WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

The scene was green at Lake Erie Metropark.

Posted on August 28, 2020 by Linda Schaub

This post is about a trek taken at Lake Erie Metropark in late June. I figured I’d better get this picture-laden post published soon, as I’ve made a couple of trips to this venue since then to see the water lotuses, so I will be doing a separate post soon on those lovely and delicate flowers .

This is such a huge Metropark, (1,607 acres), and there is a lot to see. In the three years I’ve been going here, I am sure I have still not explored every corner of this park. I’ve mentioned our wacky weather this year, and, as I write this post, usually by late August, the grass is brown and crispy and it seems you can hear your footsteps when you walk on it. We had our sunniest June ever on record here in Southeast Michigan, but when we had rain, it was the torrential, think-about-building-an-ark kind of rain. Unfortunately, the Cherry Hill Marsh Trail has been flooded throughout 2019 and 2020.

On this day, it seemed as though everything was a bright-green color. Last year the boathouse (pictured above) was repainted from turquoise to this pale, pea-green hue.

I stopped to say “hi” to Luc, the resident bald eagle and had to step across a wooden pallet that was a makeshift walkway to traverse the mud in order to get to the overlook where the boat house sits. This overlook gives you a nice view of the marsh.

I saw no ducks which are usually paddling around the marsh, but I did see extensive green pond scum.

Since the Cherry Island Trail was muddy with pools of water, I decided on a trail that was further inland. Yes, this would do just fine. No worries about social distancing since it appeared I was by myself on this trail and thus spent about an hour before I saw another human.

But, just in case I forgot myself, there were plenty of signs describing the distance of six feet apart.

I walked along the overlook as I headed to the boat launch site. My head swiveled around looking for a sign of life … wildlife that is. I said to myself “where are the Herons, Egrets, Geese and Swans?” I guess I spoke to quickly as I next heard the unmistakable screech of a Great Blue Heron, who likely heard my mutterings and left the marsh without further adieu. You can see him zipping by in this shot below, though I had barely enough time to focus on him after hearing his horribly screechy noise.

I continued through the marsh, pausing to take photos of more green slimy algae that had settled onto the water’s surface …

… but here, the water was clearer, chock full of frog-bit and lime-green pond lily leaves.

In the middle of the marsh, sticking out of the still-dormant bulrushes, was this dead tree, which looked like some type of weird sculpture.

Along the wooden overlook, there was a slight breeze and the fuzz was flying … the poplar tree fuzz that is. If those white wisps were not airborne, they had glommed together in a pile. Below, the cottony fibers likely snagged on a rough piece of wood on the walkway.

I headed down to the boat launch area, hoping to see a Seagull or two perching on a buoy – it is always a good photo op when they stand there, swaying ever so slightly on the huge green buoy. The seagulls watch the fishermen to see if they might snag a meal when those guys (or gals) look away for a minute. Those wily gulls probably know what this sign says, so they have to work hard for their meals and be sneaky to snag a fish from a fisherman’s bucket or boat. 🙂

No food-snatching Seagulls and the buoys were all rocking gently with no visitors atop them, so no photo ops there, save getting a shot of the raggedy-looking rope that is tied to a post from the makeshift fence around the perimeter of the parking lot.

Adjacent to the boat launch area is the opposite end of the Cherry Island Marsh Trail.

I checked it out to see if it was dry or muddy here, but it wasn’t too promising from what I could see as puddles and pools of water were just a few yards from the start point of the trail.

It was a great morning, notwithstanding those muddy spots. On the way back to the car, I saw a group of splashing Mallards along the way. You can read about that portion of this trek here in case you missed it.

Soon I will be writing about the water lotuses at this park – stay tuned!

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged nature, walk, walking | 89 Comments

We are splooting! #Wordless Wednesday #The heat makes us squirrelly!

