WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

First, before I begin to weave my tale about a Sunday stroll at Lake Erie Metropark on July 3rd, it is already the first post of the new month … time to debut the February 2023 calendar page as evidenced above. The locale is Lake Gosauseea, Austria.

Do you agree with this quotation?

As to my unusual blog post title, it was the Fourth of July weekend and I’d received some e-mails and Tweets about the festivities and fireworks extravaganza at my favorite Metropark, starting at 6:00 p.m. on July 3rd. While the miscellaneous and sundry feathered and furry critters at this venue might appreciate any scraps of food that might be left behind, (since all the Metroparks strictly forbid feeding any wildlife), I knew if I wanted to see any critters, I’d best go today because the 10:00 p.m. boomers that night likely would spook every Park critter and they would be no-shows the following morning. I know people use Council Point Park’s parking lot to set off fireworks as evidenced by black powder stains and empty firecracker boxes in the garbage cans on July 5th and I never see any critters the morning after.

On the heels of my trio of Metroparks extravaganza the day before, (Saturday, July 2nd), I decided to visit Lake Erie Metropark. The weather folks had already predicted another hot-and-sticky day. Ugh! And, since I didn’t want slick or greasy substances on my face or fingers while handling the camera, once again, it was extra sun protection by layering up.

The Metroparks website for this venue touts it as“some of the best birding in Southeast Michigan” and little did I know it would live up to its reputation today (or for the rest of 2022 as well). It was a fun day because I got up-close shots of those pretty Barn Swallows and the Osprey home renovation. So, I guess the Metroparks website didn’t lie since later that Summer I would be lucky to see the Sandhill Cranes and a Pied-billed Grebe.

I began, as I usually do, strolling along the three-mile rocky shoreline at Cove Point at the south end of the park. Sometimes that paved pathway is good for a glimpse of a Great Lakes freighter, or the occasional heron perched on one of the many boulders that jut out into Lake Erie.

Checking out the Lotus beds.

I also wanted to check on the progress of the Lotuses. This park is home to the largest and most-accessible American Water Lotus beds in the State of Michigan. While they were “gettin’ there” as you will see below, they usually do not reach their full beauty until late August. But, because we had such a hot and steamy Summer, I returned July 31st and discovered most of the Lotuses were in full bloom. I took a lot of photos of them which will be the topic for an upcoming post.

There are Lotus beds scattered throughout the marshy areas in the park, but the renowned Lotus beds are five acres and two acres, found at Cove Point and the Cherry Island Marsh Trail, respectively.

Here are several views of the largest Lotus bed at Cove Point.

I stood at the wooden overlook scoping out Great Egrets who like to hang out in this little cove-like area. There were no waterfowl here and zero water reflections as the water had a green sheen of algae on it. However, I was lucky to get one shot of a heron wading around in the green goo …

… plus some shots of the Barn Swallows which swoop and dive incessantly, so when a few of them alighted on a branch, seemingly oblivious to me, I was ecstatic. Clicking away as I kept inching closer and expecting them to flee en masse any minute, I can only assume, the heat and their aerial acrobatics made them ready for a rest – my luck. Here is a pair of the Barn Swallows; the rest of them were in this post last year in case you missed it.

I took a few photos of the green goo, but decided to concentrate on less-icky photos, so I focused on cattails, (or maybe you call them bulrushes), along the marshy banks.

The Cherry Island Marsh Trail.

Unbelievably the 1.5 mile/2.4 kilometer Cherry Island Marsh Trail was not soggy, so I was able to walk the entire trail without emerging with mud-stained shoe soles.

It looked like these Mallards found some clear water along the shoreline.

There was some damage to the trees – an over-achieving beetle or wind damage? It didn’t look like a beaver’s handiwork.

These are pond lilies but the tiny green leaves are European Frog-bit, an invasive aquatic plant found throughout the marsh.

Mr. and Mrs. Red-winged Blackbird greeted me in the “Important Bird Area”.

The Lotus leaves were getting big, but no blooms yet. I stopped to take photos at this two-acre Lotus bed along the Cherry Island Marsh Trail.

Across the marsh, still more Lotuses were in the lagoon area near the boathouse.

The marsh areas along this trail were oozing with gooey green slime and in some cases there was no clear area in the entire lagoon.

Wildflowers were popping up everywhere.

