WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Got treats?

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Linda Schaub

I have not written about Mr. Mute Swan in a while, and his unexpected presence on an early Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend, gives me the perfect opportunity to do so.

First off, I have been walking at Council Point Park on most weekends, as well as the weekdays, because this little park, unlike the larger ones that I sometimes visit, is not saturated and soggy. The perimeter path is higher than the grounds, and, while the Creek water level has risen substantially from our last two months of incessant rain, it is far from flooding its banks. So, it’s been a bigger joy than ever to trek around my favorite nature nook, plus, the fact that a passel of goslings are always within sight is a great reason as well.

When I walk on the weekends at this venue, I have more time to linger, so I usually feed my furry and feathered pals the first time around, then I can concentrate more on taking pictures while walking. So, this time was no different. I came up to the pavilion area and noticed a lot of chalk drawings. I figured I’d take pictures later and feed my little friends first. I was fumbling around with the bag of peanuts, with one eye on the trail to scope out any of my nutty buddies, when suddenly, in my peripheral vision, I saw a big slash of white between the bushes. I knew right away it was a swan gliding down the Creek. I figured I’d catch up with it at the cement landing as it passed by. I looked again for any furry and feathered pals, figuring I’d make a mad dash down to the landing and have the camera ready when this beautiful creature glided by.

But suddenly … there we were, face to face, er … beak to face.

But Mr. Swan surprised me with an close-and-personal visit. While I stood there, still clutching the bag of peanuts, I watched it ascend the embankment, stomping the ground with those wide, webbed feet. It stopped and looked right at me. Meanwhile I was fumbling to put away the peanuts, get the camera out and focused, and niggling at my mind was whether this swan was going to charge at me, or head back into the water?

The back story (yes, there’s always a back story).

Of course you’re saying to yourself “why would Linda think the swan was going to charge at her?” Yes indeed, a male Mute Swan came after me on a cold March day because I was taking pictures of him and his Missus in the water. He swam fairly close to the Creek banks and snorted a little. I heard those snorting noises, but figured it was from immersing his head in the cold water to find food. Wrong! He climbed up the embankment lickedy-split and stomped right in my direction. Yikes! I threw down some peanuts in the snow which likely saved me from getting a bite taken out of my behind. You can read about my adventure by clicking here.

But this Mute Swan just stood there as if he was waiting for me to take his picture. I tried not to make any sudden movements that would scare him. For some reason his usually snowy white breast was marred with a dark color, but it did not diminish his regal beauty in the least.

I was in awe of this beautiful creature, just like with my second Mute Swan land encounter. That episode happened exactly two weeks later when I was strolling along the perimeter path and came upon a Mute Swan, submerged in the icy water and plunging through the ice by kicking it with it massive feet while pecking a path with its beak. I was just mesmerized at its efforts, and while standing there watching and taking some shots, the swan suddenly walked up the embankment, not far from me, and began preening, mostly pecking the ice from its feathers. It was such an extraordinary sight to see, then it went right back into the water after it rested for a few minutes. I think it was tired from its journey and I’m not so sure it was even mindful of my presence. Here is one of my favorite posts ever about “The Ice Cutter” as I called him.

Well, I digressed bigtime … so, back to THIS Mute Swan. After fumbling for the camera, I inched a little closer and it stood and gazed in my direction, even opened its mouth wide as you see in the photo up top. I’m sure it was either saying “hey there” or asking for treats, don’t you? It likely knows I am a sucker for the Park wildlife, but I’d already put the peanuts away to grab the camera – clearly, I needed more hands.

The swan meandered around Brian Skinner’s memorial tree, pecked at the mulch, then turned and went right back into the water. He could not have been on land for more than 90 seconds tops. He walked back down the embankment and next I saw him in the water, so I ran down to the cement landing to catch a clear view without any brush or reeds in the way.

Watch as he spins around to look at me at the cement landing, then heads downstream. He ended up with some Canada Geese, then I eventually lost sight of him. I took a lot of pictures and sat down pondering which ones to use for this post. I concede they look similar, yet, I thought if I did a slide show, perhaps I could better illustrate his presence. (Unfortunately this time I could not do a hybrid post half in Gutenberg Editor, half in Classic Editor, so I’ll leave the photos gallery style instead.) So, imagine this swan, who was easily my height (69 inches/175 cm), and the average swan measures 50 to 60 inches (127 to 152 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 82 to 94 inches (208 to 239 cm). Also I might add that the average Cob (male Mute Swan) weighs around 26 pounds (12 kilograms). Suffice it to say that he was huge! And those big feet! His demeanor was so calm that I believe I could have asked someone to take a photo of us together. But, just like the last two times, I was the only one who witnessed this beautiful swan up close and personal.

Posted in nature | Tagged Mute Swan, Park, swan, walk, walking | 43 Comments

Loosey goosies.

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Thank goodness the month of May is in the rear view mirror, though June didn’t begin all that great either. I had some computer issues at work Wednesday and Thursday thanks to Comcast (I was blacklisted at the work site and could not gain access to my desktop). Compounding the problem, was the fact that my boss was going out of town for a week, necessitating a mad scramble on Friday to get all my work and our June invoices done before his departure. Saturday, June 1^st dawned hot and humid, and the spike in the heat made conditions perfect for a volatile storm. Here in SE Michigan, we had two severe storms yesterday, the first at 3:00 p.m. caused my power to go out for almost four hours. When I finally hopped online to try to catch up with what was going on in the outside world (and here at WordPress), storm #2 began slowly rumbling and making its presence known. I stayed online a while watching Tweets from the weather bureau and local meteorologists about the storm’s approach to our area. Finally I just shut the computer off and went to bed. I did get out to walk today, but didn’t take any pictures. The photos in this blog post are from Friday and Saturday.