Posted on August 26, 2020 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, nature, walk, walking | Tagged nature, Squirrels, walk, walking, Wordless Wednesday | 43 Comments

Feelin’ ducky …

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Linda Schaub

Back in May I lamented about how another Spring would be passing me by without a duckling sighting. I must have whined long and loud enough that suddenly it seemed that every time I turned around I saw ducklings, either on land or in the water.

So, can there ever be too much cuteness in the world?

Granted, these are not the “mini-me” fuzzy-wuzzy ducklings I’ve shown in prior posts, but I was struck how identical they were as each was a mirror image of Mama Mallard. I was able to get close up to this little family by first taking a few handfuls of dried oatmeal to lure them near.

But I guess my offerings fell flat and didn’t appeal to them much, as the ducklings wandered over and walked away. Mama Mallard didn’t give it a second glance. I had heard oatmeal was a nice treat for ducks and I enjoy it for breakfast every day, so I littered the grass for nothing. Oh well, next time I guess I have to stop at the feed and grain store and get some corn.

The ducklings did not stray far from Mama’s watchful eye …

… and she had their rapt attention. After waddling over to the water’s edge, they plopped in for a short swim in Coan Lake.

Mama Mallard is proud of her brood – they were quick learners!

I had these photos from Heritage Park tucked away since early June, since it seemed like my blog was chock full of either ducks or geese during the month of May when Council Point Park was shut down and I ventured to other larger parks every weekend.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged Mallards, nature, walk, walking | 23 Comments

So, what’s the buzz around Council Point Park these days?

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Linda Schaub

Summer is zipping by much too quickly – I can’t believe August is nearly over!

Wednesday I celebrated my 1,500th post since I began blogging on February 11, 2013. That is a lot of words I’ve written! Many of those posts have been the Wordless Wednesday feature I’ve been doing since March 11th this year. I really enjoy doing Wordless Wednesday, as I have amassed a ton of photos in 2020 and sometimes a narrative isn’t needed to accompany them.

I decided that the topic for post #1,501 just HAD to be about Council Point Park. I’m sure if I took the time to go through this blog, that two/thirds of the posts revolve around my favorite nature nook. Hmm – I wonder how many posts are about squirrels?

This is a roundup of photos taken at Council Point Park in August.

The ambiance is almost back to pre-shutdown mode on May 1st, but something is definitely amiss. Council Point Park is experiencing the “new normal” just like the rest of us. I don’t know most of the people I pass on the trail these days. There are many bicyclists and joggers now, even a few rollerbladers. Of course there was Mike, a Park fixture for a long time, who passed away back in February. His presence is sorely missed and not just by the squirrels. There were walkers whom I passed on the trail on an everyday basis for years and they never returned to this Park once the weather began to warm up in April. I’m not all that sure if their decision is COVID-19 related. I don’t dwell on this “new normal” a lot because I usually walk alone anyway, but their absence from a place they enjoyed is a puzzle to me. You know how I stewed and fretted during the one-month shutdown. I had to return as this place has become a big part of my day.

I chitchat with fellow walkers, husband and wife Arnie and Carol, from time to time. I told Arnie I am curious as to why the squirrels began to hide their peanuts once the Park re-opened on June 2nd. Nut-gathering usually begins in late August/early September. Were our furry friends afraid the walkers who feed them would go missing once again? Do they have a sixth sense that a wicked Winter is on the horizon? I have duly noted the squirrels’ actions and would love a naturalist to tell me the answer. I have noticed many trends the last seven years I’ve walked at this Park. Like the squirrels are always on the perimeter path – they are ever-present. Not any more … so, is it too hot, are they lazy, or are they foraging for natural food? Some days there are a passel of them; the next day one or none. Arnie seems to think the latter reason – they are foraging for natural food. There are humans who pick the wild mulberries, so all that is left are the soft green pine cones and wormy apples …

… or so I thought.

Mystery squirrel treats – are they better than peanuts?

I was walking on the path one day when a squirrel was moving about noisily up in a nearby tree. I put some peanuts on my palm and asked him if he was coming down to get them. He never even stole a glance at me, but continued rustling around in the leaves. Feeling a bit rebuffed, I noted that he had something green and large clenched in his teeth. He must not have been one of the “regulars” because when I moved in for a better look, he freaked out and dropped a large object onto the ground.

