WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Hittin’ the trail to help the hungry.

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Linda Schaub

Since 2018 I have participated in the annual Happy Soles 5K to raise money for Fish & Loaves, a local food pantry. In 2018 and 2019 I walked the 5K on-site, but since then, due to COVID, I have opted to participate virtually.

Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry is a non-profit, faith-based organization which provides assistance to families and individuals. In 2024 this food pantry distributed 3.4 million pounds of food helping 100,000+ individuals. This Fish & Loaves 2025 Happy Soles 5K raised over $36,000 according to the event organizers.

The 2025 event marked the 16^th annual Happy Soles 5K. The event always begins at the pavilion, a/k/a Sheridan Center. From there, participants wend their way around the nearby neighborhood, through the woods across from the playing field where the Junior World Series is held every August, along the path through the historical village and finally they return to Sheridan Center to hopefully cross the finish line.

The event was held on June 1st as you see from the swag in the featured image and race site info below. Since I’ve done the event virtually, I usually go to Heritage Park the day before or after to take photos to accompany the event post. This year I went on June 2^nd. For those of you keeping track of my many submissions for a tee-shirt tagline – there was no contest this year; they used the same “Moving Against Hunger” tagline as in 2024.

Stepping out sans solemates … er, soulmates.

You may not be familiar with every venue I visit and “report on” but I know you all recognize the covered bridge …

… and of course that cute Little Red Schoolhouse.

You might even say “hey, that’s the Old Log Cabin!”

I decided to stop near the Old Log Cabin to check out the perennial garden maintained by the Taylor Garden Club.

These geese and ducks didn’t even stop grazing as I approached the garden – that shows you how interesting I am to them.

I hoped to see a bounty of butterflies like last year when the Bee Balm and Coneflowers bloomed profusely and yielded some pretty photographs of Tiger Swallowtails flitting about, but, my hopes were dashed when I discovered those flowers hadn’t even bloomed yet. Here’s what it looked like last year. Up close there were bees and butterflies galore as you can see in this post.

In fact, I couldn’t even scare up a bee on these beautiful and vibrant yellow plants which would have looked perfect with some bumble bees nestled down into the pollen and complementing their bright color.

This is an Evening Primrose …

… and these tallish yellow blooms are a new plant to me; they were identified by a sign in the garden and Google Images as Yellow Loosestrife.

This colorful Tiger Lily, near a future Sunflower yielded no butterflies either…

… even when I zoomed in.

I paused at the Wild Geranium with a few tiny bugs resting on a petal…

… then I decided to head to the Botanical Gardens in search of a better flora and fauna experience.

So did I fare better photo-wise at the Botanical Gardens?

Well, kinda sorta.

Speaking of creatures, I am a creature of habit. I’ve been visiting this venue for about a decade, maybe longer. Each time I go to the Gardens, I have a routine. After meandering around the historical area, I cut across the “village” grounds, past the 125-year-old Sell/Schoenscheck House, now a photography studio which needs a new sign.

Then I walk along busy Pardee Road. It’s not a long walk, but since I’m not only here for photo ops, but to rack up some steps as well, I’ve always traveled this same route.

Follow the leader in the “forest”.

Well, before I headed toward Pardee Road, out of the corner of my eye I spied a trio of escapees from the Petting Farm: a Pekin duck and his pals, two large domestic ducks.

They were grazing near the Old Saw Mill when they saw me and turned around and headed toward a wooded area. Feeling like a member of the paparazzi (and because critter photo ops had been scarce that morning), I trailed after them. Even though I was a fair distance behind the group, they sped up, waddling very quickly while trying to dodge this pest with her camera. I guess I need to tote along a little corn as a posing enticement next time I visit this venue.

My photos were not so great as they scurried around each bend and turn on the trail and the canopy of trees gave me some shade, but made it dim in the woods as well.

They were joined by another domestic duck at the “Rock Lounge” (a group of large boulders placed in a circle in the middle of the woods … think Stonehenge, only shorter). 🙂

The four ducks evidently were having a ducky outing away from the farm.

In my peripheral vision I noticed this envelope stuck in a tree branch and even pondered removing and reading it, but decided it did not have my name on it, so I just kept walking. Hmm – honesty and too many years of watching “Candid Camera” back in the day I guess.

