Fellow blogger Dave (https://lifeinaword.com/) commented on today’s post entitled “Pavarotti?” by suggesting: “You should ask your readers to submit thoughts on what his companion is thinking. He looks – well – embarrassed, to say the least!”
Over the course of several shoreline visits to the Detroit River in Wyandotte, I saw enough crazy Seagull antics to use the tagline #Seagull Shenanigans three times.
When I created this post, I came up with a ton of fun titles to call it, based on the Seagull with its mouth wide open and the deadpan look on the other Seagull’s face. If that wasn’t funny enough, the singing Seagull was wearing a very sheepish grin in the last shot.
So, among the post titles that sifted through my brain were:
“The Bad Boys of the Boardwalk”
“Pennies from Heaven”
“Catching snowflakes on my tongue”
“Bad joke or bad breath?”
“Gulls just wanna have fun” and …
“That takes a lot of gall, er … gull!”
So, while Pavarotti the Ring-billed Gull was screeching up a storm – what do YOU think his companion was thinking … is he embarrassed by his gull friend or perhaps he/she secretly covets that voice?
I won’t kid you … to plagiarize a familiar Christmas song, the weather outside is (and has been) frightful. Do I blame this on the Groundhog, who boldly declared there would be six more weeks of Winter, or, do I vent my frustration at Mother Nature, who’s certainly been a bit of a tool lately.
“The Real Winter” arrived the afternoon of February 4th and since then we’ve had a smorgasbord of wicked weather, ranging from high winds, ice, brutally cold temps, to snowfall nearly every day. Last Monday’s snowstorm yielded 8 inches (20 cm) of fresh snow, plus drifts over one foot (30 cm) high. Since that snowstorm, we’ve had minor accumulations of the white stuff nearly every day. Sadly, it seems the only walking I’ve done the past few weeks has been behind a shovel. Sigh.
The weather wackiness continues as it seems we will soon reverse course and get balmy temps of 42F (5C) tomorrow. Really?!?!
But, when the Winter weather was better, each walk was filled with Park birds.
I made near-daily jaunts to Council Point Park throughout most of December and January, always stopping at the Safe Haven Tree first, then the little nook where the fallen log and stump is a safe place for me to feed my feathered and furry friends, as the nearby trees and brush allow them an easy escape should a Cooper’s Hawk swoop down. The photos in today’s post, are mostly from January.
I gave the birds some nuts left over from the squirrels’ Valentine cookies, so they were excited to find pistachios, pecan pieces and shelled sunflower seeds at both spots.
I saw (and heard) Rex, the Red-bellied Woodpecker, a few times, either chowing down with the squirrels and other birds near the Safe Haven Tree, or merrily poking the bark for grubs in those few trees he has decimated with his incessant drilling.
I’ve also seen a few of the petite Downy Woodpeckers frequent the treats and often when I reach for the camera, they begin creeping around the trunk of the tree – are they camera shy? The White-breasted Nuthatches flit by, rarely joining the action and they are often too quick and tiny for me to hone in on with the camera and simultaneously fumble with often-frozen fingers.
The Blue Jays have been a welcome addition to my morning rambles as these colorful birds quickly seize the opportunity to snatch a peanut or two, as well as signal to their brethren that the treats have arrived. They are pretty fearless, as they dive down from a tree branch, grab a peanut and return to that perch in just a few seconds. I was happy to get a few up-close shots of this beautiful Blue Jay.
A pair of Northern Cardinals often greet me at the Safe Haven Tree, but, unlike the Blue Jays, the Cardinals are much more timid. The female Cardinal blends right into the tree and, if not for the fluttering of her wings as she makes a hasty trip to ground level to grab a sunflower seed or peanut, I would not even know she has shown up, thus I’ve not taken her photo to date. The male Cardinal, with its bright-red plumage, is easy to spot so I have a few shots of him.
Fellow walker Arnie and I both spotted the bird pictured in the image up top the same day. I took some photos but didn’t download them from the card right away to try to I.D. him/her in a Google image search or bird I.D. site. Arnie paged through his book about local birds and said “I think we are seeing a Northern Mockingbird Linda.” He even brought along the bird book to show me. Here is another photo sans hat and one with a twig in the wrong place. We believe this bird was just passin’ through as we never saw him again after early January.