There was some serious goose-steppin’ going on.

I like walking in the morning because it is peaceful and quiet at the Park and there are more critters out and about. The geese and their goslings are no exception. I love seeing the goslings following after their parents, toddling along, whether it is to the next patch of grass to graze in, across the perimeter path or down the embankment to the Ecorse Creek.

The grass is very long at Council Point Park right now. Normally, the grass-cutting service arrives every Monday morning, right around the time I am ready to leave for home. But, the cutters are way off schedule due to the incessant rain and stormy weather. They haven’t been around in awhile and meanwhile the grass has gone to seed as have the dandelions. The goslings, just like their parents, have been gorging themselves on the tender long grass and a few times I saw the goslings just laying down and nibbling on the grass rather than standing up to graze. I was hard pressed to take a picture when the geese weren’t grazing or preening themselves, thus I ended up with a ton of photos from the last few days. I sifted through about 150 pictures that I took over Friday and Saturday … admittedly I had a tough time winnowing down the photos for this post. I tried to ensure they did not all look alike and to capture some of their antics as well.

Wait until you see how much our fuzzy babies have grown … but wait! Now there is a fourth family and those goslings are still at the yellow, cute-and-fuzzy-ball-of-fluff stage. I discovered the fourth family on Friday, and, in the six years that I’ve been walking at this venue, usually the three or four families of geese spread out around the Park, and do not necessarily congregate together. But, on the two days, when these pictures were taken, all four families were hanging out together – it was a geese and gosling convention! I tried to get a shot of the entire group, but it was impossible.

I took some photos of the geese and their offspring along the perimeter path and these shots will give you an idea of the stages of growth. Note in the larger goslings how their adult plumage colors and feathers have started to emerge, mostly on their backs and tail feathers. It was warm yesterday and many of the goslings, just plopped down, some in the middle of the path, some along the edge. At a glance, you may think the goslings all look alike, but they are various colors and sizes.

Of course, we walkers always have to do a detour around the goslings, or their parents will hiss or flap their wings until we humans obey and follow the proper protocol! It’s no big deal to walk around them and on the grass, but sometimes walkers don’t do that thus raising the hackles of the parents.

Yesterday morning, since it was a weekend, I could take my time watching the families and taking pictures, whereas on Friday, I had one eye on the goslings and the other eye on my watch, since it was a work day. I was a respectable distance away, so as not to anger the gander who stands like a sentry guarding his family (except for when he is bending that slender neck to the ground to grab up grass with that long beak). So I was immersed in the beauty of the geese gathering, when all of a sudden, a person walking a big black dog came along and the families all scattered down to the Creek and into the water post haste. This was one family and some stragglers headed for safety.

Actually, dogs are not permitted in this Park, but that law is not enforced. The appearance of the pooch on the perimeter path caused the gaggle to head to a part of the Creek where the brush and high reeds make it difficult to get a clear view of the water, but I did my best to take pictures anyway.

Down at the ol’ swimmin’ hole.

Once again, capturing the images of a contingent of four geese families was a challenge, so I had to limit myself to just a few parents and/or offspring at a time. And, I want to mention, that often geese are very loud – they honk as they descend from the sky to the grassy areas, or when they splash down on the water … even when they are conversing with one another in the Park. But these last two days, they were very quiet, whether grazing (yup, I guess their mouths are full) or swimming along in the water. The peace and tranquility of them swimming was amazing to me – no one made a peep, as they followed the leaders.

Here are some pictures of the geese and goslings in the water.

I suspect there will be a few more geese family posts, but I have taken a lot of other Park critter pictures recently and will be sharing them in the coming week.

Posted in nature | Tagged geese, Goslings, Park, walk, walking | 44 Comments

Express yourself!

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Here it is, the last day of May, 2019 and a mere seven more months to reach my goal. So, I’m just like this girl featured above, trying to get my steps in and keep a smile on my face at the same time. I’m up to 362 miles (583 km) as of this morning’s walk. After it got lighter in the morning, I was able to add an extra mile, even a mile and a half to my daily tally. If it was a storm in the morning, and it cleared up at day’s end, I walked after work. Just this week, I had computer issues at work and two mornings were spent dealing with our tech, so I walked in the evenings to not lose any steps. In the evening, it’s not the same ambiance and experience at the Park, and I knew that would be so, but I went anyway. So onward and upward to meet my goal – fingers crossed I make it, but I must admit my confidence is sagging a wee bit. Sure, there are seven months left in the year, but December cannot be counted on for regular walks due to potential snow/ice, sometimes even November for the same reason, and, when the sun rises later in the morning in late September/October, my steps get cut down. And there is always the weather to factor in. I understand we will have a cool and rainy June, a dry July and a very hot August. I still have 880 miles (1,416 km) left to meet my goal – there will be a whole lotta walkin’ goin’ on for this gal!

I saw a story on Michael Posner, the walker I told you about that is trekking across the U.S. on a 3,000-mile (4,828 km) journey. Mike took a few days off this week to visit his home state of Michigan for a wedding and a benefit concert, then he was back on the road again. This side trek means he is not walking through Michigan near me now. That’s a bummer, as I thought I might like to join him for a few miles if he was close by. This was purely a social visit in his hometown and no walking was done. You can click here to see a recent article The Detroit News did on Mike’s walk across America.