I looked at it thinking “so what do we have here?” It was the size and color of a lime and when I startled this squirrel, he dropped not one, but two, of these green items to the ground.

He was too scared to come down and retrieve them and cowered above in the treetop while watching me. He made the strange distress call that squirrels make sometimes. “Was I stressing him out?” I assured him I was not going to eat them but he should come down and get them before someone swiped them. He remained in the tree and I took a picture first so I could Google reverse image … or in the alternative ask you what these green objects are?

I stepped back and watched as the squirrel slowly made his/her descent to ground level, but in backing up, I saw something in my peripheral vision. Well, look at this. A huge wasp nest with lots of wasps darting in and out and buzzing around. Well you never saw anyone move as fast as me as I jumped back out of the way …

… but not before Your Roving Reporter took a few pictures of course.

I took my shots, but instead of wisely getting the heck out of Dodge, I stayed, fascinated with that wasp nest. I had never seen one before, but finally I tore myself away to remain unscathed by wasp bites. A few days later, a Facebook friend of mine posted a photo of the exact same type of paper nest hanging off the side of her house. I had some Great Black Wasps last year and they tunneled into a small opening above the screen door. It was a dry and comfy place to live until a smidgeon of caulking took care of that opening and it was “home sweet home” no more. The relatives hung around for a few days, then left to pester someone else.

What’s hopping and bopping along the trail these days?

The baby bunnies are fattening up. They are adorable and not afraid of humans as they munch contentedly on clover or grass. They are very photogenic, especially when the sun’s rays make their pink ears translucent. This baby posed nicely, only three or four feet away from the perimeter path.

The larger bunnies, however, are more wary and nibble on grass with one eye always toward the humans.

There are also “buns” on the bunny trail.

Did you see the squirrel? He stopped in his tracks as she rolled along. 🙂

“Exercise” is the word of the day as a contingent of cross-country runners has been showing up almost daily, huffing and puffing as they leave me in the dust.

We have a resident fisherman (and it’s not Harry who is still at large). I do hope he knows to throw what he caught back into the water.

A painted rock made me smile, but I left it there.

Flowers, weeds and leaves.

I’m disappointed that I have seen just one Goldfinch this year … I heard it singing away, but it was too far away at the top of a tree to get a photo of it. I’d love to see one of these vibrant birds sitting on a tall thistle like I’ve seen and taken photos of in the past.

The thistles are plentiful this year.

Did you know there are 20 different types of native thistle in the U.S.? I only know a few of them.

I follow a blogger from Wild Birds Unlimited on Twitter. A recent post was about thistles and showed Canada Thistle a/k/a Creeping Thistle. Well I identified with that photo and description right away as I remember we called them “Santa Clauses” when I was growing up. We made wishes on them, then blew them into the air to send them on their way. I see them at the Park every year. Each fluffy piece is attached to a small seed – look at this plant and you know lots more thistles will appear next year. I sure am glad I’m not weeding these in the garden.

Speaking of weeds, unbelievably I’m still seeing yellow dandelions this late in the Summer at the Park. There they are defiantly standing tall, willing the bunnies to nibble on them, but these days the bunnies prefer clover or grass, so they hop right past them. Since the Park was closed all of May, I missed taking photos of the sea of yellow, then spent dandelions.

Dandelions are not the only yellow item in the grass … the Poplar leaves are already littering the path.

I’ve seen a few flowers, but not many.

The teasels are plentiful as well.

The Milkweed leaves have been chomped on, likely by Monarch caterpillars, but I often bend down to see if I find one of those caterpillars, but no luck. A woman used to gather Milkweed leaves at this plant and around the Park to feed her hungry Monarch caterpillars at home, but I’ve not seen her this year. These Milkweeds and the others have not flowered yet.

What have we here?

