedly before its MOOdy self walked back into the barn.

Have you ever seen/heard of screaming goats? I have seen the videos and their blood-curdling cries could raise the dead. The goats at the Petting Farm were relatively quiet, content to look for grass beyond the barnyard fence – no screaming goats in this group.

The goats had a big plastic rock for climbing and some toys like balls to kick around, but they were not being used. I did not let the bored-looking goats get MY goat.

This miniature donkey looked old and tired – or maybe it is supposed to look that way? It sidled over to see me with a disinterested look and just stood there. Well, okay then, have it your way.

The pony needed a “mop chop” for its bangs during our hot Summer. It was not too interested in me, but like some of the other critters, it found some innovative ways to eat since barnyard grass was non-existent, i.e. the grass was definitely greener on the other side of the fence, so you grab it however you can – yikes!

A chicken wandered along the walking path at the barnyard – did it recognize me from all our other encounters at the Botanical Gardens since it is a frequent escapee?

After touring the entire barnyard area, I headed to the nature pond.

Oh boy – Koi!

There were lots of huge Koi in the pond and they swam back and forth this narrow passage, under the bridge, all the while popping their heads (and lips) above the water’s surface while looking at me expectantly, so …

… I concluded either I resemble the person who feeds them, or I look like I might be toting fish food.

Some of these Koi were longer than the ducks.

The last part of my “nature walk” was visiting Tony the tortoise. Admittedly, my walking stats are not stellar for 2025, but I am happy to say I still could leave this tortoise’s steps count in the dust.

This South African tortoise was huge, 100 pounds/45 kilograms and first he stared me down …

… before lumbering toward me and he moved more quickly than you would think through the tall grass. Tony’s world is a fenced-in area, with a bridge and wading pool with sprinkler, but apparently, this human was a diversion for him.

Sometimes it’s good to step back a little and have a little fun. While I don’t condone removing animals and birds from their natural habitats for humans to gawk at, zoos and petting farms have existed for years – the first zoo was established in Paris in 1793. They will continue to exist long after we are gone. Yesterday was World Animal Day, a day geared to bring global awareness to improve animal welfare. I have always been an advocate of improving animal welfare and support several organizations to do my part. World Animal Day is the subject of Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge this week.

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, nature, walk, walking | Tagged nature, petting farm, walk, walking | 80 Comments

Time’s a’tickin’ to make that walking goal! #Wordless Wednesday #Need more pep in my step and pop in my bop! #Keep on truckin’, er … duckin’ … forward march!

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Linda Schaub

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, walk, walking, year-end goal | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature, walk, walking, year-end goal, Yikes! | 35 Comments

What do Winslow, windows and …

Posted on September 28, 2025 by Linda Schaub

… walking have in common (besides alliteration)?

You’ll need to read on about my artsy-fartsy scavenger hunt of sorts taken August 26^th wherein I spent half a day locating, admiring, then photographing various paintings on Grosse Ile, one of the locales for the 16th annual Detroit Institute of Arts (“DIA”) “Inside/Out” event.

You may recall from previous posts about this event that the DIA installs weatherproof paintings, (the same paintings as those found inside the museum), at various venues around the tri-county area in Southeast Michigan. The paintings are on display from May through October. Sometimes these reproductions are grouped together in one park, like in 2023 at Dingell Park, or scattered around a city, like in 2022 when multiple paintings were installed in my city. Both of these walk-about events were easy-peasy for me, as I just strolled from painting to painting, while clicking away.

This year there were several cities nearby hosting DIA Inside/Out, but I picked Grosse Ile, an island located in the Detroit River. Initially I planned to park the car and walk from painting to painting, that is, until I looked more closely at a map and realized the Township is a little bigger than originally thought, i.e. 9.60 sq mi (24.9 km).

I studied the DIA’s map of the painting locations, made my own map of the order I wanted to visit, along with anything of interest at each spot. So, with map in hand and camera tucked in my fanny pack, off I went.