There were a few pretty wildflowers here and there, with pops of color from Wild Iris to Wild Phlox and a few others that I did not find in the wildflower book I bought – all of them helped make my trek colorful.

I hoped to see that pretty pregnant doe that gazed at me so intently on my last trip here, June 18th. It would have been wonderful to see her with a fawn or two trailing behind her, but no such luck.

I had the entire park to myself that morning, save for one fellow stroller who, like me, ambled along the Cherry Island Marsh Trail taking in the scenery. That Sunday morning stroller will be revealed in this week’s Wordless Wednesday post since getting one’s extra steps deserves a few accolades don’t you think?

As I headed to the car, I saw an Osprey silently gliding overhead …

… then decided to visit the Brownstown Fire Station located on the fringe of Lake Erie Metropark to check out the Osprey nest. There I saw some serious nest renovation happening. I took a lot of photos of that unusual nest location and shared them in this post in case you missed it.

I’m going to take a small break from large park recaps since next week I’ll do a post to celebrate my 10-year Blogiversary and then I’ll help you think warm thoughts with a bloomin’ good time I had back on July 31st at the Emily Frank Gardens. I’ll return to posting about those Summer jaunts at my favorite haunts once again on February 27th, with a stop at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

… it was a mere eight miles from my last stop at Oakwoods Metropark in the city of New Boston, to Lower Huron Metropark in Belleville. I tootled along a country road and suddenly I was there, having just barely cooled off thanks to the car’s AC on high.

I was ready to hit the trail at my final venue, Lower Huron Metropark, in my July 2nd Parksapalooza event.

On my last trip to this park, I could not believe how big it was (1,258 acres) and it seemed as if I traveled for miles and miles, past countless campsites at the Walnut Grove Campground, before I finally found a place to park and walk.

There is no boat launch area for large boats, but the water trail …

… is often filled with tubers or kayakers. There are small boats with hopeful anglers dotting the Huron River as well as shore fishing. As I drove the length of this park, it was the same situation this time – lots of park visitors with their RVs and tents had claimed coveted spots for this long holiday weekend, seeking a few days away, plus on such a hot weather weekend, enjoying Turtle Cove Waterpark.

Even though I had looked at the park’s site map the night before, I just decided to stop at the same spots as the last time, the North Fishing Site and a portion of the Iron Belle Trail.

Stopping by the North Fishing Site.

As I stepped out of the car, I heard honking above and swiveled my head upward to see five very noisy Canada Geese announcing their arrival to the plane, which photo you see in the header image. Evidently, those geese, with their perpetually bossy attitudes, weren’t going to yield to no stinkin’ airplane, a typical geese mindset, though truthfully, this is an optical illusion and the plane was likely miles away from them. Since I was relatively close to my first stop of the day (Willow Metropark, a mere five miles from here), just like earlier in the day, the sky was still filled with planes winging folks away to their holiday destinations.

I continued to scan the skies as this venue, as it is known for its birds of prey, so I was definitely on the lookout for them.

At the North Fishing Site here on the Huron River, it was calm and peaceful.

There was this humongous tree root which had found its way near the wooden overlook.

A few minutes later I was joined by a friendly young couple with their dog “Buzzy” and we chit-chatted a bit as Buzzy checked me out to ensure I was “safe” and I could stay and visit with his humans. The couple encouraged Buzzy to go for a dip to cool off, but it seemed they were more enthusiastic about their German Shepherd cooling off than Buzzy was, but finally he jumped in – maybe to appease them.

However, when they said “c’mon Buzzy, let’s go” he was not interested in the least. That water had cooled him off and with a newfound stick, he was enjoying paddling more than hiking. When Buzzy was finally convinced to exit the water, he shook vigorously and I swear droplets landed 20 feet away – luckily I had anticipated his vigorous shake and had moved back to keep the camera from getting wet.

Tripping along the Iron Belle trail.

There are a lot of hiking options available as mentioned above – here are some of them.

My last visit to this venue, I hiked along a scenic, paved path with lots of wildflowers, so off I went along a portion of the Iron Belle trail. (Note: “Belle” is spelled incorrectly on the signage.)

Warblers and wildflowers.

Well if I was looking to find some pretty warblers with melodic tunes embedded in those wildflowers or hopping along a wooden fence rail, I was out of luck. Perhaps it was too hot and I missed that opportunity by arriving here in the afternoon.