Recently I did a Wordless Wednesday post about a train with extensive graffiti on it. Graffiti finds itself all over the Park too, from the markings you saw next to where the angler was aiming for a fish (above) to the twisted tree, as you see below. The squirrel seems a bit befuddled does he not? Nature versus man ain’t always pretty.

Well, life goes on … the hot weather continues and the sparrow still sits at the water fountain hoping by some miracle, the water will come gushing forth …

… while the turtle balances preciously on the edge of the cement ledge, content to languish in the Summer sun.

As the days get shorter and we creep toward Fall and Winter, I’ll savor each walk as it sets the tone for the day and provides endless fodder for this forum.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

“Nature is loved by what is best in us.” ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged nature, Summer, walk, walking | 77 Comments

Soar higher! 1,500th blog post; 1,630,000 + – steps in 2020! #Wordless Wednesday

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday, walk, walking | Tagged walk, walking, Wordless Wednesday | 94 Comments

Duck, duck goose.

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Linda Schaub

They’re back and they’re bringing a bit of normalcy in this topsy-turvy 2020 world.

It’s been awhile since I wrote about any waterfowl at Council Point Park. On May 1st I had a nature extravaganza with Harry the Heron, some Canada geese and their goslings and a Mallard or two splashing away in the Ecorse Creek. Then, the very same day, Council Point Park was abruptly shut down by the Mayor due to social distancing concerns. A police officer used his vehicle to block the entrance/exit of the Park just as I concluded my walk that day.

When my favorite nature nook re-opened June 2nd, what few walkers returned found the Park to be silent, without the contingent of cantankerous geese ruling the perimeter path with their histrionics over walkers who didn’t sidestep them and their babies. We totally missed the goslings growing from fuzzy babies into teenagers. The Mallards were not noisily quacking and splashing about in the Ecorse Creek and the resident Great Blue Heron evidently found another fishing hole to frequent.

The geese and ducks didn’t leave because the Park visitors were gone; they were undergoing their annual molt and had to find a new venue where they were safe from land predators while they lost their flight feathers and the new feathers grew back enabling them to fly once again.

The exception to this lack of waterfowl at the Park was Mama Mallard and her queue of mini-me ducklings which just made my day and I wrote a post featuring those cutie pies. But even that was a one-time event, as she hustled away to a safer venue while awaiting her plumage to similarly be renewed.

As I wended my way to Council Point Park the other day, I heard honking overhead and saw a flock of about a dozen Canada Geese preparing to land in the soccer field at the Park. I never cease to be amazed at that perfect, or near-perfect, V-formation and how, after one signal caller makes a suggestion to land, they all converge neatly upon the water, or onto the grass, in record time. At this venue I’m more apt to see Mallards in the water, rather than flying the friendly skies, so it is good to glance over and see them doing their morning ritual of dabbling and preening once again.

So, where did our fine-feathered waterfowl go anyway?

It’s anyone’s guess where our Park Canada Geese and Mallards go for their Summer vacation from Council Point Park, but I will tell you that on a couple of occasions, at larger nearby parks, I took photos of these birds during their molting phase – they very well might be transplants from our Park as they were seeking a safe haven while they cannot fly. Yes, those waterfowl were looking a wee bit frowsy with their missing plumage (which would be akin to you or me on a bad hair day).

A contingent of Canada Geese gathered at the canal at Elizabeth Park.

The canal at this historic park flooded its banks last year and the water still has not receded to its prior level. I even had a blog post showing photos of seagulls appearing to walk on water … they were actually standing on the former sidewalk where the water was flooded up to their knees.

Here are some Canada Geese at another part of the canal. Amazingly the shoreline is actually a grassy area where canal water has encroached big time. Notice the contingent of geese, all picking at their feathers to pull them out – feathers littered the water and grass.