I know it will be Spring at Council Point Park when I hear the unmistakable call of the Red-winged Blackbird along the edge of the Ecorse Creek.
I hope to get more photos of the Council Point Park birds once I am back to walking there on a daily basis.
The pandemic and the weather have kept me away from Dingell Park too.
Dingell Park is only a mile and a half from Council Point Park but I’ve not been there in a few months. Every February, the eagles perch in trees at Mud Island which is just a stone’s throw away from that small boardwalk along the Detroit River. The frigid weather and resulting ice floes provide excellent fishing opportunities for the Bald Eagles, so many photographers gather in the pavilion area with their tripods and camera lenses as long as my arm. The pavilion area gets quite crowded, so it doesn’t surprise me that this venue’s Facebook page is not filled with the usual eagle shots. Between that gathering, which would not be socially distant, and, because I have resisted taking my car out in the snow and ice, my trip to the annual “eagle fest” will have to wait until February 2022.
Birds in the backyard.
For several years I’ve wanted to participate in “The Great Backyard Bird Count” which is described as an annual event where “people from around the world come together to watch, learn about, count and celebrate birds.”The event even has its own website
However, since I began blogging in 2013, once February rolled around, I was busy writing posts about Groundhog Day, my Blogiversary, Valentine’s Day, or even President’s Day. I decided this year I’d participate.
The 2021 bird count took place from Friday, February 12th through Monday, February 15th. All you needed to do was to pick one of those days and document the exact time and location and what birds you saw during a 15-minute (or longer) period. I chose Monday, February 15th at 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to participate. Our weather was rather abysmal for this bird count project. After a frigid Friday, and two snowy weekend mornings where I finally got to Council Point Park after an eight-day absence, we had snow in the wee hours of Monday morning, with a major Winter storm on its way later in the day. So, I was prepared to count noses, er … beaks, while I was out shoveling the snow out front, but mostly in the backyard where there are the most trees and bushes.
My official count, which I submitted last Monday evening looked like this:
Yesterday I received a thank you for my participation and a video filled with images of various birds and participants and some stats from the event. These images are some highlights taken from the The Great Backyard Bird Count website/video:
As to my count … first, as I entered the backyard, a Mourning Dove cooed from its perch high up on the wire. It looked at me inquisitively and I said “while you’re up on the wire there, if you see any squirrels chewing on the telephone wires, ask them to cease and desist as AT&T was out AGAIN last week to repair the wires where the squirrels chewed the covering and moisture got inside causing static. Thank you.”
Next was a Black-capped Chickadee nestled in the barberry bush eating tiny red berries. I could have dashed into the house and grabbed some sunflower seeds to sprinkle around, something my fine-feathered friend would have dearly loved, but I’ve stopped feeding the squirrels and birds since the Cooper’s Hawks made my sweet gray squirrel Grady and his friends its prey last Spring. So I kept myself from that impetuous move and got back to the task at hand.
A cheery American Robin perched on the Lilac tree and serenaded me as I shoveled and scraped off the patio. It paid no attention to the lightly falling snow, nor the bitter cold. I turned to the Robin and asked “perhaps next year you’ll migrate and get out of Michigan?” Robins are the state bird of Michigan, but they do migrate. I’d have scrounged around my coat pocket for a peanut or a sunflower seed, but they’d hold no appeal for my red-breasted friend who prefers worms and grubs.
I didn’t take the camera outside last Monday to record the images of the birds, as it was snowing lightly. But a few days before the GBBC I did capture some shots of my neighbor’s Arborvitae that is always brimming with bird life. I refer to this as the “Twitter Tree” because any time I walk by, I hear a cacophony of tweets and twitters no matter the season. There are a multitude of House Sparrows that nest and live in between the branches of this tall evergreen. Sometimes they are hidden, or nestled between the branches and when I walk by, I usually hear a sudden whoosh as they are spooked by my presence and immediately fly up to the telephone wire. This is a good example of what I see every day.
I thumped the snow off the shovel and hurried into the house to jot down my bird tallies before I forgot the details. Hopefully the weather gets better for the birds and me and we get back to the business of creeping toward Spring after these never-ending Winter wallops.
The trek to deliver Valentine treats for the Park sweeties for my Valentine’s Day blog post actually happened three weeks ago, on Saturday, January 23rd. It’s Wintertime in Michigan and you never know what the weather will be, so I had to plan ahead.