But of course, I had to get a photo of it, right?

After that minor distraction I realized I had lost sight of the four ducks, which, by now, were feeling mighty smug after artfully dodging me.

But wait – I saw another feathered friend who, like myself, was meandering along, only it was picking, pecking and scratching at the ground. We had a strange staredown for a moment, but in the end it was way more charitable than the ducks and posed nicely here.

Soon I realized the end of my woodsy walk was at the Botanical Gardens. So, I now have a shortcut thanks to my feathered friends, all five which by now had ditched me like a hot potato.

Like the perennial garden by the Old Log Cabin, it was still fairly early in the blooming season so the garden areas really weren’t showy and ready for primetime either, so I didn’t even stop to take photos.

Returning from the Botanical Gardens the old way I noted the Taylor Historical Museum had a smattering of patriotic decor.

The Township Hall similarly had bunting strung along the railings.

There were not enough veggies nor blooms to take photos of at the Community Gardens either – maybe next month.

The cockeyed birdhouses look the same every Spring – too many parents and offspring packing it in on one side only. The pair of birdhouses have looked like this for years.

As I walked to the car, I passed this Mallard who had just awakened from a nap (you’ll recall another shot of him dozing off in last week’s post).

I admit to having had more exciting walks at Heritage Park and the Gardens where I’ve come home with a camera card full of photos, but this was not one of those times. I would, however, return to this venue exactly two weeks later to find a treasure trove of birdies and babies, so stay tuned.

I walked to the car, sank down in the seat and turned on the air after a very warm morning, just a preview of coming attractions for one of Michigan’s hottest Junes on record.

I am joining Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge: Patriotic – Show us your country’s flag, images of flags.

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, birds, event, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Challenge, 5K events, birds, nature, virtual 5K, walk, walking | 61 Comments

OUCH!! #Wordless Wednesday #A prickly situation. Hmm – is the bug impaled on that spine?

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, Cacti at the Taylor Botanical Gardens, nature | 67 Comments

Sunseekers of the world unite!

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Linda Schaub

Summer is finally here following a Spring that was quite wobbly, a season that left me weary as we endured odd temps, endless windy days and rain. The skies were often gloomy and this could not always be blamed on the Canadian wildfires.

But, if you think we humans are happy to see the sun, especially those of us in a four-season state where Winter lingers well into March, the critters are equally as happy for Summer’s sunshine and warmth.

I’m gonna soak up the sun.

I know many of you enjoy the photos of turtles sunning on a log, just as much as I enjoy seeing them. I’ve commented before that I’ve seen more turtles than ever basking in the sun this year, beginning as early as April. They look so peaceful that I hate to disturb them as I walk by, as inevitably, in a domino-like effect, one by one they plop into the water.

Recently, I came upon a few turtles that exhibited a strange phenomenon. I looked closer and thought “are my eyes deceiving me here or are those turtles’ shells peeling?” I pondered as I took a few photos and remembered a thin layer of MY own skin peeling off after too many hours beneath the sun’s rays without sun protection. So, I asked my friend Google that night if a turtle sheds its shell – yes it does!

I learned that turtles shed the outer layer of their shell, a/k/a “scutes” as they grow. That process helps to ensure their shell, which is made of keratin, a substance similar to human fingernails, remains healthy, free from algae build-up and ensures the shell, just like the turtle, grow together. Fascinating – who knew?!

Below are the turtles with their shells peeling off.

We know turtles like lazing on a log, basking in the sunshine, but what about other non-human creatures?

Well, a few years ago, I did a post after watching a Mute Swan perched on an ice floe seemingly performing yoga moves called “Sun Salutations” – perhaps after a cold Winter, that lovely creature embraced the sun, warming it from its bill to its tail feathers. Here is that regal swan in case you missed it.

On a recent trip to Lake Erie Metropark, I witnessed another Mute Swan enjoying the sunny day. I had parked myself under a tree for a brief respite from the sun and also to observe this swan without it being mindful of my presence.

The swan seemed to delight in luxuriating in the cool water, just soaking up the sun in a blissful manner. It was not preening, but instead positioning itself to bask in the sun. See if you agree as you scroll down through this series of photos …

I stumbled upon these critters catchin’ some rays recently too.