It was a picture-perfect day.

Grosse Ile’s picturesque shoreline along the Detroit River is problematic in that it is strictly private property along East River Road, so parking anywhere along that winding street is a big no-no.

I knew about the parking conundrum beforehand, having been to Grosse Ile multiple times in the past. I once saw a couple of bucks crossing the main drag and I couldn’t stop, nor could I pull over to get a shot. Visits to the Grosse Ile Open Space Woods or the Grosse Ile Wildlife Sanctuary, both on the other side of the Island, necessitated parking at schools and walking from there, but those were weekend jaunts and there is nothing much to see.

“Art is the window to man’s soul. Without it, he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world; nor could the world see the man within”. ~ Lady Bird Johnson.

Painting #1 – The Grosse Ile History Museum.

The Museum, which faces Stony Island, an uninhabited island in the Detroit River, was once a bustling train depot that functioned as a hubbub of commerce for railroad and shipping.

I visited the Museum back in 2019 in conjunction with a tour of the Grosse Ile Lighthouse. You can read about that lighthouse adventure by clicking here.

Our tour group gathered at the depot, then traveled by bus to the lighthouse. The owner of the lighthouse and pier opens his private property venue once a year and the tour profits benefit the Historical Society.

I pulled into the parking lot despite signs stating parking was only for Museum visitors – hmm. I decided the painting was on the Museum’s property and the Museum was closed anyway, so I dashed out front, got the shot and ran back to the car.

The painting is: “Still Life: A Letter Rack” by Edwart Collyer (1692)

Now to locate and photograph the remaining seven paintings.

As I tootled along East River Drive I saw at least thirty-five seagulls perched on a dock, some still roosting, others gazing at the water, a very blissful scene. The soft morning light on the old wooden pier with a boat tied up alongside it was picture-perfect, but there was nowhere to legally stop – no, I wasn’t about to get a ticket, so I moved along.

The next two stops were churches – query: all churches have parking lots, right?

Painting #2 – St. Anne’s Chapel.

This historic church was on the corner of Church and East River Road, high on a hill.

There was no obvious parking area behind the church that I could see, but then I noticed some people admiring a painting in what I assumed correctly was the church parking lot, so I parked near them. I later learned that the painting location is not just the parking lot, but it is a/k/a Dooley Park. With only parking spaces for a handful of cars, I didn’t think it was wise to walk back and find those seagulls, so once again I let that idea go (albeit reluctantly).

The painting is: “Seascape: Sunset” by Martin Johnson Head (1861).

Painting #3 – St. Thomas Lutheran Church.

I hopped back into the car and drove to St. Thomas Lutheran Church which was at a busy intersection and took up most of a city block.

Parking was in a large lot, so I wandered the grounds, admiring their landscaping, then got my shots of the painting that is the featured image in this post: “Girl and Laurel” by WINSLOW Homer painted in 1879).

The car was in a secure spot which got me thinking about that blissful seagull scenario again, so, because it was such a gorgeous day, I set out to retrace the two or so miles I’d driven, only on foot. Upon my arrival, the pier was empty, not a seagull in sight. Grrr!

Back in the car, A/C blasting from my long walk to/from the pier now in the full sun, I consulted my trusty map – okay, three down, five to go.

Next on the agenda was three paintings located along the main drag in the central business district known as Macomb Street.

The light pole flag said “Explore Macomb Street” …

… so I did.

This time I parked at a Kroger grocery store, so I felt free to take my time, meandering along this busy street in the heart of town.

Painting #4 – Macomb Commons.

This venue was the town square with statues and park benches – very nice.

The art installment was unfortunately near a tree, so it was partly shaded.

The painting is: “The Piazza San Marco” by Canaletto (1739).

Painting #5 – Grosse Ile Nature & Land Conservancy.

I am familiar with the Conservancy as I follow them on Facebook, one day perhaps I’ll attend one of their programs.

There was a small pollinator garden out front, but no bees or butterflies.