While that was a fun and flavorful visit, I am convinced that my trip yesterday to dispense peanuts and sunflower seeds was most welcome and the treats savored even more because I had been MIA for eight days, the longest I’ve ever missed walking at Council Point Park since I discovered this venue in 2013.
My HEART was in my mouth yesterday as I walked down the driveway to begin this journey.
After a week of angst over ever-deteriorating sidewalk and road conditions, brutally cold temps and snow nearly every day, the missed steps from my walking regimen took a back seat to my inability to provide sustenance for my furry and feathered Park pals. Yes, I know I am a bleeding HEART. I hoped they stayed tucked in their nests and didn’t go to ground level to see if I’d been by.
Yesterday, notwithstanding the weather forecast of snowing and 15F (-9C) with a real feel of 10F (-12C) and NE winds gusting to 12 mph (19 km), I headed out the door at 8:30 a.m., determined to make it to the Park. I knew I’d return home in a HEARTbeat if it was too slick, but I reasoned there was already a light dusting of snow that might provide a cushion for the still slick street that remained unplowed and unsalted. I tested the pavement with my boot and deemed it safe to head out. It felt tropical after the last week of brutal wind chills every time I stepped outside.
My walk was peaceful as the neighborhood was silent and the snow fell softly. I walked in the street, only needing to dodge three vehicles and then I stepped onto the grass to let them pass by. I meandered slowly down Pagel Avenue, the winding street which encompasses most of my one-mile journey from home to Council Point Park. I was happy to reach the Park so I could walk on the snow-covered grass without worries of wiping out.
I didn’t stop to count snow-covered noses – there were squirrels everywhere!
Just as I embarked on the perimeter path, squirrels came scurrying over to greet me, their snouts covered in snow, where presumably they had been trying to find overlooked peanuts at the Safe Haven Tree, or unearthing other long-buried treats. I didn’t take a camera as it was snowing when I left, but I would have had some cute shots of my pals as they waited impatiently at the base of the tree as I doled out nuts and seeds. Soon they munched contently to their HEART’s desire, at both the Safe Haven Tree and a few minutes later at the Stump/Log Hideaway. Arnie came along and I told him how worried I’d been and he waved off my worries saying “I was here a couple of times since I last saw you and I suspect they stayed in their nests as they weren’t on the path.” Whew – what a relief to hear that – those furry friends have my HEART as you might guess.
So, I’ve digressed … how about my light-HEARTed Valentine’s Day post now?
The morning of January 23rd was brutally cold, but sunny. It would be a two-park day for me. After my little Valentine treats shoot, I headed to Heritage Park in search of Mallards-huddled-together-on-the-ice-under-the-covered-bridge shots. That trek will be fodder for another post.
I’m just nutz about you!
The night before, I made up the cookies. I really sweetened the pot by using “Nutter Butter Double Nutty Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies” which are supposed to have twice as much peanut butter as the regular Nutter Butters. Of course I tasted them to ensure they were fit to give the squirrels. I had to taste cookies from each side of the package… I wouldn’t want my furry friends to get sick would I?
Way back in the Fall I bought the red icing, a small bag of pistachios and some pecans to make the cookies festive looking for Valentine’s Day. Here’s how I put them together:
I left them uncovered overnight so the icing would harden and I could pack them up. I also had the rest of the bag of whole walnuts left over from Christmas.
At the Park, I spread out the cookies, the walnuts and some peanuts in the shell under the Safe Haven Tree.
A few squirrels were immediately interested in the smorgasbord, did the sniff test, but opted for the walnuts from the get-go, then later noshed on a few peanuts, finally trying out the cookies.
It was a similar scenario at the Stump/Log Alcove. Here were the goodies and I had just strewn them on the stump when a Fox squirrel ran over and grabbed the top of one of the cookies … I guess the pistachios appealed to him, the rest of the cookie not so much, however, the rest of the cookies disappeared more quickly here for some reason.
These were my favorite two photos at this spot.
I walked around the loop two complete times, then finally headed to the car, glad to crank up the heat and warm my fingers up once I stepped in.
Cold-hands, warm HEART, on that day and yesterday, all the while sending joy in the journey.
In a perfect world, this virtual fundraiser that I participated in on Thanksgiving Day 2020 might have been spun into a blog post long before now. But, in this COVID era, where snail mail sometimes takes weeks, even months, to arrive at its destination, my Turkey Trot swag finally landed in my mailbox the tail end of January.