My favorite meteorologist says this is not the wettest Spring on record, though it sure feels like it – we had rain 25 of 31 days this month. I hope that June will be drier, but I’m not going to complain as the weather across the U.S. is not just abysmal like ours – it is also deadly. It takes my breath away to read about the damage from the worst tornado outbreak in a few weeks’ time in history. Some tornadoes were in Ohio and Indiana, essentially states that are Michigan’s neighbors

Another casualty of so much rain, often on the weekends, is there has been no chalk art on sidewalks and driveways to photograph and share in my posts. Perhaps the kids don’t want to waste an afternoon creating chalk artwork that the rain will just wash away. I can’t say that I blame them, do you?

I made a grand find last Sunday at Council Point Park. Some enterprising young artist (or maybe more than one) had taken their chalk and created a slew of flowers and abstract images, including this girl featured at the top and bottom of this post. They were smart to draw under the pavilion roof where their artwork is protected from the raindrops. The drawings were vivid and the artist(s) left some of their chalk behind, and I was tempted to be like my friend Ann Marie who often leaves a message in chalk when she sees chalk drawings.

Just like the first picture below that features the sun, we are also enjoying a sunny day today.

Hope you like the flowers and flourishes in the images below. I’ll leave you with this quote:

“Look at life with the eyes of a child.” ~ Henri Matisse

Posted in Uncategorized | 86 Comments

Memorial Day 2019.

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Linda Schaub

Today was the Island Road Runners’ Memorial Day 5K/8K Run/Walk on Grosse Ile, Michigan. (That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?) I saw it advertised in the online version of the local paper a few weeks ago and thought this might be a chance to check out another venue for walking, so I signed up. The Island Runners are a group of Downriver area residents that formed a group of runners back in 1981 and this Memorial Day Race has been in existence for just as long. I understand there were between 500 to 600 participants in today’s event.

Grosse Ile is the biggest island in the Detroit River and accessible via a main bridge or toll bridge and also by boat. The whole island is only 9.6 miles (24.9 km).

We assembled at Grosse Ile High School on probably the most gorgeous day that we’ve seen in 2019. We enjoyed a flawless blue sky, brilliant sun and cool temps, about 60 degrees at race start time and no humidity or wind. With the exception of a few stragglers, we were all ready to go by 8:50 a.m.

After hearing the national anthem (including a few yowls from a white poodle at the high notes), then some comments from the race coordinator …

… the 5K Race/Walk began promptly at 9:00 a.m. and the 8K run followed five minutes later. The flag bearers marked the solemn remembrance of Memorial Day with huge flags, Old Glory and one representing the servicemen who are POWs/MIAs.

We headed down Grays Drive toward the Detroit River.

It was a conglomeration of runners and walkers, women pushing baby strollers, kids holding on to mom or dad’s hand … or holding their own by racing with the adults, and finally, a few dogs tagging along with their owners.

Along East River Road, which runs parallel to the River, there was plenty of police presence, including vehicles that blocked off all the streets where we walked. Officers and volunteers on bicycles rode alongside the shoreline, keeping pace with all of us. They were carrying boom boxes blaring music to get runners and walkers pumped up along this scenic trek.

The water at the river was sparkling and the occasional pleasure boat drifted by and its occupants gave us a wave. Some boats and docks were dormant awaiting more activity later perhaps.

The houses to our left were exquisite, with perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful landscaping. A few homeowners waved and shouted out words of encouragement as we passed their homes.

Next, we turned into a neighborhood, and it was very shady, which was already welcome as it had gotten warmish on the short walk along East River Road in the full sun. It seemed at every twist and turn along the way were well wishes shouting out “good job” or “doin’ great or “just a little bit further and you’ll have even more shade” … that was great news as the runners were already red-faced and looking a little exhausted, especially the ones who had donned the long-sleeved race shirts made for this event.

This guy and gal were wearing patriotic-looking duds.

These sweet young ladies were our “water girls” and eager to pass out tall cups of water.

And this young man had a bird’s eye view of the activities from a tree in the front yard.

At Meridian and Lowrie Roads, with barely a mile left in the race, a classic car caught my eye. It was parked alongside a few more well wishers, one of them waving an American flag. Now I wouldn’t necessarily recognize a Plymouth Road Runner at first glance, but a few things gave me a clue here as you see below:

You might remember the Road Runner cartoon character from Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner? Perhaps this car was the mascot for the Island Road Runners who have a Road Runner logo too. I stopped to visit with Paul, who has owned this car since 1976 when he graduated from high school.

I didn’t want to linger as we were smack in the middle of the sun and it was getting warmer by the minute, so I rounded the corner onto Grays Drive for the last leg of the journey.

As we neared the end, people lined up to either clap or say “good going” or something similar and to tell us “the end is near” which made me wonder if we all looked that weary? The 8K runners were coming in the same time as me, but I had meandered along, taking it all in and taking photos for this post. As with prior 5Ks I am more interested in the ambiance than getting a good race result (good thing because I came in at 1 hour and 10 minutes for my official time – yikes!)

There was a medals ceremony and refreshments, and an announcement of where our registration fees were donated (various Grosse Ile schools and Special Olympics), then the event was over. To garner some additional steps, I left the car at the High School and went up to the River and strolled along East River Road to get a few more miles in. I enjoyed this beautiful weather day, especially as we have storms rolling in tonight around 9:00 p.m. and the rainy/stormy days will continue through Thursday.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

[Island Road Runners Logo from their Facebook Page]

Posted in 5K events | Tagged 5K event, Memorial Day, walk, walking | 70 Comments

My Nutty Buddies.