I liked the wise words on this bench.

I guess they chose the painting to match the Conservancy’s garden beds.

The painting is: “Rounded Flower Bed” by Claude Monet (1876).

As I ticked off these three paintings on my list, I did take time to enjoy my stroll down Macomb Street. I saw this building which appeared to house two different places, both with vintage bicycle themes, The Bicycle Museum and The Old Spokes Home.

I crossed the street to check it out but it was only open by appointment.

Later, I found a fun video of the inside of the “Old Spokes Home” which you can view here.

I took several shots of the vintage bicycles through the windows – although this post is already groaning with photos, I’m including them in this collage.

Painting #6 – Lyons Park.

My last stop on this street was at Lyons Park, a rather nondescript park, which, if I had driven past, I likely might have missed it. The humungous letters “G” and “I” representing “Grosse Ile” featured a map of the Island and the Lighthouse.

It’s a sure bet the big crowd of people milling about in this painting could not fit into Lyons Park.

The name of the painting is: “A Day in June” by George Wesley Bellows.

The afternoon sun was getting downright hot and I hurried back to the car, happy to cool off again before driving to the last two destinations, on the other side of the Island.

Painting #7 – Grosse Ile Township Hall.

I was familiar with this area of the Island as the Gibraltar Bay Alpaca Farm is just down Groh Road. I would have stopped to see the baby alpacas, but the farm was closed.

The Township offices are located near the Grosse Ile Airport, next to the Grosse Ile Naval Air Station.

The paintings were right on busy Groh Road, so I parked in the Township parking lot and walked back to the main road.

The painting is: “Jockeys on Horseback before Distant Hills” by Edgar Degas (1884).

Painting #8 – Water’s Edge Country Club/Tipsy Fish Restaurant.

My last stop was the Water’s Edge Country Club. I parked behind the club and took a photo of the view from the Tipsy Fish Restaurant.

I was close enough to the Grosse Ile Free Bridge to hear the clanging noise made from the many cars passing over it. I had heard that same noise earlier when I was crossing to the Island. The noise was loud enough to give me cause to pause – this bridge has been closed many times in recent years for structural issues, including in the Spring of this year.

The paintings were on the restaurant’s property, likewise aptly chosen for meal time as a theme, though I hope The Tipsy Fish doesn’t allow parrots to mix and mingle with the diners and their food.

The name of this painting is: “Merrymakers” by Carolus-Duran (1870).

I am joining Terri’s Challenge this week: “Windows”.

All photos are my own, except the featured image which was sourced from Wikipedia Commons (my painting pic was crooked).

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, Art. Street Photography, nature, walk, walking | 53 Comments

Great Black Digger Wasp #Wordless Wednesday #Not the cutest bug on the planet, but it’s a great pollinator!

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature | 27 Comments

Snowballs in Summer? Yes, please!!

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Linda Schaub

After what seemed like an eternity since enjoying a long walk with my camera, finally the heat, humidity and wildfire smoke vanished and every local meteorologist promised a slew of coolish, sunny days on the horizon!

That first day, August 22^nd, I headed to Heritage Park as the blooms at the Botanical Gardens would be at peak and perhaps the perennial garden maintained by the Taylor Garden Club might be filled with flitting Swallowtails like they were in July.

I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and pulled the camera out of my fanny pack while still in the parking lot, ready for anything – who knows, another goose might be lurking atop the Old Sawmill this time?

**Sadly, it was déjà vu, i.e. nothing to see, let alone photograph!**

Where were all the Canada geese that are usually paddling around Coan Lake, having hissy fits with each other or glaring at me?

The Mallards were in a huddle, still snoozing away, worn out from their annual molt, the males and females all wearing their drab brown plumage. I didn’t disturb them, partly because they were under a large tree in the shade. A quick glance across Coan Lake yielded no Cormorant or Heron photo ops – it looked like those resident birds were similarly MIA this morning.