And further, in a perfect world, where one sets out their New Year’s resolutions on Day #1 of the brand-new year, one might assume that by the 42nd day of 2021, at least some of those proclamations may have been broken, or at least tweaked. But all of them? Gee … how did I go so horribly wrong this year? And today, by virtue of this post, I have broken the last New Year’s resolution. You see, I told myself in 2021, I would limit my blog posts to just two per week and maybe, just maybe, I could stay caught up with everyone else’s blogs that way. Sigh.
Well a “blogiversary” is worth breaking that resolution don’t you think? (Say “yes” please.)
In the eight years since that snowy February weekend when I created WALKIN’, WRITIN’, WIT & WHIMSY and entered the blogosphere, I have amassed a total of 1,576 posts and my media file is groaning with photos. That’s pretty incredible since I started out with one-paragraph posts, one-word titles and often no photo.
‘Twas the Season …
Of course you said “Bye Bye Birdie” after dabbing your mouth from enjoying that scrumptious bird that was parked in the middle of the Thanksgiving table several months ago, so admittedly this post lacks the pizazz of any Thanksgiving Day fanfare.
But, since this is a blog about walking, I decided a post memorializing my first 10K event was perfect for my blogiversary date.
For the past 38 years, the Parade Company in Detroit has hosted a walk/run event prior to America’s Thanksgiving Parade. The walkers and runners wend their way through Downtown Detroit, directly preceding the parade. Even though there are corporate sponsors, the event participants’ entry fees help defray the purchase and maintenance of parade paraphernalia like floats, giant balloon characters and costumes.
I always thought it would be fun to participate in the walk/run event, but the race begins at the crack of dawn, in Downtown Detroit and on Thanksgiving Day – who knows what the weather would be like? Plus, the crowds are massive, as people line Woodward Avenue to watch the parade which begins at 9:00 a.m.
But then I heard the radio advertisement for the Turkey Trot. As you might have guessed, this 2020 annual footrace, just like so many other events, was virtual. The walk/run events are known as the Michigan Mashed Potato Mile, the 5K Stuffing Strut and the 10K Turkey Trot. I decided to participate in the 10K event and it was my first 10K – yay me! The walk/run could be taken anytime between November 23rd to November 30th.
While I had my choice of eight days in which to do my virtual walk, I wanted to be a purist and complete the trek on Thanksgiving morning and I wanted to do it at my favorite nature nook, Council Point Park. It was gloomy and gray that morning and it looked like it would rain any minute, so I took an umbrella, but purposely left the camera at home. As it turned out, it never did rain, but it was very overcast.
I was all alone on the walking path for the longest time, but soon I looked up to see four people on the trail. They were all running. As two teenagers zipped past me, I couldn’t help but notice they were wearing elf hats. They waved and called out “good morning – Happy Thanksgiving” and soon were out of sight. I kept at it, walking around the same loop with all the squirrels and birds, then I switched to the other walking loop as I knew I’d deplete my goodies if I stayed on that side any longer.
On the other side of the Park, I saw a guy wearing a Santa cap and white beard. Suddenly something clicked – were these folks participating in the same event as me? Well, your Roving Reporter just had to know, so I walked faster, caught up with “Santa” and asked that very question. He told me it was his wife Amy’s idea for the family to participate and he said Amy was an avid runner and had left him “in the dust” so he took a rest while we chitchatted. Of course, it was a missed moment photo-wise since the camera was at home.
I often walk six miles or more on weekend days and this late in the year, with mild weather in November, plus, since I was walking every day, I got the 6.2 miles easily walked and took a photo of the pedometer reading when I got home.
So, here is my shirt and finishing medal and I decided to make this my blogiversary post since the reason I began this blog was to write about my daily treks, which walking regimen I began Labor Day weekend 2011.
Onward and upward!
I’m adding my blogiversary logo here; it just arrived.
[Parade pics and Turkey Trot hashtag logos are from The Parade Company Facebook page.]
Mother Nature has been a bit conflicted about our Southeast Michigan Winter. Did she want this season to merely meander along or should she pull out all the stops? Maybe the old gal waited until Pugsatawney Phil and Woody the Woodchuck (Michigan’s prognosticating rodent) weighed in. After a few piddling snowstorms and several bouts of freezing rain, (all which mostly melted within a few days’ time), plus a handful of days with frigid temps, we finally got a Winter wallop. Ouch!