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Linda Schaub

The weather outside’s been a bit frightful, as is often the case on a holiday weekend. But, rather than whine about the weather, as I am often wont to do, I just skipped Saturday’s saturated walk, even though I am sorely lagging behind in steps for 2019 thanks to the weather. I still aim to get on board with walking in the rain, especially now that I’ve got all my various soggy weather gear in place, but I must embrace that idea slowly – it appeals to me more now that the weather is a little warmer.

Saying the weather is a little warmer is an understatement. Yesterday it was downright sultry – in the 80s. Today was not as warm, but it was very humid. I had just returned from my walk, got in the house and it began to rain. It’s drizzling now and a storm is on the horizon. We have stormy weather every day through Thursday. But, though the rain is a pain, it is not severe and devastating like other parts of the U.S.

It is finally ice-cream eatin’ weather and the truck has been making its rounds in the neighborhood … there must be lots of kids on nearby streets because the song is already an earworm. I was thinking of these “Nutty Buddy” treats in conjunction with hearing that ice-cream truck’s song.

Do you remember them and did you like them back in the day, or are they still a favorite?

In my recent posts, we all oohed and aahed over all the sweet babies … goslings, Robin hatchlings and even the Great Blue Heron. I am way overdue in showcasing some of Council Point Park’s peanut-eating pals I encounter on the perimeter path daily. A bag of peanuts gives a lot of pleasure to a cast of characters that you know as Parker, Stubby, Midnight as well as the Northern Cardinals and Red-Winged Blackbirds, who choose to swipe a peanut or two from under the squirrels’ noses. Feeding these furry and feathered critters gives me a lot of pleasure too.

So, please enjoy this parade of my Nutty Buddies, whose images I’ve been collecting the past few weeks during my Park treks.

Parker.

No one is more appreciative of peanuts than Parker. Take a look at the smile on his face.

Stubby.

I’ve been following the antics of Stubby since last year when I saw he was missing half his tail, hence the moniker of “Stubby”. I can’t tell the Fox Squirrels apart … Parker usually will run to see me, and the rest of them all look alike, except for Stubby. His tail is not so raggedy looking now with the white fur tip.

Midnight.

Midnight is awfully timid and I’m still working on gaining his confidence. You’ll see how he is always mindful of my presence, a little bit of fear in his eyes. I daren’t make a move as he’ll bolt.

Northern Cardinal.

This beautiful male Cardinal practices “swoop and swipe” … from his perch he watches for an opportunity then swoops down. I laughed at these pictures when I downloaded them and was previewing them. There’s plenty of peanuts more his size, i.e. a pipsqueak next to the squirrels. That peanut is almost as big as he is, reminding me of the expression “go big or go home!”

Red-Winged Blackbird.

The male Red-Winged Blackbird watches the peanuts, the squirrels and the Cardinal and decides when to make his move. Sometimes he just lands on the perimeter path in front of me – hint, hint … I’m here and ready for peanuts. The female Red-Winged Blackbird doesn’t resort to these tactics … I assume she waits for her better half to bring home the bacon, er … peanuts.

[Nutty Buddy ice cream courtesy of Pinterest]

Posted in nature | Tagged birds, nature, Peanuts, Squirrels, walk, walking | 57 Comments

Road trip!!

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Linda Schaub

It’s the first long holiday weekend of 2019, and, while we are all mindful about the real reason for the Memorial Day holiday, we are also anticipating a little R&R as well. What are your plans? Are you sneaking out of work early today and heading to a cottage, have a mini-getaway planned, or just staying home and doing yard work and planting some flowers? Maybe you’re just relaxing? If you’re headed out, I’ll wish you safe travels.

In the meantime, I want to share some more pictures I took on Tuesday morning. The goslings are growing up quickly! One family has a trio of goslings that are still in the cute-and-fuzzy stage and the other two families have goslings that are teenagers. Tuesday was a gray and gloomy morning as I watched one family of geese marching across the perimeter path, through the spent dandelions, enroute to the Ecorse Creek. The Creek is not that wide and the family made the trip to the other side in about 15 minutes. As I stood there (forsaking any walking steps) to capture some photos of their little trip, they reminded me a bit of the children’s book about the Country Mouse and City Mouse. I decided that these geese were the Country Cousins who were going to visit their City Cousins yonder across the Creek. I watched the meet-and-greet at the other side, then suddenly the homeowner started up his lawn mower and the loud noise made the City Cousins and their goslings scatter and the Country Cousins never got out of the car, er … water, but instead just continued on their way.

I’ve captured their road trip in the photos with captions below.

[Header image by “National Day Calendar”]

**Sneaking out of work early to beat the traffic.**

**The Country Cousins scramble to get ready to leave.**

**They stop for some fast food before taking off.**

Sigh – it seems they forgot the map.
Mama Goose hopes there are no detours, or this gaggle won’t be giggling.
**The goslings look to Papa Goose for direction.**

Papa Goose says “I know the way – I don’t need no stinkin’ map!”
(Hmm – don’t all dads driving on road trips say this? Just askin’.)

**Papa concedes “okay, maybe I was a little off – now we are on the right track.**
**Tell the rest of the kids to catch up!**“

Meanwhile Family #2 contemplates taking a road trip.
Mama says the kids are too young … maybe wait a few days ’til they’re older?

