Elizabeth Park is one of my favorite weekend haunts. For the nature lover, there’s a little bit of everything to see and enjoy … perhaps a nice stroll along the boardwalk where you are sure to meet up with a paddling of ducks looking for a handful of corn, or a gaggle of geese will likely pick their way across your path. A nice collection of songbirds await your eyes and ears and if all these items don’t entice you, be assured the very tame, cute and spoiled squirrels are plentiful and will rush up to you as you step out of your car, ever-hopeful you have brought them goodies.
Today’s trek was the third of three treks taken on that December morn, beginning with an early morning “drop” at Council Point Park to leave treats for my feathered and furry buddies, then on to meander around Humbug Marsh at the new Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. (I have yet to compile the photos plus do a narrative from my three Fall forays to the Wildlife Refuge, so rather than making three separate posts, I’ll just pick my favorite shots from the three trips, so stay tuned.) I had those above-referenced two meanders under my belt before arriving at Elizabeth Park about 11:00 a.m.
A bird’s-eye view of waterfowl aplenty.
I parked near the canal, just past the vehicle bridge. As usual, the water was dotted with ducks, geese and seagulls. From the abundance of screeches, both in the water and overhead, the gulls were wound up about something. I walked back to the vehicle bridge I had just crossed over, to get a bird’s-eye view of the waterfowl in the canal and see what the fracas was about. While scoping out the situation, all of a sudden about a dozen seagulls swooped down from the sky and plunked themselves along the cement rail, not ten feet from me. In a flurry of feathers, most of the gulls then headed to the canal, except this pair. We eyeballed each other and after a few minutes these two inched closer to me, undeterred by the sound of the camera clicking away. They no doubt assumed I was “carrying” … food that is. I had nothing for them, save for some peanuts I brought for the collection of squirrels once they began begging.
So here’s how that seagull encounter looked. Be sure to note the second photo with one gull screeching and the other giving it the side eye.
Having taken at least twenty shots of the canal affray and my gull friends, I moved back onto the road that encircles the island. A handful of squirrels approached and stopped at my feet, politely sitting on haunches in begging stance, wearing that woeful “would you feed me please?” look. Yes, I couldn’t resist – neither could you.
If only all snow disappeared so quickly …
This particular walk was on the cusp of Winter. We had a little snow earlier in the week, but this morning was clear and bright and the only evidence now of snow at this venue was where the plow had shoved it over to the side of the road.
The sun was not strong enough to melt the dribs and drabs of snow nestled in the crisp leaves …
… nor the thin veil of ice on puddles along the way.
Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater.
As I meandered along, I could not help but notice that harvest time lingered at this venue. No, not any candy corn lights or inflatable turkeys or cornucopias, but instead, there were all sizes and shapes of pumpkins and other gourds, with almost nary a nibble on them – yet. Clearly, the local residents in this city had swapped their harvest décor for Christmas trimmings and brought their gourds over to the park for the critters to chow down on. The last time I stopped here at Elizabeth Park and drove through downtown Trenton to get here, I noticed the displays of pots of mums plus many pumpkins piled on hay bales adorning store fronts and street corners, so perhaps that accounted for some as well.
These are just a few of the many gourds I saw that day.
Boppin’ over the bridge and along the boardwalk.
Next, before I walked along the boardwalk, I stopped briefly to get a few shots of the peace and tranquility of the other side of the canal from my perch on the big bridge.
Only one other person was strolling, likely most others were Christmas shopping. I said “good morning” and the woman called out “you look so Christmassy in your red jacket!” I thanked her and smiled, then said “you and your dog have matching jackets!” I stopped to get this shot of them. The Grosse Ile Free Bridge is in the background. It is now closed due to construction an extra year due to added structural problems.
As I walked to the car, I had the road to myself, unlike last time when I had to wait to cross the street while the Canada Geese slowly sashayed across en masse at their usual speed (slow). I heard some geese honking and looked up to see a sloppy formation of geese coming in, aiming for the canal near where I had parked the car. I pleaded silently “please keep my car clean during your flyover guys – I don’t want to stop at the car wash today!”
As the geese approached the canal, they fell out of formation and splashed down mightily into the canal – what a beautiful sight to behold. The ducks scattered at the first kerplunk, but most of the seagulls refused to budge.