Beneath the covered bridge, there was no second clutch of Barn Swallows, so those hopes were dashed and unbelievably, there were no turtles sunning on the ramp either.

I kept on walking, the only person on the pathway and at the perennial garden, hoping to see some beautiful butterflies – there were none, not even a bee!

Well, that put a bee in my bonnet and I muttered “going forward, you must learn to temper your expectations Linda!” After berating myself, I decided it was going to be one of THOSE days, so I meandered over to the gazebo where I could at least get some photos of the Old Sawmill and the fountains.

Surely something would pique my interest at the Botanical Gardens?!

So I headed there hoping to scare up a bee or butterfly and found myself admiring the beautiful Snowball Bushes that framed the entrance to the Conservatory and appeared throughout the Gardens.

Even though I am no fan of snow and ice, I disliked the Summer of 2025 so much that at times I decided Winter didn’t seem like such a horrible season after all. Well okay – maybe if snow fell softly on Christmas Eve and whisked itself away on Christmas Day.

We are still one complete season away from worrying about Winter as we transition to Autumn tomorrow.

It used to be the Botanical Gardens’ volunteers only hand watered, so I’d see them on my morning strolls and we’d chat it up a little, but it seems they have modernized their garden-tending duties by using a sprinkler system. So, instead of a nice chat, I became “The Artful Dodger” to avoid far-reaching spritzes of water getting on the camera and/or me.

In the many years of visiting this venue I am usually wowed by the beauty, but admittedly it didn’t seem as stunning as usual, likely since we’d had such a scorching hot Summer. This was my third time here this Summer and I had the same impression each time.

It was a Pollinator Fest, er … Feast at the Alliums!

I’ve always liked Alliums – they remind me of lollipops, with their pretty purple blossoms on the end of very tall stalks. They complemented the Snowballs.

I grazed some Alliums as I passed and all of a sudden, the plants seemed to come alive with tiny orange butterflies that zoomed out all at once.

The emergence of these tiny beings, which, to me, resembled Pearl Crescent butterflies with their orange and brownish-black hues, sure had me stumped – were they butterflies or some type of moth? I would learn many days later, when I finally had the images on the computer screen, that it was indeed a butterfly because butterflies have the tiny knob a/k/a a “club” on the end of their antennae, a feature lacking in moths.

There were three types of Skipper Butterfly that fit the description and images … so I’m just going with “Skipper” and I was lucky that this Skipper didn’t skip away like its pals, but instead alighted on an Allium bloom for a perfect photo op …

… and next, it flitted over to a cement wall …

… and lastly, it landed smack dab onto a Snowball bush.

At the Gardens’ Pavilion area, I found more Alliums.

These plants were pollinator magnets with bees and wasps crawling all over them, a real hubbub of activity!

And there was something else, a Great Black Digger Wasp … you’ll meet him/her on Wednesday.

I meandered around the Gardens, noting the absence of Monarchs or Swallowtails – yes, it was a wee bit cooler, but not cool enough to send this last generation of Monarchs winging their way to warmer climes.

Enroute to the car, I decided to check out the Community Gardens for any pollinator activity.

As I passed a pile of discarded wooden pallets, I saw one of the two birdhouses with tilting issues amongst those discards. I think one bird too many piled its babies in one area and busted out the side.

Perhaps the Community Gardens would yield more photo ops?

Unlike in the past, I saw the gate to the Community Gardens was closed – something new. It didn’t feel right to open the gate to meander around as I usually do while gleaning pics of flowers and pollinators, so I walked parallel to the Gardens instead, along the fence to the right, as I sure didn’t want to be trespassing.

The Community Gardens is where people rent plots for the growing season – six months to grow flowers and produce to your heart’s desire. Some portions of the Community Gardens are planted/maintained and harvested by court-ordered workers doing community service and the produce is then given to the local food banks. There was always a sign asking folks not to take produce for themselves, but now a new sign mentioned surveillance cameras.