Yes, Mother Nature stomped her foot bigtime.
Thursday night brought 4.2 inches (10.6 cm) of snow paired with brutal temps. I shoveled that heavy snow Friday morning. Then, I was faced with a dilemma Saturday morning when I heard a news interview in the 6:00 a.m. hour wherein an E.R. doc cautioned “don’t stay outside more than 10 minutes in this weather” … hmm. I pondered those words of advice while wrapping my hands around my mug of coffee to take away the chill I felt in the house. Yes, the house, with the furnace blasting and me tucked inside, away from the brutal elements.
I hopped online to verify what the National Weather Service said about that dire forecast, especially the bone-chilling temps for the Detroit Metro area – ugh.
So, do I dare take myself to the Park, a 20-minute trek each way, as well as running clear across the Park to distribute treats? I’d be outside for a good hour to get my steps in, but more importantly, my mission of feeding the critters done.
I looked out the front door after sunrise and the streets had not been salted or plowed. But, filled with bravado, I packed up the peanuts and a large Ziploc bag of black oiler sunflower seeds anyway, donned an extra layer of everything and headed out into the temps around 7F (-13C) with a real feel of -2F (-18C) and a gusty wind of 25 mph (40 kmh). I ran the car and scoped out the street – not good at ground level either. The mail carrier came along and we chatted it up a bit. He’s usually delivering the mail as I’m returning home from my daily walk and he knows where I go every morning. I said “what are the roads like – should I venture to the Park – it’s going to snow a coupla more inches tonight – what do you think?”“Don’t do it!” he cried. Then went on to say “it is dangerously cold out here; I’m in extra layers and it’s brutal – they’ll be okay.” Well that clinched it. Sunday morning wasn’t one bit better – still the Arctic chill and snow to boot.
Until the Arctic Blast subsides, I hope everyone stayed tucked in their nests and I likewise will remain in mine.
This trek was taken just before the bottom fell out.
February 4th was gorgeous, albeit cold, for a February day in Michigan. I toyed with the idea of going to Bishop Park to see if there were ice slabs or frozen-in-midair-waves, always an awesome sight to see, plus it would give the car a run before we settled into this impending snow and Arctic Blast. But, in the end, I simply drove to the Park, catered to my Park pals with some walnut pieces and extra peanuts and got some shots of them and the snow-covered ice at the Ecorse Creek.
As I indulged my little buddies, I warned them I would likely be MIA due to the snow that was arriving that afternoon and the impending Deep Freeze. I cautioned them to “eat hardy and take some back to your nests” which words likely fell on deaf ears since I’d made this suggestion several times before and the weathermen were wrong each time and I returned red-faced the next day.
Though the landscape was a bit bleak and desolate looking …
… I looked to find some beauty and got several shots of the ice as I walked the shoreline of the Ecorse Creek. I don’t often take photos of this side of the Park. The Creek is narrow here and you can see the backyards of those homes which are located in a different city – Wyandotte.
Although the weather was cold, we had one day the previous week which was warmer and some of the Creek had thawed. I was surprised to see he was out on the ice – in fact, this was the first time I’ve seen someone ice fishing, let alone evidence that people had been walking on the surface.
I would have waved but Jacob was engrossed in fishing and tossing those fish back into the chilly waters almost as quickly as he caught them.
I stopped at the second safe haven spot where I have been feeding my furry and feathered friends. I am confident they can congregate here to nosh nuts and dash behind the log into the brush to escape a sudden hawk intrusion. I always get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I arrive and a passel of squirrels come running over, or the Jays, Cardinals and Chickadees alight on nearby branches while I dole out the goodies.
Here are a few of my pals that I took photos of that morning. I especially like the first shot of the Chickadee and squirrel, even if you have to squint to see the Chickadee.
I talked to them, took a lot of photos and moved on to get some more ice shots.
This is the cement landing, covered in snow just like the Creek. It sure looks cold and frosty doesn’t it?
What really piqued my interest was the double set of tracks in the snow-covered ice. I did a Google image search and it came up “a migrating flock of birds” – well, yes … that is what it looked like. I thought perhaps it was the tracks of ducks, or maybe Canada Geese?