I took these few shots which look like a day at the beach, before heading to the car, 5½ miles walked according to the pedometer, in addition to a treasure trove of waterfowl pics on my camera card.
Long-time followers of my blog know that Heritage Park is one of my favorite places to visit all year around.
There is an asphalt track which encircles a large area of picnic tables, pavilions and soccer and baseball fields, where you can easily rack up about 2,000+ steps each time you walk that 1.2-mile track, or you can even take a brief detour into a forested area.
But my favorite part of Heritage Park is the historical village where you can walk amongst vintage buildings and enjoy the ambiance of the covered bridge over Coan Lake with its many Mallards that gather beneath that bridge.
As a special 2020 holiday treat, Heritage Park hosted an event called “Winterfest” that included a spectacular animated light show called “The Blizzard of Oz”.
In order to set up, display and subsequently take down the event, the historical area, Botanical Gardens and Petting Farm were fenced off and closed to the public (except for the nightly shows) for a total of two months.
Well that was a bummer, even though, admittedly, when I visit this venue, I usually take the same ol’ photos of the Mallards, Little Red Schoolhouse, water-powered Mill, old-time log house and other historical buildings nestled within the small village area.
So when Heritage Park’s Photo of the Day Facebook site announced the park was once again totally open, I hustled up there the first chance I got. That would be January 23rd, a very frosty morn. It was only 17F (-8C) when I left the house. I’d already spent about 90 minutes at Council Point Park tendering treats to the squirrels and birds and taking photos for my Valentine’s Day blog post before I headed here. Surely the six-mile ride to Heritage Park would give my frozen fingers time enough to thaw out.
Duck Soup.
In the Winter, I always hope to get some photos of the Mallards huddling against one another on frozen Coan Lake. Surprisingly, despite the frigid temps, the water only froze on one side of the lake. On previous Winter jaunts, I have seen Seagulls, Canada Geese, Cormorants and Herons dive bombing, then plunging through the ice, thus creating a private swimming hole, where they will preen or catch a fish, while the Mallards usually just huddle together on the ice or hang out near the shoreline.
The Mallards didn’t disappoint though. There had to be at least 40-50 of them paddling about in Coan Lake.
The ducks were quacking and splashing, so I don’t know if those verbal utterances were a sign of approval or disapproval with the weather. I know they are well equipped to handle the wintry weather, but I felt sorry for them anyway. I had brought along some sunflower seeds and broken-up WASA crackers and quickly scattered them on the shoreline, but neither the seeds nor crackers appealed to them, so hopefully Coan Lake had been stocked with enough fish to feed the masses. Fishing by humans is catch-and-release only.
An equal number of my fine-feathered friends were lazing along the shoreline.
There was a faint sun out and a few were snoozing, always with the “lookout duck” present. Though those rays of sun, that were bouncing off the water and ice were welcome to see, they didn’t provide much warmth and I was glad for my multiple layers under my squall jacket. Soon, despite a double layer of gloves, my fingers were cold, but I wanted to take photos, so I just lived with it.
Last Winter I visited the Gardens on Valentine’s Day.
I enjoyed my 2020 Valentine’s Day meander at the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The post I did afterward reflected the beauty of the Winter’s day, a breath of fresh air for the Winter-weary. With the color red being the theme of Valentine’s Day, I took images of the bright-red schoolhouse and Fitz’s Caboose and Boxcar against the snow along with the “(he)artwork” that is prominently displayed on the grounds of the Gardens. Francesca’s Heart is a permanent display; these photos were taken this year.
The Botanical Gardens loses some of its charm when the landscape is blah and the flowers are not blooming out front or in pots under the dome and grounds.
A little bit of Christmas leftovers sure did bring a smile to my face. Because the “Blizzard of Oz” event had just closed, there were still traces of Christmas around, so, I got to see the Gardens decorated for that holiday. Here is some of the décor, including the header image.
I strolled around the grounds, stopping to take pictures of those vintage items mentioned above. One day I will see the listing tree below on the ground next to the Little Red Schoolhouse.
There were a few walkers getting in their daily steps and one person walking their dog. It was a quiet morning, just how I like it. By the time I got back to the car, I’d been outside for five hours altogether and the temperature was still only 22F (-5C). Talk about a couple of brrrisk walks!
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.]
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 