**Picking and preening.**
**There were another 20+ geese in the background pulling on their feathers.**

I have no doubt these geese were feeling pretty miserable. If they could talk, I’m sure the conversations would go like this:

**Our reflections look better than we do with all our feathers escaping our bodies!**

**Where is that nasty loose feather – it must be in here somewhere!**

**Hey I found one feather causing me all the misery.**
**So anyone wanna help me pull it out?**

**Hey you … nice lady taking my picture.**
**Since you obviously didn’t bring treats, could you pull this feather out?**

**Oops, there’s another feather begging to be pulled out!**

Heritage Park Mallards mix and mingle around Coan Lake.

You’ve seen the Mallard males’ mottled plumage when they begin to molt … their feathers will be brown and drab, like that of their mates, then eventually the brilliant colors that we identify with the drakes (males) will return.

Here are a few Mallard photos I got while at Heritage Park recently and their thoughts:

**Cool! They turned the fountain on.**
**Let’s swim through the sprinkler, maybe some feathers will fall off!**

**Hmm – do I wanna go in or not?**
**The water’s awfully cold and I don’t have as many feathers right now!**

**Look at Mal go – less feathers means he’s faster!**
**So, is the corn guy here or did he spot a fish?**

**I’m gonna take the plunge because I’m the handsomest duck in this crowd.**

**Pose pretty so maybe the nice lady with the camera will use our photo in her blog!**

**Sometimes you just gotta agree to disagree even if feathers get ruffled!**

Anyway, it’s good to see OUR waterfowl back. The turtles have been boring this Summer, slinking into the Creek off the cement precipice, or slipping off the log one by one into the water, instead of staying put and continuing to sunbathe. The walkers aren’t out to make turtle soup out of them, so go figure. The Cardinals are still MIA and the squirrels might be foraging on natural treats as they don’t beg as much as usual. Parker is the exception, but even he has not been showing up as frequently. The geese provide some entertainment at Council Point Park, even if it means sidestepping them and their droppings. But that’s okay … the geese belong here at the Park, because you needn’t ponder long and hard to know that this nature nook belongs to them just as much as us.

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged ducks, geese, molting, nature, walk, walking | 25 Comments

Friday Frivolity: Hope lives here.

Posted on August 14, 2020 by Linda Schaub

Back when I was still a wee nipper, one day while Mom and I sat side-by-side at the kitchen table, she suddenly produced a small book entitled Susie’s Babies. In the next breath she announced “Linda, it’s time you and Mommy had a talk about the birds and the bees and we’re going to use this book, okay?”

So, thanks to this cute little book about Susie the Hamster and her babies, I learned about the facts of life that day. Nowadays, the birds-and-the-bees dialogue is just referred to as “The Talk” and I’m sure, in some cases, internet-savvy kids likely know more than their parents think they do when it comes time for that sit-down.

So, flash forward more than a few decades …

As you know, I’ve tried my hand at hummingbird feeding this year. I was disappointed that the sugar water level never seemed to go down and wondered if that hummer only stopped by once I walked into the house and was out of sight, or had one sip and took off again? Was my little hummer, which I nicknamed Homer, simply shy or skittish – perhaps I should have been using peanuts first to lure it to the feeder? Just kidding of course.

The other day, finally I was lucky enough to get a good look at the elusive hummer that I have been providing sugar water to since early June. It was hovering around, not alighting to sip, but at least there was a presence. That presence was just long enough for me to glimpse the front of this little bird. Aha! I had a rude awakening!

Michigan’s predominant type of hummer is the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Much to my surprise I discovered Homer was not a male hummingbird, but a female. Instead of that iridescent ruby red collar and throat, this bird was a light greenish color with a white throat and breast. Yikes! Well silly me as I named that bird Homer as it rhymed with hummer … a little juvenile perhaps, but I liked how it rolled off my tongue and you all know how I love alliteration. 🙂 Hmm – so maybe that’s the real reason this little bird never responded when I called out “here’s some fresh sugar water Homer dear – come and get it!”

So, that day I opened the door to still another hot and humid morning – ugh. That welcome glimpse of the hummer was precipitated by a whirring of wings fairly close to my head. Of course the camera was in the pouch and my keys were in my hand as I had just locked the door. But clearly I saw that little bird that blitzed by had no ruby-red throat, thus it was a female.