This trio of goslings, fresh from a swim and a bite to eat, were shutting their eyes in bliss.

The first one resisted at first – you know how that is, eyes at half-mast …

Here’s two more shutting their eyes, letting the sun beat down to dry them off, soft and fluffy again.

This Mallard decided a brief snooze was in order as the sun beat down, making its head seem iridescent.

Even Mourning Cloak Butterflies do it … bask in the sun that is (though it might have picked a better background for sun-worshipping).

But what about you and me – do we likewise revel in the sun’s warmth?

As I get older, I may still embrace that glorious feeling of the sun on my upturned face, but I admit to taking more precautions than ever to avoid sunburns. Once a sun worshipper, I now resort to sun hats and sun clothing, all in UPF 50+ to give me protection from the harmful sun’s rays. While out at shoreline parks with my camera in tow, those rays are intense and rather than risk damaging the camera with oily sun protection, this is the easier and more practical method to avoid burning, though I’ll ‘fess up and say I got sunburned back on March 13th after photographing waterfowl on ice floes at Dingell Park.

Yes, I should have donned one of my sunhats … but in mid-March?

As a teenager, since everyone wanted that healthy look a tan gives you, I would lay out in the sun. I don’t remember Mom cautioning me about skin cancer so much as telling me I’d have a face like shoeleather when I got older. Did that deter me? Well, not really, but, once I got older and smarter, I became more mindful of not wanting to have a wrinkly face that looked like my shoes.

Mom did ensure when I was a toddler I didn’t get a sunburn. As I stood in my blow-up pool with my best friend Linda Crosby in the Summer of ’58, I had a sunbonnet on, as did my pal, but …

… I wasn’t wearing a top – hmm. I wonder if I ended up with a sunburn that day?

Fast forward a few years … on a family trip to Oklahoma, we stopped at this nondescript, roadside motel where I posed in the parking lot, the sign touting “Air-Conditioned” in the background. What a unique sunhat I was wearing! So, did Mom reach for a lampshade and glue on ribbons at the bottom to tie under my chin?

I would have been happier had my father removed the plastic seat covers as my tender, shorts-clad legs often stuck to the hot back seat of the VW Beetle, despite that wool blanket I sat on, but often shifted beneath me.

Yep, the weather is wacky these days.

As you know, the Summer Solstice occurred this past Friday, June 20th in the Northern Hemisphere and, even though I may whine about Summer’s extreme heat (ugh) and off-the-charts humidity (double ugh), longtime readers of this blog know I am no fan of Winter either. Yes, I am not only a weather worrier, but also a weather whiner as well.

Now, if I were in charge of the weather, I’d even things out, so we would have four distinct seasons, just as it was for most of my life. But alas, reconfiguring the four seasons is sadly not in my skillset and that administrative privilege belongs to Mother Nature.

So, as we begin a slow creep toward Fall, then Winter, I am hoping Mother Nature graces us with an Autumn filled with some Summer-like days before we hunker down for the chilly and cold seasons ahead. But please not as hot as this heat wave we are currently enduring.

Terri’s Challenge today is: “Sunrises and Sunsets, celebrating the Solstice” but since I have no sunrise or sunset pics, I chose to celebrate the sunseekers amongst us.

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, nature, Seasons, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Challenge, nature, Seasons, Summer, walk, walking | 88 Comments

One long-legged gal looked like a deer-in-the-headlights (me); one long-legged gal ambled off (not me). #Wordless Wednesday #She just appeared out of nowhere!

Posted on June 18, 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, White-tailed deer | 50 Comments

Gosling-palooza!

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Linda Schaub

They were coming right at me, a passel of goslings, with their parents bringing up the rear! Yikes! I had no time to hide, or even duck into my car to escape them.

Well, truth be told, there were no worries for me; those feathered babies, of course, were not menacing in the least. In fact, I was at this park looking for goslings – um, I just didn’t expect to find so many of them at one time. 🙂

The month of May in Michigan means goslings galore!