But, behold this Red-winged Blackbird, that never disappoints with its beauty and distinctive call.

To me, the Red-winged Blackbird is the harbinger of Spring. Nothing signals Spring is on the way more than hearing the first Red-winged Blackbirds’ boisterous calls in the marshy areas that line the Creek at Council Point Park. By mid-March, despite a veil of ice often still covering the Ecorse Creek, suddenly the Red-winged Blackbirds arrive, feet clasped on a weather-beaten cattail or teasel stalk, singing their hearts out, with temperatures so chilly that wispy breaths of air are coming from their beaks. I think of it as “the thrill of the trill.”

The male Red-winged Blackbirds are stunning with their sleek black bodies and bright red and yellow shoulder epaulets, their coloring vivid in the still-bare trees and lackluster landscape. The female Red-winged Blackbird has the same call. The females’ rather dull and drab plumage (sorry ladies) works to their advantage as they nest within the marsh reeds. Both Mama and the nest and eventual nestlings have excellent camouflage as they stay hidden from sight and predator birds.

Oops, what happened here – hopefully everyone fledged safely before this nest landed on the ground.

Pickin’s were slim bird-wise as the male Red-winged Blackbird was the only songbird I saw on my visit to this venue. Evidently the eagles and hawks were smarter than me, as they were likely tucked away in their respective nests, shaded by the tree leaves.

For a few minutes, as I trailed behind this fellow hiker, I had the expectation that he might stop and I’d hear a human singer, or, at the very least, a few guitar chords, but apparently this guy was out for the hike only and not stopping for some R&R any time soon, despite his heavy pack he was toting and the guitar he had strapped on his back.

Well, I didn’t amass a large collection of wildflower photos and it was unlikely I could have made myself a ditch bouquet. This slideshow shows the park’s meager wildflowers I found along the split-rail fence not far from the road.

I liked these rustic-looking fences …

… and the interesting shadow play by the leaves on the tree trunk.

There’s a fungus among us.

There’s always a little fungi to be found in and around these parks and Lower Huron Metropark was no exception.

By the time I pulled up in the driveway, around 4:00 p.m., I had driven 70 miles and walked six miles. The car’s info panel told me the outside temp was 85 degrees. The treks at the trio of Metroparks left me pooped. It was 64 degrees when my fresh-as-a-daisy self had embarked on this Parksapalooza event some eight hours earlier. Part of the reason I was so hot was I had worn a hat, long-sleeved shirt, neckerchief/bandana and long pants, all designed to keep from getting a sunburn like I got over Memorial Day weekend, despite a gray and gloomy sky, but pesky UV rays gave me a sunburn. I was eager to get inside the house.

It was a long, but enjoyable, drive for me out in the country, past a few roadside stands – too early for produce, jams/jellies, but I saw plenty of cut flowers and various potted plants or hanging baskets. Along Middlebelt Road there was a large flea market teeming with bargain-hunting souls and unfortunately, lots of road kill. I loved passing through the tiny, old-time town of Waltz and the town of Willow, all in Huron Township.

An entire day with just a pair of Chipmunks, one Hummingbird and one Red-winged Blackbird tells me I’ll be back in a few years and I’ll stick with Lake Erie Metropark for now and that is exactly where I went the following day, the middle day of the long holiday weekend and that trek will be the subject of next week’s post.

As I stepped out the door, I did my best to channel Little Women author, Louisa May Alcott, who once declared: “I like adventures and I’m going to find some.”

I set out to tackle three Metroparks in one day. That may sound like a daunting task, but, as you can see by the map above, the parks are located fairly close together and I had already accomplished a similar Parksapalooza feat back in 2020 and survived. Besides, I would rest up a little while driving to each successive venue.

My first stop on Saturday, July 2, 2022, Willow Metropark, is the topic for today’s post.

It was forecast to be a hot-and-sticky holiday weekend, with potentially severe storms to cap off the 4th of July and kick the heat and humidity down a notch or two, (of course … when we all went back to work). Just moments after I parked the car, a bead of sweat rolled down my face simultaneously with seeing this sign about sledding – well no chance of sledding today!

This venue is not far from Detroit Metro Airport and a steady stream of airplanes interrupted the stillness of the morning. Here is one of many planes whisking passengers to their respective destinations for the three-day weekend.