Looking at the rows and rows of neatly tended gardens, it seemed there were more flowers than produce this year, some showing the effects of the blazing hot Summer, with little rainfall in August …

… but luckily, there is water available when Mother Nature does not cooperate.

I was happy to see this Swallowtail Butterfly alight on the Phlox …

… but its incessant wing fluttering while trying to nestle deep into this flower did not make for a stellar shot here.

Moments later, this post’s “one that got away” was a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the only hummingbird found here in the Mitten State. I thought a Hummingbird Moth had zipped in front of me as I busied myself with the Swallowtail, but unfortunately I was too slow and that little feathered cutie had already sipped some nectar and was on his way.

At the veggie patch, I could not find any rabbits nibbling on the cabbage and kale, but there was a Cabbage White Butterfly, daintily perched on the huge leaves, likely leaving eggs on its host plant.

I’m glad that dainty butterfly headed over to a plant leaf instead.

It was nearing high noon and getting warmish. I took one last glance toward Coan Lake for any photo ops and to my surprise I saw about 50+ Canada Geese, scattered in several groups around the pond. I decided this was photo-worthy, so I hustled over to the wooden overlook. These are just a few of the geese.

It was here I found my friend Ann Marie, a person I’ve often mentioned in my blog, especially during the holidays and my birthday when she stops by the house bearing treats and gifts. Despite the sun in my eyes, I recognized her from her fishing pole – Ann Marie and her husband went fishing every morning after they retired. I didn’t get to meet Ann Marie’s husband Steven that day, but I did meet some of the residents and staff from nearby American House, a senior living complex where Ann Marie and Steven recently moved to. A van had transported them here for a picnic lunch. Here are a few photos of Ann Marie.

I was happy for the walk, gleaning about four miles worth of steps on a sunny, but not oppressively hot day. I also gave my 16-year-old car a much-needed run since my driving miles, like my walking miles are down … in doing so, I hit the 14,000-mile mark (22,530 km.) just as I rolled up into the driveway.

I am joining Terri’s Challenge this week: Fountains and Falls.

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, Butterflies, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, Butterflies, nature, walk, walking | 58 Comments

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It’s what sunflowers do.” ~ Helen Keller #Wordless Wednesday

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, Flowers, nature | Tagged #Wordless Wednesday, Flowers, nature, sunflowers | 56 Comments

As Spring erupted, I was looking ahead …

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Linda Schaub

… to six months of wonderful weather with lots of walking and photo-taking bliss, but, as we all know, Mother Nature did not cooperate.

It was Easter Sunday when I took this walk, a gorgeous morning which kicked off a week of sunny, beautiful days; in fact, as the week wore on, the temps crept upward until it was in the 80s on Thursday. It seems that this one uncharacteristically hot April day would portend our Summer weather for Southeast Michigan.

This is not the first time I’ve chosen Heritage Park for my Easter Sunday stroll and, as in the past, it was just me meandering the pathways; likely many folks were out of town, at church, or searching for Easter eggs.

I hoped to recapture another magical moment of seeing Mama Goose off her nest, nestling the eggs with her bill and, with a loving touch, plucking feathers from her body to cushion those future goslings as she incubated the eggs.

I did see Mama sitting on a nest and Papa keeping tabs on me, but there were no more memorable moments that day. I returned to Heritage Park a couple of weeks later, to locate and photograph Mama, Papa and their little darlings. How did I know these were the right goslings? Well, she was the only goose sitting on a nest at Easter and this was the only family when I returned. While this park is 149 acres/60 hectares, the Canada Geese keep their goslings close to the water after hatching, so you’ll never find them more than a few yards from Coan Lake.

Here’s what I saw on my Easter morning walk.

As I entered the park there was this chalk art …

… from “The Bunny Bash” that was held the day before at the Petting Farm – someone wanted to spread a little joy to the other side of the park.

West Mound Church was looking good, ready for weddings and now totally repaired after an electrical fire nearly gutted it back in 2020.

While Fall is my favorite season, you sure cannot deny Spring’s beauty as trees and flowers come to life, dabbing colorful spots on the still blah and boring landscape.