In May, in most of the parks I frequent, if you need a “gosling fix” there are plenty of places to find these cutie pies. It’s been my experience that the first big gosling hatch happens just before Mother’s Day. So, I make my annual rounds to my favorite spots where I can see the tiniest goslings, those lemon-colored fuzzballs toddling around after their parents on over-sized feet, or laying down, those big feet stretched behind them, while demolishing dandelions and grass with great gusto.

Then, within a couple of weeks, these sweet goslings will lose their baby features, replacing round bodies with boat-shaped physiques, as well as sporting lots of attitude. I am always amused to watch these teenaged goslings mimicking Dad, hissing with their tiny tongues and flapping their mini-wings.

My favorite venue to look for goslings is Elizabeth Park where there must be hundreds of geese roaming around this 162-acre (65-hectares) venue. I visited here in mid-May, on the lookout for photo ops and found myself gobsmacked to find zero goslings. But, when I returned to this venue a mere two weeks later, on May 27th, there were goslings galore, which begged the question “where were they just a few weeks before?” These certainly weren’t newly hatched goslings!

But wait – let’s get back to “Gosling-palooza!”

I stepped out of my car, swiveling my head for a quick look to see if there were goslings near the main footbridge or in the canal – nope, not a gosling to be found. For a quick moment, I wondered what happened to them? Should I worry?

Well, I needn’t have worried, as mere moments later, I had to stifle a giggle, when a gaggle of goslings ganged up on this hapless photographer. Mom and Dad and their brood were having a wee outing just as I happened along. Woo hoo, what a photo op for me! Dad saw me and visibly bristled – his feathers ruffled a tad by my very presence and he continued to give me not only the evil eye, the side eye and even a hissing session complete with wing-flapping, all typical gander histrionics when protecting offspring from a perceived threat.

But, little ol’ me was NOT a threat and I held my ground, admittedly backing up a few paces to give them ALL some space. Sure we can mingle, but I needed to stay mindful of Dad, because that’s what Dads do, right? They are protectors when you’re young and even when you’re grown up.

So there I was, in the midst of these 28 goslings and only two adults. Hmm, what is the ratio of parents to offspring anyway? Surely they were babysitting, er … goslingsitting, as their friends had a date morning, or something similar?

But, as I happily repeatedly clicked the shutter button, I could see more geese families on the horizon, waddling along Elizabeth Drive toward me.

They whizzed past me, not even stopping to say “good morning” as they headed for their favorite grazing places. Look at the various sizes, some goslings well on the way to becoming “Mini-Me” versions of their parents.

It doesn’t take the goslings long to double, triple – even quadruple their size. After all, just like Mom and/or Dad, all they do is eat! A gosling typically reaches full size and has the ability to fly within 70 days of hatching.

Elizabeth Park isn’t huge, but there is something for everybody, with a woodsy trail if you’re so inclined, strolling the 1,300 foot (396 m) boardwalk along the Detroit River, or walking on Elizabeth Drive, the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) paved road that encircles Elizabeth Park. You won’t be alone as there are always walkers … AND vehicles. This is the ONLY way to enter and exit the park, a one-way street, which, if you need to be somewhere soon, don’t wait until the last moment to leave the park because the geese have only one speed – SLOW. On a whim, sometimes the geese stand in the middle of the road while pondering “so, do we want to graze or swim right now?” Or perhaps “is the grass really greener on that side of the road?” The speed limit is low, 15 mph, so you can watch for geese crossing, well okay – humans too.

As I gazed at them through the camera lens, it got me wondering whether their parents can even tell their own offspring from offspring belonging to other geese families? Can the proud dads even distinguish one gosling from the other? Well I’ll leave that query for the bird experts to answer.

What I’ll leave YOU with, is a selection of the morning’s favorite gosling shots, offspring that any gander would be proud of. I’m sure you would agree.

Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge today is “Paths and Trails” which celebrates June as National Great Outdoors Month. But it is also Father’s Day, so I’ve got the best of both worlds here with this gosling who says:

“Some day I’ll grow into these feet ‘cuz Dad’s got big shoes, er … webbed feet to fill, but, in the meantime, …

… I’ll just follow in Dad’s footsteps every step of the way.”

To all the Dads and Granddads out there, Happy Father’s Day!