**Yup, the Country Cousins are rubberneckin’ as they watch the slowdown ahead.**

**Traffic congestion; now the Country Cousins wish they’d just stayed home.**

**Aah – no traffic jams here, just smooth sailing for our friends.**

**The goslings ask: “are we there yet Pops?”**

**Patiently Papa Goose says: “no kids – just a little while longer.”**

**Almost there – where’s the welcoming party?**

**The City Cousins are happy to see their Country Cousins …**
**“c’mon over here and give me a kiss!”**

**But where are are the rest of the Country Cousins – did they stay behind?**

A big lawn mower wreaks havoc and the reunion is over as soon as it begins.
The Country Cousins say “we’re outta here!”

Posted in nature | Tagged geese, Goslings, holiday weekend, nature, walk, walking | 61 Comments

Down by the lazy river …

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Linda Schaub

… the Detroit River that is.

You know, I could have come up with at least a half-dozen headlines for this Sunday stroll, but that song popped into my head first (and it just dated me as well).

These pictures are from my walk at Elizabeth Park this past Sunday. I was still looking for the elusive ducklings, and, just like Heritage Park, the Pekin Ducks, Hybrid Mallards and regular Mallards that usually stroll around this park were scarce. Unfortunately, they had no ducklings in tow, thus I have suspended the duckling search for 2019. Those sweet-and-fuzzy babies have likely hatched and moved on to other parks, although the water was certainly conducive for them staying here at this venue.

God willing and the creek don’t rise.

People use this expression all the time, and, before this year, I cannot say I’ve ever encountered water levels, the likes of what we have these days in Southeast Michigan. My heart goes out to those folks that are suffering with floods and water levels twice, if not three times, the norm. The weather is just too erratic for my liking and I worry everyday about this “new norm” weather-wise. We had torrential rain on Sunday. Don’t get me wrong … we’ve endured pounding rains many a time, but this was a torrential rain that lasted 45 minutes. I watched the water rise to the top of the curb in the street and this has happened over and over this Spring. We had severe weather with winds in the 60 mph range predicted for later in the day, and that is when soggy lawns cause trees to topple over taking their massive roots with them.

Having rain every day isn’t just a thorn in my side for hampering my walking regimen, but the condition of the parks is also less than ideal for walking. I even bought waterproof shoes, plus vinyl rain boots, for navigating around the saturated grounds and trails on the weekend. But that said, I decided to go to Elizabeth Park as there should not be any water worries because I knew they have the paved perimeter path that encircles the entire park and is used by vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians and even our fine-feathered friends …

… not to mention the paved walkway down to the canal, three bridges to cross, plus the boardwalk. I figured walking shoes would suffice, but boy was I wrong! The canal had flooded its banks up and onto the grass and even the sidewalks – what a mess!

I tried cutting through the grounds to access the picturesque bridge …

… and the grass was like walking on a sponge. Squish, squish, squish went my heavy walking shoes as I sank down into the waterlogged grass. I had to turn around and head back, but found a few ducks enjoying a morning swim.

These ducks looked like they were catching up on neighborhood gossip, as if they were laughing about something don’t they?

I retraced my steps back up to where I parked and decided to go down these rickety cement stairs to get to the boardwalk, where surely it would not have water lapping up and over the seawall? Whew – it did not.

Two geese strolled along the boardwalk and stepped right into the water.

A couple of furry friends happened along, first this Fox Squirrel, on the prowl for treats, who came running over to see me. I guess I have “Peanut Lady” written all over my forehead.

And this Gray Squirrel with the eloquent pose which seemed to say “will you be so kind as to favor me with some peanuts?”

All of a sudden the sun slipped behind the clouds … well, as long as it didn’t rain – sigh. I saw this Red-Winged Blackbird which appeared in silhouette in that newly darkened sky.

Gone fishin’.

I must mention how warm it was last Sunday. Our weather has been so erratic. We’ll have a slew of chilly days, then suddenly the temps jump as high as 25-30 degrees in a single day. Tuesday morning I awoke to 45 degrees F (7 C). Last Sunday I was way overdressed. I didn’t factor in the humidity when I got ready to go because I put on a sweat suit to thwart any mosquitoes from making a meal of me.

On this hazy morning, the fishermen were out in full force, lined up all along the Detroit River boardwalk.

I think today’s fishermen (and women) lining this boardwalk are not pondering life and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the moment while dropping a line into the water. They are multi-taskers. They have multiple fishing rods propped in between the railing that runs parallel to the boardwalk. They are not watching that line for any action, like wiggling or tugging at the lure or night crawlers, because their respective heads are often bent down while peering at their smartphones. There are boom boxes blaring in the background. It is a bustling crowd on the boardwalk.

Some, like this guy stand there, rod in hand, patiently waiting on a bite and far from the maddening crowd.

And then there was this fisherman who was waiting in the weeds, er …reeds for a nibble on his line.

I first encountered him when I walked by on the boardwalk. I saw his head bobbing behind the straw-like reeds and took the image above, then this one …

… but I wanted to see exactly where he was standing, away from the boardwalk. I couldn’t believe that he was balancing precariously on these rocks, right in the Detroit River (52 feet deep). I took a few shots of him fishing from his stony perch, and next time he cast out, he spotted me and he called out “twenty bucks for my picture!” So I countered with “how’ ’bout I make you famous in my blog instead?” He laughed and as I walked away, I thought to myself “did I really say that?”