I had two primary reasons for visiting Willow Metropark today – to visit the dilapidated Washago Pond and to see the Detroit Institute of Arts “Inside/Out” collection of reproductions that were on display at this venue. I had already visited the DIA collection of five reproductions in my City, earlier in the month.

What happened to Washago Pond?

The first and only time I had visited 1,531-acre Willow Metropark was after fellow walker Arnie urged me to visit. He enjoyed riding his bike on the 15-mile bike trail connecting this trio of Metroparks. Arnie, who was in his early 80s at the time, told me his favorite spot of the three venues was Willow Metropark’s Washago Pond. If you’re really adventurous and have a comfy bicycle seat, you can opt for the 49-mile round trip that includes Lake Erie Metropark, my favorite Metropark.

At Arnie’s insistence, I decided to visit.

These photos from my 2020 post show this Park’s jewel, a scenic 17-acre pond, an idyllic setting, just perfect for a lazy Sunday ride on a paddleboat …

… or a leisurely afternoon of fishing.

But, fast forward to May 2021 when a pipe beneath the water, part of the control structure of the pond, developed a leak, causing it to drain through the Regan Drain to the Huron River. The water level in Washago Pond had receded noticeably by the morning of May 19th. Imagine the stunned faces of Willow Park workers when they came into work that morning and instead of paddleboats bobbing gently in the water while moored in their wooden slips, they were resting on the Pond’s sandy bottom. Two days later, the pond was almost completely dry, having gone from a stellar view and fun way to while away a few hours to a vast wasteland.

This is how Washago Pond looked just one year later at this visit. A sign explained the misfortune.

Any water in the Pond was just from recent rains.

You know how your garden and yard weeds multiply if you don’t tend to them regularly?

I follow the Metroparks on Twitter, plus get an e-mail of news and events at the 13 Metropark venues, but had not read any updates on Washago Pond recently. Clearly, from the looks of things, they had not yet started any repairs. I saw a Metropark worker in a golf cart whizzing around and waited for him to near me, then waved him down to ask the status. (Yes, Your Roving Reporter, must stick her nose in the newsy updates of all her walking venues.) I was surprised to learn that Washago Pond’s underwater structure was beyond repair, so they were going to just let grass grow over it permanently. Wow – I decided to cross this venue off my list unless I ever use the bike trail, as there is really not much else to see here. But wait ….

Hmm – a sweet fawn and I walked right past it?!

I left the Pond and ambled along the bicycle path and then heard some noises so I turned around to investigate. Down the hill is where I met a nice family of five attempting to ascend the steep incline.

One of their sons was just learning to ride a two-wheeler without the training wheels and they were encouraging him to make that slow climb up the hill. Because he had a lot of trepidation, I walked down and encouraged him too. So, after he made it to the top we all applauded and Dad clapped him on the back, said “that’s my boy” and the youngster just beamed. Mom was towing another child and an older child was up ahead. This is the pathway looking down and a sign advising of the sharp incline.

I told the parents this was just my second time here, as it was better as a biking venue, than a walking venue. The Dad asked me what photos I’d taken with my camera at Willow Metropark so far that morning and I advised just photos of the pond and told them about the misfortune with it. They were surprised as they usually ride at other Metroparks and, like me, had only been here once before. Then the Dad said “you have your camera – shoot some video of the fawn that came right up to us just before we met you!” Excited, I said “where – you were right behind me?” He laughed and pointed and I said “I just came from there, so I’m going to double back and find that baby!”

I never saw that fawn, but next went in search of the art reproductions and to be honest, I wasn’t all that successful in that venture either, finding just two of four in the already searing-hot sun.

Art in Park.

After visiting the sad remains of Washago Pond, chattin’ it up with the bikers and hunting down a fawn, it was getting warmer by the moment and I had not located any artwork yet. I saw the same friendly worker, again on his golf cart. I asked about the DIA reproductions, only to discover one was nearly in front of my face – oops.

So these art reproductions were what I was looking for …

… but I only found two of them and the sun’s glare on a too-dark painting and a huge shadow did not make for great pics by me.

I was at Willow Metropark about 90 minutes, then went to Oakwoods Metropark followed by Lower Huron Metropark and those visits will be the next two posts. Thankfully both those were woodsy venues, so I knew it would be a tad cooler (and hopefully some critters as this trek was kind of boring).