Posted in #Sunday Stills Challenge, birds, holiday, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Challenge, birds, Canada Geese, Father's Day, holiday, nature, walk, walking | 76 Comments

Mom -n- Dad and their munchkins. #Wordless Wednesday #How many Mute Swan cygnets do YOU see?

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, Mute Swans, nature | 52 Comments

Taking a pink pause …

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Linda Schaub

**Dogwood tree blossoms at the Ford Estate**

Today’s post is part two of three parts about a long walk taken April 24^th at three different venues.

The highlight of the entire day was where I began my excursion, at Ford Field Park, as I pulled into a parking space and saw Mr. and Mrs. Wood Duck grazing in a picnic area about 25 feet/7 meters away. In case you missed that post, you can read about the encounter here.

After taking photos of the Wood Ducks and a few Redbud and Willow trees scattered around Ford Field Park, I ambled along the Rouge Gateway Trail to my next destination, Fair Lane, a/k/a the Ford Estate, home of Henry and Clara Ford from 1915 until their deaths in 1947 and 1950, respectively.

Fair Lane Estate was named a National Historic Landmark in Michigan in 1966 and has been undergoing extensive renovations, both inside and outside, of the 31,770-square foot, 56-room mansion since 2010, (except when paused at the onset of the COVID pandemic). A team overseeing the meticulous, extensive restoration will ensure the Estate will eventually be restored to its original grandeur. Since there are ongoing renovations to the garage and Power House, (designed by Thomas Edison), I knew before my visit I would likely only be photographing pink Redbuds and/or flowers that day.

Here are some of those Eastern Redbud trees.

Even the Potting Shed was cordoned off to the public, so there would be no peeking through the windows at the in-progress plants that would be added to the extensive perennial gardens, like these pink Tulips found in front of the mansion.

The Daffodils didn’t disappoint either as they bobbed their heads along the fringe of the wooded area.

I didn’t stay too long as it was an uncharacteristically warm day for late April and I still wanted to visit the Environmental Interpretive Center (“EIC”), which visit will be the topic of my part three post and will be filled with wildfowers and wild turkeys from that last leg of my long walk.

Enroute to the Environmental Interpretive Center.

To get to the EIC, rather than walking along Fair Lane Drive, I prefer to meander through a grassy area once known as “The Great Meadow” which is a wide pathway that ends up at Ford Lake and the EIC trails.

Unfortunately, “great” is hardly a term I’d use for the dilapidated remains of what was Clara Ford’s original Rose Garden, Pond and the once-iconic Summer House.

This state of disrepair looks the same since my first visit here in 2019, but eventually these relics from a different era at the Ford Estate will be turned into a green space by the EIC.

Another reason I wanted to walk in the “Great Meadow” was because on my last Spring visit the pond was filled with frogs, much to the delight of some youngsters who were on a field trip and watched wide-eyed as an EIC interpretive guide dipped a big net into the murky waters and brought it to the surface brimming with frogs.

This big kid decided she would like to see some of those frogs today.

I stepped up to the pond and peered in, but unfortunately no frogs were to be found, so that was a disappointment. The reflections were nice though.

I looked around for a photo op. but didn’t need to look far. There was a Mama Goose, sitting on a nest, embedded in the dried reeds …

… while her mate monitored me from the other end of the pond.

The pair were hyperventilating in the heat of the day, beaks open and taking quick breaths. I got my shots and moved on, lest the gander, took issue with me.

You probably remember the picture of these two from my Mother’s Day post (found here).

So, now I’m going to do something different with this post … a hybrid twist.

I went back two weeks later to follow up on each bird featured in my Mother’s Day post, three Mamas-to-be in all. I knew their goslings and the Killdeer offspring would have hatched by then. And I found each Mama with her mate and offspring, so I will feature the offspring along with the narrative on the original walk in future posts.

But, for today, below is what I found two weeks later, when I returned to Fair Lane to see the Lilac gardens in bloom and seek out the family of Canada Geese.

The nest in Clara Ford’s Pond was gone, as were the two geese, but, having been through multiple gosling hatches at Council Point Park, I knew the pair would take their brood to the closest body of water i.e. Ford Lake.

Bingo! There they were!

The goslings were just the right age for those eggs being incubated a mere two weeks before and there were no other geese families to be found.