I kept strolling along the boardwalk, and soon another fisherman piqued my interest. This fellow had his fishing rod in hand and two very tiny fish were on the line. I remarked “well at least you caught two fish, huh?” He smiled and said “nope, they’re just bait minnows, but look what I caught already!” He pointed to the water where several fish were strung on a bright blue line which was tied to the railing. I shared his enthusiasm by saying “wow those are big fish – guess I know what you’re having for dinner tonight and these would be silver bass?” See what I did there – I hoped to erase my faux pas about characterizing the minnows as dinner, by identifying his catch of the day, thus making me seem a little more intelligent. “Yes” he said, so I continued “yup, I understand the silver bass are running; the fisherman on Bishop Park’s pier last week told me that.” He added “and the walleye are here too.” Now I wouldn’t know a silver bass from a walleye so I just nodded sagely, then asked if he would mind if I took a couple of pictures of his fish. I had to lean way over the rail to get these shots.

I thanked him and said “enjoy your fish fry tonight” and he smiled, then pointed and said “see the fellow in red over there – he just caught a fish.”

So, here’s my last fisherman with his catch of the day. I decided to ask if I could take his picture, not just sneak in a shot and he was happy to oblige.

I omitted my line about making him famous in my blog because (wait for it) I didn’t want him to think I was fishing for compliments.

Posted in nature | Tagged Detroit River, Fishing, Flooding, nature, walk, walking | 88 Comments

Baby boom at Council Point Park.

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Linda Schaub

There are a few things you can count on every Spring … the appearance of allergies, dandelions and those pesky elm and maple seeds that land in your mulch and sprout into a gazillion tiny weeds in a day or two.

Spring is also the time for babies at all the parks and woodsy areas and Council Point Park is no exception. I’ve never seen baby squirrels, but I am not alone in that regard, because, unlike the waterfowl who hatch, then head to the water within 24 hours of birth, baby squirrels stay in the nest, totally dependent on Mom for the first ten weeks of life. After they have been weaned, squirrels are off to explore the world, forage and plead for peanuts, which I wonder if that is an innate trait, or something their folks taught them to do.

So, you’ll not see any squirrel photos in this post, but no worries, I’ve got a few cute pictures tucked away for later.

The Robin nursery is busy.

Since I wrote about Mama Robin sitting on the nest and incubating those pretty turquoise eggs, a trio of baby robins has hatched.

The hatchlings are growing big and I am amused that their mouths seem to be large in proportion to their bodies. They have an almost sinister grin, though they remind me a little of Daffy Duck with that oversized beak. Most of the time, those beaks are open and pointed toward the sky as they await Mama to drop some grubs or worms in that gaping mouth.

Mama Robin continues to sit on top of the chicks when she is not feeding them and sometimes her mate watches them nearby while she is off looking for toddler tidbits.

Harry the Heron has offspring too.

My favorite nature nook has been gifted with the presence of a baby Great Blue Heron. Fellow walker Mike told me a few weeks ago that he saw a heron family on the cement landing. I was sorry I missed that sight. I had not seen Harry the Heron in ages, not that it does me any good, since he sees me and makes a horrible screeching noise and takes flight before I can take his picture. Harry is either camera-shy, or just has incredibly bad manners to bolt like that, but I do not take it personally.

So, whether or not this was Harry’s kin, I don’t know, but this small heron was standing on the cement landing and I was able to get quite close to him. He was not uncomfortable, didn’t mind my intrusion and just continued his ramrod stance, peering into the water, studying it for movement of any fish for his breakfast, just like his folks taught him to do.

Then he bent down closer, studying the water, ignoring the rumbles in his stomach, while hoping for a little fish.

He began to hunker down, ready to aim for the kill …

… but no luck so far. He did strike a beautiful pose while fishing though.

I was hoping he’d get that elusive fish, so I could get a picture of that shad that he’d gulp down whole, then it would wiggle all the way down that slender neck enroute to his stomache. I kept the camera clapped up tight against my face. But, either the fish weren’t around, or this heron must hone his hunting skills … there were no fish for his breakfast and ten minutes later I glanced at my watch and decided since it was a work day, I’d better hustle, so I said “see ya soon okay?”

There were lots of loosey-goosies.

There are now three Canada Geese families at Council Point Park and that is the same as in recent years. Two families have rather large goslings, already shedding their downy yellow fuzz for a mottled, gray-and-yellow sleeker look. Along with their advanced age, comes a whole lot of attitude as you’ll see below. In one family, those goslings are still fairly small.

I was dividing my time between the three families, trying to get some pictures where they weren’t in the shadows, or preening, or munching grass that was almost as tall as they were, especially when they laid down.

I got some random photos of each family as you will see below.

Then, I was bending down to feed a squirrel and almost missed the kerfuffle between a few Canada Geese. As you see below, one of them had his knickers in a twist about something and he started honking and hissing at Mama and Papa Goose who had their goslings gathered around them. The pictures are a little fuzzy as I was in the shadow of a tree when all the action began and I didn’t want to step away from my place in the “cheap seats” to get a better view.

Well, Papa Goose was defending his family and thus he countered with a little hissing of his own, so the bully goose flapped his wings, then went airborne just a little and Papa Goose took off after him. I had the camera handy and captured the fracas. I was back a respectable distance and they were not mindful of my presence. Look at the goslings scatter while flipping their tiny wings.

The funniest thing was that once there were no more wing-flapping shenanigans, the bully goose continued hissing and the goslings, quick learners, began hissing back at this interloper. It’s kind of like when a Chihuahua barks at a Great Dane!

And just like that (snapping fingers) the fracas was over and the family gathered together and moved on.

In the coming weeks I hope to capture more images of the babies as they grow by leaps and bounds!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged geese, Heron, nature, Offspring, Park, robins, Spring, walk, walking | 64 Comments

Steppin’ out at Heritage Park.