I couldn’t believe how tiny she was, but I had researched hummers after my first sighting of her at the pink weed in my garden and was amazed to learn that this type of hummer was just the weight of a U.S. penny and only about three inches (7.5 centimeters) long. That’s pretty tiny. Hummers are the tiniest birds on earth I learned. Until now, the smallest footprints around this house have been that of the sparrows.

I’m used to the sparrows that congregate around the house, looking for handouts, with jeering looks as they can’t eat sunflower seeds or peanuts. So, they retaliate by making mischief such as clinging to the side of the house and pulling out brick mortar, using it as grit to aid in their digestion, or making nests where they should not, causing $$$ to extricate those nests. Grrr – thus, I’m not a big of fan of sparrows, even though I am a bird lover.

Sparrows are fond of evicting smaller birds from their nests or birdhouses and overtaking their homes for themselves. Sparrows do not play nice as you see in this picture, which ornery behavior I witnessed while holding onto the camera hoping for a hummer sighting.

So, that morning I mused while on my walk that the hummingbird feeding was not a wasted effort. On the way home I decided on a name for my feathered pal based on this message I’ve seen on many screen doors or windows in the ‘hood since the COVID-19 medical crisis began five months ago.

And, when I returned from that trek, I made sure I had the camera in hand as I walked up the sidewalk, hoping to catch another glimpse of Hope, but no luck. Several more times since that morning I’ve seen Hope hovering around the house – once, she flew over to the screen door as I carried out a feeder, as if to say “is that for me?” Of course my hands were encumbered – so no photo.

So Hope lives here and do I aim to get a photo of her before the hummer migration from Michigan in the Fall? Well, I hope so!

My neighbor and friend Marge loved hummingbirds and she had large feeders placed on shepherd’s hooks around the perimeter of her house. She often e-mailed me photos of her hummers – in fact, these are a couple of those photos of a female hummer at one of her feeders which I used in a 2014 blog post.

Maybe Hope is one of Marge’s hummers. My good friend, who suggested I begin this blog, passed away three years ago today. Her hummers were such a great joy in her life, especially the last few years when COPD had her tethered to oxygen 100% of the time and her living room became her window to the world. Since hummingbirds live three to five years. I’d like to think Hope is saying “finally you get it – what took you so long to help me out Linda?”

Susie’s Babies image is from Pinterest.

Posted in Friday Frivolity, nature | Tagged hummingbirds, nature | 81 Comments

Pack your patience!! #Wordless Wednesday

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #Wordless Wednesday | Tagged Patience is a virtue, Wordless Wednesday | 26 Comments

Meet and greet with Parker.

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Linda Schaub

It’s been forever and a day since I devoted an entire blog post to my favorite Park munchkin, a/k/a Parker. A week ago Saturday, I drove to the Park, pulled into my usual spot and as soon as I opened the car door, Parker ran over to see me. I know he recognizes my car, plus I always park in the same spot, far away from the beginning of the trail to add more steps to that day’s trek.

For you newer followers, Parker has been in my world and the subject of many blog posts the past four years. I named this cute Fox squirrel Parker for a couple of reasons. He is fond of parking his furry butt on the toe tip of my walking shoes –not all the time, just when he is trying to get my attention if I am speaking to somebody, or he thinks I’m ignoring him. Parker is like a mischievous toddler who thinks the world revolves around them. I’m not complaining about Parker’s antics though because I indulge my furry friend every chance I get.

Parker’s moniker is also because I’ve returned from walking on the perimeter path only to find my peanut pal’s stubby body parked next to the driver’s side of the car to ensure I don’t miss him before I depart for good. Sometimes this is after I’ve given him peanuts on the path.

I was happy to see Parker and take these pictures to add to my “Just a Girl and her Squirrel” collection. While I often go to larger parks on a Saturday morning, a severe weather threat kept me close to home on that day. My new weather radio woke me out of a sound sleep at 4:00 a.m. because of a flood watch warning. The series of screechy tones, then a robo voice informed me that a flood watch would go into effect later in the day and torrential downpours were expected by early afternoon.