Here are the family members … Mom, Dad and four goslings …

Most likely it was Dad here that gave me the side-eye … “keep your distance lady!”

How can you NOT be enamored with critter babies?

This time of year is good for marketing as it’s all about “Dads and Grads” right?

So, I’m sharing a quote by Henry Ford, then I will show you a few photos about a learning experience for some of these young goslings.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” – Henry Ford

Now I don’t know which of these sweet little goslings should be sporting a pink or blue ribbon, but, as a group, they sure were fun to watch, especially the one gosling that climbed up the decaying log to get to the other side. At one point it was such a difficult task for this little one that it flattened out up top to take a breather.

Meanwhile, one sibling marched off to eat grass, leaving two goslings gathered at the bottom of the log, likely hashing out whether they should climb over this seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

They then moved over to another log, out of earshot of their sibling, where a lively discussion ensued …

… then they put their fuzzy heads together over a snack …

… ultimately, the older and wiser gosling, having hatched first, made the decision …

… saying “why sweat it – we’ll join him, but we are smart and have a workaround” (hmm – or would that be a “walkaround”) whereas they started waddling around the original log, arriving just as their sibling plopped down, likely exhausted from its efforts, right onto a bed of leaves.

Well I had to laugh at the antics, because the trio arrived at the other side of the log just as Mama announced it was time for a swimming lesson. So Papa came back up the steep shoreline slope to herd his goslings to the water. He located two, but …

… he had to wait on the ambitious, or adventurous, or perhaps a wee bit dimwitted, gosling which attempted to climb the log from the other side, meanwhile recruiting a sibling alongside him/her.

Finally, the goslings, single file, proceeded to Ford Lake …

… and, finally they were off, obviously disregarding the rule to avoid swimming for an hour after eating!

I am joining Terri’s Monthly Color Challenge: Anything Pink.

Posted in #Monthly Color Challenge, birds, nature, Uncategorized, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge, Canada Geese, Goslings, nature, Spring, walk, walking | 66 Comments

Busy bugs on the blooms. #Wordless Wednesday #Glorious Goldenrod

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, Bugs, nature | 31 Comments

On the road again …

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Linda Schaub

… well technically I was just leaving the Trapper’s Run Trail, bopping across the parking lot and heading toward the Cherry Island Trail, which, thankfully, would provide some very welcome shade, at least for 75% of the trail anyway. This post is Part 2, the continuation of my September 5th visit to Lake Erie Metropark. Part 1 you may recall was the topic “Flight” and was filled with Egrets and Herons. If you missed that post, it is here.

Despite the weather forecast of a cooler day, it was downright hot! Sometimes you start getting that chill in the air, cardigan weather, once Labor Day passes, but this was hardly the swan song to Summer.

Walking in the wooded area instantly cooled me off, but soon I was at the first overlook and back in the sun again. Portions of the Cherry Island Trail flooded every time it rained and then it took multiple days to dry out. However, in the Spring of 2024, I was pleased to see there had been some improvements made. The park remedied that flooding problem by putting down gravel for pesky low areas, allowing 100% of the trail to remain dry, BUT, the large gravel pieces made for a bumpy walk, subsequently tearing up my thick-soled walking shoes, but at least I got to enjoy the trail more and ultimately reserved one pair of walking shoes, just for Lake Erie Metropark.

Shortly after stepping onto the overlook a breeze sent a few leaves fluttering down, but the water was still calm enough for some awesome reflections in the marsh.

Birds of a feather.

The marsh waterfowl were enjoying the day, despite that green-colored goo on the surface of the water.

A few subtle changes indicated Summer was on the wane.

It seems I had been photographing the American Lotuses all Summer and they had finally reached their peak in late August. There were some stragglers sans blooms which lingered …

… but in other places the Lotuses were still blooming.

Phragmites swayed slightly in the breeze.

The same-old, same-old group of dead trees greeted me on the last bend before the boat launch area.

A few boaters were enjoying the day … once again I looked for seagulls on buoys, but since there were none, this photo will have to suffice for the boat launch area.

The Cherry Island Trail incorporates part of Cherry Isle, where the boat launch area is located and where, every September through December, you will see lots of birders and photographers, binoculars or cameras pressed to their faces, all hopeful for a sight or shot of raptors in this annual raptor migration. There was just a small crowd seen below as it was early on in the migration.