Posted on May 18, 2019 by Linda Schaub

I had my ducks in a row Thursday morning when I left the house at 7:10 a.m. My destination was Heritage Park because I was going duck hunting. Oops … let me clarify that – I was going DUCKLING hunting and looking for photo ops of those tiny, feathered dumplings.

I follow the City of Taylor’s Heritage Park “Photo of the Day” on Facebook. About ten days ago, one of the regular photographers posted a photo of how high the water level was at Coan Lake, the park’s man-made lake and hubbub of activity in the historical village area. Coan Lake is a mallard magnet and there are Canada Geese there as well, but mostly ducks. You may recall my photos, not all that long ago, of mallards huddled and shivering on the ice, or paddling in the frigid water near the covered bridge that crosses Coan Lake. The photographer remarked on how many ducks and ducklings were there that day. So, I aimed to see those cute-and-fuzzy ducklings while they still were soft and downy and before they turned into teenagers.

I had method in my madness for arriving there so early (and not just because it was a work day and it is about a 12-mile round trip during rush hour for me). There is a gentleman that makes a daily trip to feed Coan Lake’s mallards in the early morning. He takes a large bag of cracked corn for them, and, just like Parker comes running to meet me when I get to Council Point Park, these ducks paddle over and/or fly down to see him as he tosses the corn onto the ground near the lake. So, I hoped to get to Heritage Park to hang out and wait for this guy and get some pictures.

When I arrived, the sun had just burst on the scene, but it was still a little shadowy at the park since the plentiful trees have leafed out. The many flowering trees made a parade of frothy pink and delicate white blossoms and these Redbud trees were just exquisite.

Oh no! The mallards were MIA!

Much to my surprise, not to mention disappointment, unbelievably, not a single mallard duck was in the water! The water had receded from the level seen in the photos a fortnight ago, but amazingly there were no waterfowl at all. Even the usual contingent of Canada Geese were at large, nor was there a single Cormorant, who always looks like a “flasher” the way he holds his wings outstretched. Needless to say, if Mr. Corn Man showed up, he’d turn on his heel and head back to his vehicle … if he showed up at all.

But, it’s such a picturesque venue, I knew I’d capture some images besides those pretty Redbud blooms, so I set off.

As many times as I visit Heritage Park, I usually come home with the usual photos of the Little Red Schoolhouse, covered bridge, gazebo, old log cabin, and the old mill.

Barn swallows were dive-bombing.

I did see barn swallows swooping and dive-bombing all around me. They were not collecting flies or grubs, but hanging around near ground level grabbing nest materials. They were pulling dried grass strands with their beak, then flying off to their destination, the rafters of the covered bridge.

So that was my next destination as well. Last year, I was able to get a few shots of the nests and young ones from the rafters of the covered bridge, but I saw no nests in the rafters and just a whole lotta swooping going on.

Dodging barn swallows was definitely not on the agenda and I may have been disappointed to have the duck families MIA, but I took it in stride and decided to get my steps in with a stroll around the village, then I planned to head to the track that encircles the park to get some serious steps in later.

It was blissfully peaceful and quiet, just a few walkers, some walking their pooches. I never carry peanuts when I visit here because I’ve never seen squirrels nor have I seen cardinals, blue jays or blackbirds, the usual peanut-scamming-and-enjoying suspects at Council Point Park.

Heritage Park Petting Farm.

I meandered over to the area in back of the petting farm. Bathed in the early morning light, the ramshackle old buildings with their gaping holes, long since patched up with old signs, and a rickety fence looked inviting for taking a few pictures.

Behind all the faded red paint and tired-looking fence was a gorgeous lilac bush. It was huge and set against the blue sky up top and the old white fence to the left, it made a beautiful picture. I knew I could not do it justice, even if I tried, but I told myself that an artist sitting here with easel and paints would enjoy trying to recreate that sight.

Hmm – just like these two Robins, I was on the fence for a few seconds …

… so, should I go closer to check out the lilacs, or was this private property? I didn’t see any “no trespassing” signs, no gates to unlatch and absolutely no sign of life anywhere, so I decided I must get a whiff of that large lilac bush. I thought of my pitiful lilac tree and bushes at home, still sans leaves, let alone blossoms.

The scent was intoxicating, like the finest potpourri. Well, I wish I could make a scratch-and-sniff sample for you to enjoy. I hurriedly snapped another photo, then scurried back onto the pathway again after a refreshing pause.

With a quack-quack here and a quack-quack there.

I returned to the path just as a pair of ducks decided to announce their presence by quacking before landing near the water. They gazed at one another and at me as if to say “well this is what you came here for, so take our photo already!” So I did. They posed, I clicked, then they plopped into Coan Lake for a quick swim.

They flew off and a seagull landed on the lookout point and I guess I took too many shots of him as he flew up to the covered bridge.

I saw a sparrow or two …

… and a Mourning Dove.

The Goose Family.

Before I finished one complete trip around the village, yonder, across Coan Lake, I saw them – the goose family which was recently featured on the “Photo of the Day” for Mother’s Day.

There they were, Mama Goose, with seven goslings toddling after her, and Papa Goose bringing up the rear. I decided my trip to this venue was not in vain, and thankfully I would not just be posting photos of the gorgeous trees and bushes that dot the grounds, the historical buildings and farm, but could include the Canada Geese and their offspring as well.

[Can there ever be too many baby animals or birds to ooh and aah over? I don’t know … you tell me, because the day before at Council Point Park I came home with a slew of images of goslings, Robin hatchlings, a young Heron and the usual pals along the perimeter path. I promise you some cute photos once I sort through them and work around this severe weather we are having tomorrow.]