I already knew about the heavy rain and believed I could be home before it started, but, since I’m a weather worrier, I scratched my plans and Council Point Park became the destination instead. We did get two inches of rain in about 12 hours’ time.

I’ll just wait for you by the car door, okay?

Good thing Parker is so short, or I’d have swung open the car door and clipped the side of his head! I opened the door to get out and there he was, creeping under the door toward me! I said “hold that pose Parker!” and I grabbed the camera.

“Hi there sweetie” I crooned at him. “Come over and see what Linda has for you.”

While he waited patiently, I reached over and dug into my Ziploc bag of peanuts and scattered some at his feet – he was happy and I didn’t even get out of my seat to take these photos.

This little squirrel had better watch out – one day I’m going to scoop him up and carry him home. Penelope Squirrel, his main squeeze, (seen below when the pair went to bury some of the peanuts), may have something to say about that though. 🙂

Posted in nature, walk, walking | Tagged nature, Squirrels, walk, walking | 60 Comments

The Weeping Willow.

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Linda Schaub

We’ve had a very hot Summer here in Southeast Michigan. I could wow you with lots of stats, but I’ll keep it simple … we have had three times as many hot, (as in over 90F/32C), days this year. I say this year, because we had a handful of sultry days before Summer even arrived on the calendar.

The weather has worn me down.

It seems Mother Nature has had a bee in her bonnet for a while now.

As I get in my steps on these hot and humid mornings, I often wonder aloud “did we have scorching hot days back in the day, like we’ve endured this Summer of 2020, or is this really the result of global warning?” I concede, yes it was hot, but perhaps we were so engrossed in doing fun things with our friends that we never noticed the heat and humidity that we often grumble about in adulthood. It has seemed like an endless stretch of weather warnings and much angst over worrying about a tornado or derecho or trees toppling over onto the house. I shudder when I see photos in the news of decades-old trees taking out a garage, house or car, when they are uprooted from soggy ground after a torrential rain.

Our City has a lot of old and established trees, and, as I’ve driven or walked through the neighborhoods this Summer, I have seen large tree branches scattered everywhere. Some of the branches were so large that the tree was left not only lopsided, but now dangerous and in need of being cut down. Some days I’ve gone through the ‘hood and all that remains is a pile of wood chips or sawdust, in the space where a tall and regal tree graced the homeowner’s property just a few days before.

While I am a nature lover, I’m not what you would call a “tree hugger” per se, but it does make me feel sad to see these gentle giants torn apart, their branches scattered about.

Recently I went down a side street and came upon a scene that really hurt my heart. Wow! Not only did I see a tree ravaged by Mother Nature, but this was a tree I could identify with. My mind quickly flashed back to Summertime, circa 1966 and maybe even 1967, when I whiled away the hours at Buckingham Park with other kids from the neighborhood.

I last visited this park in 2014 and wrote a post wherein I waxed nostalgic about the good times spent with my pals during Summer break from school. My post was how that park was still wearing its Winter-weary hues and the only spot of color at that venue was the majestic Willow tree that had already leafed out. I was so struck by how green this tree was amidst a still-dull landscape, that I took a photo of that Willow, which you see up top in black and white – the color version is found in the original post – you can click here if you’d care to read it.

Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end.

Well here’s the backstory about discovering the ravaged Weeping Willow tree. A couple of weeks ago, while at Council Point Park, the grass-mowing crew arrived. Well, that put an immediate kibosh on the peace and tranquility at the Park. Once the crew fires up their respective noisy mowers, the squirrels immediately hightail it to their nests and the birds likewise flee the scene. I generally hightail it as well, exiting the Park and disappearing into the ‘hood.

On that morning, for a change of pace, I meandered over to Ford Park, formerly known as Buckingham Park when I was growing up.