On a whim, I remembered fellow blogger Barbara giving me a Facebook site where birders would help you identify an image of a particular bird. I wondered if Facebook had a site for the I.D. of animal tracks. Bingo! “Animals Don’t Cover Their Tracks: Animal Track Identification Help Group” sounded perfect for my query, so I asked to join the group, posted this picture and got lots of responses, which ranged from Crow, Raven, Eagle, Pheasant, Grouse, Wild Turkey and Great Blue Heron. Why didn’t I think of Harry the Heron? Of course it was Harry! I sent the group a few shots of the tracks from far away to give them a perspective on the scale/size of the tracks and also a photo I had of Harry walking across the ice in the past. I told everyone the ice was solid so the Heron would likely not find a fish here anytime soon. It was fun picking everyone’s brain and the general consensus ended up as a Heron’s footprints on the snow-covered ice.
There were lots of human footprints on the snow-covered ice as well.
All too soon I glanced at my watch and it was getting late so I had to get home for work. I knew weather changes were afoot and, though I hate to wish my life away, I would have liked to zip ahead to March.
This is Part 2 of a morning spent in Wyandotte boppin’ along the riverfront. First, there was an hour jaunt on the boardwalk at Bishop Park where I was taking photos of that gull that insisted on posing for me, even sans snacks. You can click hereif you missed last Monday’s post.
Then I was off to BASF Park which is a mile away. Sandwiched in between these two riverfront parks, you must pass through Downtown Wyandotte’s business section along busy Biddle Avenue.
My sole purpose for visiting Wyandotte was to take photos of their Christmas decorations, because the shops, as well as Biddle Avenue, are always decorated well in advance of the annual Wyandotte Christmas Parade.
Wyandotte has held a Christmas parade for eons – in fact, the 2020 version would have been the 77th annual Wyandotte Christmas Parade. Tradition has that parade going along Biddle Avenue on the last Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday. Wyandotte is a fun town with lots of small shops, eateries and in close proximity to two waterfront parks. I’ve been to their Christmas Parade many decades ago and mingled with a crowd of thousands which lined the street awaiting Santa’s arrival.
I follow the local news on Facebook and was surprised to see the Wyandotte Christmas Parade was still on schedule, so I decided I’d get some photos for a holiday blog post. However, a few days before that planned excursion, the News Herald announced that the parade and tree-lighting ceremony were scratched due to COVID concerns.
I decided to go to Wyandotte anyway, as surely the shopkeepers and City had instilled a little Christmas spirit down the main avenue. So off I went. My hunch was 100% wrong. I guess everyone was feeling like Scrooge due to the pandemic.
There was plenty to see anyway on that morning meander.
The “Winter in Wyandotte” sign, prominently displayed at Maple and Biddle, reminded me that yes, Winter was on the way, though you wouldn’t know it from the still-blooming white chrysanthemums in a planter near the base of the sign.
While walking that mile-long route from Bishop Park to BASF Park, I saw this evergreen, with pine cones dripping down. Inhaling deeply, I was reminded that this fragrant tree instantly made me think of Christmas.
Soon I was at my destination where I spent the next 90 minutes enjoying a gorgeous Southeast Michigan Fall day. Some trees still had not dropped their leaves and were ablaze in color.
As I strolled along the Detroit River, there were the usual seagull shenanigans and drama (stay tuned) …
Even the Willow tree was reluctant to shed its leaves.
Take a seat and a load off your feet and contemplate life.
It was a perfect day for fishing. The Trenton Channel Power Plant is in the background.
Yonder was a freighter going full steam ahead toward Detroit.
Here’s a close-up of that freighter, one of the Canada Steamship Lines’ fleet.
Downtown Detroit looms large in the background.
The buoy was rockin-and-rollin’ after the freighter passed. I’ll bet the seagull was seasick.
On one of the overlooks, still another seagull ponders its watery kingdom.
Enough pondering … it flew off to look for some breakfast.
Seagulls are a’plenty at this venue. This gull had a primo seat to watch the world go by.
Here’s a close-up photo of my little gull friend above.
Unbelievably, even in mid-November, the pollinator garden still had some hangers-on.
I think this sign should read: “Please BEE careful” don’t you?
P.S. – I was able to get a few shots of Christmas decorations in the Park’s memorial garden when I came upon lots of bulbs and baubles on two identical memorial trees, but that was it.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 