As I approached the area near where some members in the group stared intently at the sky, I heard someone say excitedly “did you see how big it was?” I was curious and looked up and saw what I thought was an Osprey, so I snapped a photo.

I think I’m going to start a new feature that includes “the one that got away” … yes, I got this picture, but did I really see that Baldie to admire it? Yes, I learned it was a huge Bald Eagle that went overhead.

Or what about this bird – likely a seagull which took flight maybe from the shutter clicking.

As I meandered along the Cherry Island Trail I saw this peaceful setting – how’s this for harmony? I like how the turtles often stick out one leg … do they repeat that with the other leg to get an even tan? Perhaps it helps them balance better?

There were no new birds that day. I was getting spoiled there for a while as every trip yielded a new bird for me, even a fun, up-close visit with a muskrat munching Lotus leaves.

Yes, no new birds, but ducks are always a welcome sight.

There were Mallards amidst the Lotus leaves and feathers were a’flyin’ from late Summer molting.

I took a closer look – yes, these were the same Mallards I’d photographed several times before, in the exact same place and exact same pose. But there they were again, posing so nicely and they looked right at me … hey, I wasn’t going to disappoint them and not take their picture, right? 🙂

Gold was the color of the day … not only the golden Locust and Poplar tree leaves that had begun to litter the path …

… but also Summer Goldenrod …

… and some wild Black-eyed Susans.

The Purple Loosestrife was still going strong, woven in amongst the Goldenrod.

Some trees had portions that had already turned color. I understand this was not necessarily Fall’s imminent arrival, but the trees were stressed from Summer’s heat. These spent thistles looked pretty with their delicate fibers.

My notes for this walk were that despite the weather forecaster saying it was a “coolish” day, it was hot, however, he also gave a long-range forecast for a hot, not just warm, Fall – he was correct about that as Summer-like temps were with us throughout the Fall allowing me to recoup any walking miles lost in the January-February 2024 icy weather and rainy Spring (which turned out to be similar for the same time period in 2025).

The theme for Terri’s Challenge today is “Parks” as June is National Outdoors Month.

Many of you have commented that I am lucky to be surrounded by so many parks and I agree with you. Unbelievably, there are many more parks in Southeast Michigan that I’ve not visited yet, or don’t visit on a regular basis. I visit Lake Erie Metropark a lot and I was there a good chunk of today. The Huron-Clinton Metroparks (there are 13 altogether) celebrate their 85th anniversary this year.

Revisiting Council Point Park … without pictures.

For many years if someone asked about my personal favorite park to visit, I would not have had to think twice and answered Council Point Park. No, I am not remiss by not writing about my favorite nature nook with this photo challenge, but these days, the ambiance of my favorite nature nook is totally gone – the shoreline looks as horrible as it did a year ago when they ripped it apart, with now very low levels of brownish-colored water despite all our rainfall in May. I’ve not seen any more Egrets or Herons lately and certainly no Mute Swans will descend for a dip in the Ecorse Creek as in the past. We had a few Canada geese families which are gone now because there is ongoing construction, with contractors installing huge cement sewer pipes from the parking lot to the Creek, resulting in torn-up grounds and cement sewer pieces everywhere.

I’ve not yet seen those promised native plants along the shoreline, just some straggly weeds and grass, the latter the result of lawn patch applied along the shoreline last Fall. However, 20 trees were planted yesterday to replenish those that were destroyed last year. So yes, the ambiance is awful, but what I miss the most is the many squirrels begging at my feet, or birds flitting from tree to tree as I walk along in order to snag peanuts in the shell, peanut chips or sunflower seeds. Sometimes there are only a couple of squirrels, down from earlier this Spring. I know I’ll be happy if I see a few nursing Mama squirrels as that means we will increase our squirrel population, although I am a realist and know that it will never be the same as before the Winter of 2024-2025.

Sadly, there are no Mama Robins nesting in the trees and most of all, as you can imagine, the absence of Parker, my long-time furry friend, makes every trip there sad and boring. I hope the critters and the ambiance return one day, but will I still be around to enjoy it?