Our City has 22 parks altogether. That’s pretty amazing since the entire City is just a smidge over five square miles. Council Point Park is one of a kind, a cozy nature nook tucked in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Lion’s Park is similar, on a much-smaller scale, also along the Ecorse Creek but geared for disabled children to have a place to play. There are parks dedicated to Little League with few amenities and still other parks have playscapes but nothing else. There’s something for everyone.

But back in the 60s, there was no better place for kids to spend their Summer vacation days than a daily trip to Buckingham Park.

Right after breakfast, just like clockwork, the three girls down the street arrived at my driveway and would call out my name. I’d go out and open the garage to get my bike and off we’d go. We could have walked – it was not far away, but our bikes were our “wheels” back then, a means to whisk us away from the street to wherever we wished to go. My bike was blue with white fenders and I had a snazzy white wicker basket adorned with flowers. I’d toss my brown bag lunch in there and off we went.

It seemed as though this Willow Tree was weeping.

Willow trees are majestic and graceful and may grow as tall as 50 feet, their slender branches and thin, lime-green leaves sweeping the ground … like this.

Weeping Willows can live as long as 75 years if they are located in a spot where they are able to grow tall and wide, with roots stretching endlessly underground. While I walked around the sad remains of this gentle giant, I felt sad.

I spoke to a neighbor who saw me taking photos and together we were tsk-tsking over the fate of this beautiful Willow. I told him my history at the park and he said the tree’s demise was not due exclusively to the volatile weather and high winds, but it was running with ants.

So, I made it a point to take some photos up close of the ant damage, even though I knew what it would look like. We lost two tall Oak trees in the backyard and a beautiful Honey Locust out front, all the result of the ravage of Carpenter Ants. They are destructive insects that chew, but do not eat, the wood. They then tunnel through the tree to make nests. The empty tunnels create instability in the tree trunk and branches, until one day a stiff wind will cause the tree to snap.

Here, have a look at the damaged wood that is exposed. You can see the tunnels from the Carpenter Ants in these shots.

I stepped around to the other side of the tree with a different view of the damage the Carpenter ants had wreaked on the Willow; I saw a huge swath of bare wood and a broken branch hanging perilously off the tree.

In recent years, after my 2014 photo, a perimeter bench was constructed around the Willow’s trunk. You can see just how large that tree trunk was.

I meandered around the grounds, reminiscing as I went along.

Many hours were spent at Buckingham Park, either on the playground equipment or sitting cross-legged on the grass under the shade of that old Willow tree where we interacted with a college-aged girl, whose Summer job was to engage our young minds with fun activities like games and various crafts. It was like a mini version of Summer Day Camp, a place to go with pals and meet other kids. Our parents never worried about us. We munched on our brown-bag lunches while we chattered away and when the park closed for the day, we returned to our respective homes in time for dinner.

The only item we paid for was supplies for crafts. It cost just a few pennies for plastic lace which we bought in various colors by the yard and was woven together to fashion lariats and keychains. We purchased our supplies through a half-door at this little building which still stands.

We climbed around on playground equipment like this pair of abstract structures, which are now faded and peeling, but remain nonetheless after all these years.

I remember thinking this one looked like Swiss cheese ….

… and this one resembled a weird-shaped pretzel.

I checked out the swing set.

I am sure this is the original metal swing set, only now it has been outfitted with baby seats, one of which was in disrepair. I remember we would swing to our heart’s content, reaching higher and higher into the sky, kicking our legs to gain momentum and dragging the toe of one white canvas “tennie” into the dirt to “brake” and come to a stop.

These are two newer playscapes – we never had something so modern back in the day.

If it was hot, we were cooling off to our knees in the shallow wading pool, which cement structure still has the sloped sides, but now serves as a rudimentary basketball court.

Famous final scene.

I have returned a few times to Ford Park since that day when I took all these photos, zigzagging from my regular route home from Council Point Park. I wanted to see if the big Willow tree had been removed, but it remains, half of a hulking giant and a sad image of its former self and yes… I do believe this Willow is weeping.