Tree leaves had begun to unfurl …

… and the park’s many Pear trees had erupted into beautiful blossoms.

Even these bright-yellow dandelions did their part to deliver a splash of color.

As mentioned above, I went to the covered bridge to check on Mama Goose, who yearly alternates nesting in the boulders on the left or right side just past the bridge. This year it was perilously close to the edge – yikes!

Papa eyed me suspiciously, interrupting his preening ritual to check me out.

Evidently I passed muster, even upside down. 🙂

This male Mallard was resplendent with his iridescent green head glistening in the sunshine.

My walk around Coan Lake and the historical area did not yield many photos, so I ambled off in search of more photo ops.

Early bloomers at the Botanical Gardens.

While the early bulb bloomers were pretty, the Garden’s archway was stunning as usual as its 20-year-old Espalier Pear tree was in full bloom winding up, over and around the entranceway.

I feel my photo above does not do the Espalier Pear tree justice; the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Facebook site posted a better photo on April 23rd, so I am including it below.

Not to be outdone by the Espalier Pear tree, the Daffodils were pretty, perky and a vibrant yellow …

… and white as well.

There were the usual Tulips …

… and Hyacinths infusing the Gardens with some pastel hues.

This chicken, worn out from the previous day’s event at the Petting Farm and thankful there were no visitors today, ventured out, decided I was a friendly face and meandered over to say “hey”.

I ended up walking along Pardee Road to rack up some steps before heading home, admittedly not the photo-laden walk I anticipated, but I knew when I returned to check on the goslings in a few weeks’ time, it would be a different story.

Goslings galore – time to ooh and aah and get shutter happy!

Postscript: This is a hybrid post where I followed-up on Mama and Papa Goose just as I did for the family of geese at Fair Lane Estate and Mama Killdeer at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

I returned to Heritage Park on May 9, 2025, hoping to see and photograph Mama and Papa and their offspring and they did not disappoint. The weather prevented me from returning sooner when the goslings were smaller and still sporting their lemon-yellow feathers (like the “runt” of the hatch – more on that gosling later).

The nest was empty …

… and, with a quick glance around Coan Lake, I quickly located the family and hurried over.

Instantly on alert, (likely because he recognized me from Easter Sunday and the past few years), the gander proceeded to herd the family closer to the water.

I assured him that he and the family need not beat a hasty retreat to Coan Lake as I was taking a few photos, then would vamoose.

Of course he did not understand me, but the family stayed put – nice! However, within minutes I heard the rumble of riding mowers fairly close by, so I knew I had to get any pics pronto before the geese were scared off by the noise.

Here is one proud Mama or Papa with three of their eight goslings.

These are my favorite solo gosling pictures. Their yellow feathers were already splotched with patches of brownish-gray, but at least they hadn’t reached that gawky, teenage phase with the big feet and boat-shaped bodies.

As you peruse these photos below, be sure to note the runt – it was obvious how much tinier this gosling was than its siblings. Since I did a walk around the park in the area surrounding Coan Lake and saw no other Canada Geese families, this little guy or gal, was not “adopted” from another family here at Heritage Park, but likely hatched later than the rest. He/she was still more yellowish, than brownish-gray.

I was mooned a few times …

… but these sweet babies were still too young to have mastered the histrionics of mimicking their parents to flap their stubby wings and hiss at me.

The next time I returned to Heritage Park there were a few more Canada Geese families and MY little family of goslings were all grayish-brown with elongated necks and bodies, wings that were “gettin’ there” though not fledge-ready yet and they were paddling and stomping around using those wide webbed feet. You’ll see those “teenagers” in a future post.

I hope you are feeling mellow from all the yellow because today I am joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Color Challenge: Shades of Yellow and Burnt Orange. Did you know there are 70 types of Sunflowers in the world? Well, I’ll show you an array of colors, like orange, gold and even brown in this Wednesday’s post.