The parents and their goslings were hanging around the Little Red Schoolhouse, more specifically underneath a small memorial tree. At Heritage Park, the memorial trees are done differently – the plaque is larger, more raised up off the ground and has the info about the loved one plus the species of tree beneath that.

The warm sun must’ve baked onto the memorial stone as several of the goslings sat there, sleepy-eyed or snoozing away.

Mama and Papa Goose were never far from their offspring.

I took dozens of photos, trying to get the goslings to look at me, but it was difficult as they were either on the move, grazing or napping. These were my favorites.

I didn’t get too close so not to anger the gander, however a dog got a little too close to the goslings and the gander hissed then flapped his wings and the dog quickly retreated.

It was an enjoyable morning getting my steps done and goose-stepping with the goslings. I’ll leave you with this quote:

Everything flourishes in the nourishment of our appreciation; plants, people, the Earth, moments. When we live with that appreciation, we flourish. ~ Kristi Nelson

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged geese, Goslings, nature, Spring, walk, walking | 76 Comments

The Rain, the Park and…

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Linda Schaub

… Wild Wings, er … Other Things.

In between the intermittent bursts of sunshine and raindrops, I have managed to get my steps in, and take some photos as well. Woo hoo, considering how most mornings are about as gray and gloomy as it gets.

So, while my recent cute-and-fuzzy gosling shots are adorable, the rest of the feathered and furry clan of critters are clamoring for equal time in this forum. Well okay, I guess I can’t blame them for that.

This Red Red Robin is not bobbin’, but sittin’ on a nest.

I wonder if it’s the same Robin as last year? Last Spring she built a nest on a low branch. While I didn’t have a bird’s eye view of the happenings inside the nest, on a daily basis I monitored Mama Robin first incubating the eggs and then attending to her hatchlings. We, (Mama Robin and I) even fended off the Red-Winged Blackbird who tried to rob the nest twice while I was right there – once when there were eggs and Mama Robin was off hunting for her breakfast and the next time when Mama was off to get fast food (worms and grubs) for the hatchlings. I raised my voice and waved my arms around to get that bully bird to leave and Mama returned to investigate what the commotion was all about. I watched as she chattered and used her body to knock that large blackbird away from the nest. It was incredible to watch Robin versus Red-Winged Blackbird. The bully bird finally flew off, not successful in his robbery attempt, and Mama Robin was still shook up. I swear I saw her heart pounding behind that bright-red breast. My heart was thumping too Mama.

So, this is a more secluded spot for the Robin nursery, but not an ideal spot for me to monitor – maybe once the chicks poke their beaks into the air?

I’ll keep waiting and watching for the hatchlings’ arrival.

I’ve got swagger and I’m struttin’ my stuff!

And, speak of the Devil, just look at this Red-Winged Blackbird. He has been hanging around all the squirrels’ favorite feeding spots along the perimeter path. He gets pretty animated, hopping from branch to branch when I come along with my bag of peanuts. From his perch in the tree, he will strategize how best to land onto the path and snatch a treat from under the squirrels’ noses, if I don’t favor him with a peanut first.

We usually trade glances, and then he’ll hop to a lower branch to ensure that I see him.

Oh, I will see him alright, but … just in case, he’ll erupt into song. I love the trill of the Red-Winged Blackbird.

He knows he’s caught my eye, so down he goes to the path in a purposeful strut to retrieve the peanut that me, the sucker, just left for him.

The squirrels are still my favorite Park critters with their fun-loving antics.

As you may know the entire perimeter path is two miles long and shaped like a figure eight with the pavilion separating each one-mile loop. There are certain spots that are woodsier than others and thus the squirrels congregate there.

Of course, that doesn’t stop Parker from greeting me at the pavilion area to be first in line for peanuts. My furry pals have got their meet-and-greet-and-pleading-eyes-ritual down pat and one day I fully expect one of them to point to their rumbling tummy … yes, it’s all about them sometimes.

So what’s a few peanuts between friends anyway?

The sun was so welcome and it was definitely a good shadow day – look at Parker checking out his shadow.

This squirrel was gnawing on peanuts from a prior benefactor – all of a sudden he was in awe of something. Well … a peanut for your thoughts Sweetie.

I am sure this peanut pal wanted to ensure I didn’t miss him in case I sprinted over to see the goslings like last week when I bypassed all my furry friends in favor of my feathery friends. I chuckled to myself when I saw this squirrel, eager to impress me in an effort to glean extra peanuts by pretending he was a Meerkat. Yup, I went right over to him and he got those desired peanuts and I told him “my, look how tall you are!” He stood there like that for the longest time and I’m sure he’ll try this stunt over and over again.

And now the swan song for today’s post.

In this parade of “wild things” finally there is the elegant Mute Swan which graces this post’s header image and takes my breath away any time one silently glides down the center of the narrow Ecorse Creek. I was ogling the gaggle of goslings, when suddenly I heard a hard thunk onto the surface of the Creek not far from me. Startled, my head swiveled around as I wondered what in the world had swooped in with such a hard landing? I knew it had to be a swan since Canada geese announce their arrival to their brethren, (or sometimes just to hear themselves honk … I’ve got them all figured out, believe me). A Mute Swan is generally twice as large as a Canada Goose and a good 15 pounds heavier.

This graceful Mute Swan flew down from the sky, making a rather clumsy splash down, but quickly composed itself upon hitting the surface.

I was mesmerized by this swan’s glide down the center of the Creek. What a treat to behold this lovely creature so close-up. I watched its slender neck dipping into the murky water of the Creek to nibble some aquatic plants, or simply enjoy a sip of water.