WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

March madness and gladness.

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Linda Schaub

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The month of March leaves you scratchin’ your head sometimes. It makes its debut, either lamb-like or lion-like, and it’s anyone’s guess how March will exit – sometimes it doesn’t exit quickly enough! Here in Southeast Michigan, it could be wild or mild. If it is not the March winds a’blowin’, it is still icy and dicey, or there is snow and a few times I remember people wearing flip flops. Yesterday, I was walking home from Council Point Park and the sky started to darken and my thoughts turned to “oh-oh, what’s next?” In the space of a few minutes, rain splattered onto my coat, followed by icy pellets that pinged off my sleeve. I picked up the pace a little and by the time I turned the key in the lock, there were dime-sized snowflakes twinkling down. March madness is not just happening on the basketball courts.

The weatherman promised us two sunny days so I was glad for that. I had planned on trying at least one new park this weekend. But a rainy Wednesday and Thursday, coupled with Friday’s sleety/snowy blip, made me rethink that idea and just head to a tried-and-true venue where I knew a paved path would be a safer bet. (Or so I thought.)

I decided to head out to Lake Erie Metropark, a good run for the car, and a long, paved walking path for me. But the pathway had huge patches of glaze ice that formed from pools of water that had frozen over the cement, just like Heritage Park last Sunday. The rain cannot saturate into the frozen ground and it has nowhere to go. Likewise, the Cherry Island Trail was a little icy in spots and the grass had a spongy feel to it, what wasn’t frozen. I managed to get five miles walked there anyway and will write about that trek in a separate post.

Dingell Park.

When I left the house it was just 23 degrees F (-5 C) but when I arrived at Dingell Park, almost four hours later, it was a balmy 40 degrees F (4 C). A few fishermen lined the boardwalk, poles in hand and looking hopeful. Several boaters cruised the channel between Mud Island and the shoreline.

I was surprised to see all the ice floes were gone. It was just three weeks ago that the Detroit River at this venue was filled with chunks of ice which floated along, carrying seagulls and mallards which had hopped aboard for a free ride.

The reason I stopped at this park was I hoped to catch one last glimpse of the eagles who live on the Island before the trees leafed out, but the trees were bare, with no eagles.

Not a single seagull showed up, likely because no one was tossing out any treats. There are always waterfowl in the cove and pavilion area, but surprisingly, there was only a pair each of swans and geese, plus one duck, a Canvasback, which was all alone.

Speaking of ducks, let’s talk about ducking, shall we?

Though the ducks were scarce, a whole lotta ducking was going on beneath the surface of the water. The shad must have been running, as the geese and swans in the alcove spent more time with their feathery behinds in the air, than sitting squarely on the water’s surface. I could have filled an entire post with such photos.

Because the geese were either intensely gazing at one another, or diving for shad, they didn’t provide many Kodak moments today.

Swanee River.

Thus, the swans became the stars of the show – for me anyway. I saw a few swans earlier at Lake Erie Metropark, but none were close up. These two beauties graced me with their presence as they glided along the Detroit River.

I’m not sure which profile shot was more flattering of these lovely creatures, but for sure it isn’t the last one!

P.S. – I walked another mile at this venue, thus adding another six miles to my tally.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged geese, nature, River, Spring, swans, walk, walking | 87 Comments

Rejoice ‘cuz they say Spring is here …

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Linda Schaub

… so that means we get to act a little silly or frivolous and we’re definitely lighter in heart (and on our feet as we hopefully need not trudge forth with snow boots until November … that’s a big draw for me anyway).

Yup, Spring is in the air … I just felt it this past week. And, it arrived officially just a few moments ago, at 5:58 p.m.! The fact that we might have a dusting of snow Friday morning, well … I guess I’ll just get over it. I really don’t care if it is cold and blustery because I’ll just dress for it, but snow and ice – it just gums up the works.

With Spring comes new life and hope.

The angle of the sun is different on my morning strolls and my distorted-looking shadows often give me a grin. Something tells me that very soon, when walking to and from the Park, I need to be looking up, not just straight ahead, (or down at the uneven pavement to avoid a trip-and-fall). I must be mindful of Mama Robins building nests in homeowners’ eaves troughs …

Eaves trough

… or low-hanging branches at Council Point Park.

Baby Robins waiting for food

During the Spring of 2018, I enjoyed watching and documenting the miracle of life, from those beautiful blue eggs, to scrawny hatchlings and then watching those birdies fledge. I felt a little like I should be the proud Mama sometimes. I shared those photos and escapades on this blog and you delighted in them as well.

Evelyn robins

Mama Robin

Park robins

There was a touch of sadness after those fledglings left and I saw the empty nests. Then, one morning, you may recall, it was pure serendipity that I looked down on the sidewalk and discovered a baby Robin who had likely fallen out of the nest. He was fast asleep, his downy head tucked under one wing, but, soon he felt the presence of this tall human being gazing at him and he looked up at me.

Baby Robin

Well my heart just melted. Long after I said goodbye to him, I fretted and stewed over his well-being since I saw no nests in any nearby trees that he might have tumbled from. Where was his Mama?! He desperately needed her to come along and gently nudge him to a safe haven until he was ready to begin flying lessons and take off on his own.

Soon the Canada Geese will build nests, lay eggs and in late April or early May, the sweet balls of fluff will emerge.

Goslings

All too soon they will begin toddling around after their parents, and will develop an attitude, as those offspring will get as cantankerous as their folks, with all the histrionics of hissing and flapping their wings. It’s all good – you just take yourself off the perimeter path and give THEM the right of way.

whole-family

Ahh Spring – as you unfold, you will continue to delight me.

My furry pals at the Park are similarly delighting in the slightly warmer temps and bright sunshine. This morning I watched a pair scampering after one another, enjoying a simple game of tag, not in the least mindful of me jiggling the bag of peanuts – even Parker hesitated just a tad before joining me on the path. Hmm – could it be a girl squirrel that my favorite furry friend fancies more than a handful of peanuts and me sweet talkin’ him? Parker, I’m crushed!

[Well that’s more like it!]

aaa parker.jpg

The squirrels may be full of energy but Council Point Park will continue to wear its Winter weary look because, despite the calendar date that says it is Spring, that drab and dreary existence lingers.

aa drab

I broke off a couple of twigs – dry as a bone with no sap or supple bend to them, and nary a leaf on the trees yet. The grass is straw colored, but the geese don’t mind what color it is, or, even if it is flavorful – they graze anyway.

Jeremiah WAS a bullfrog??

Most of the blog posts I churn out are about the squirrels, waterfowl and those often cheeky birds that I see on my daily walks. On occasion, I even write about the underwater critters that live beneath the murky surface – some are seen, others just heard.

Last week I heard a story on the news. It didn’t get a lot of airplay as this nature news item was sandwiched in between the New Zealand tragedy and the four tornadoes that raced through mid-Michigan Thursday evening. I was sad to hear about the massive fish kill in our state’s creeks and smaller lakes. The Polar Vortex, and sustained, brutally cold temps throughout March, not only made us humans hunker down indoors more, but it spelled doom for the aquatic life that exists beneath the icy surface of the Ecorse Creek. I’ve been showing you photos of that icy Creek for the past month. The cold created a domino effect. Unfortunately, the brutal temps killed off the aquatic plants that the waterfowl nibble on, and when those plants died off, there was no oxygen beneath the surface of the water. The fish could not survive. As a result, last week the Creek thawed out and lots of dead shad rose to the surface. They piled up on the Creek banks, then the heavy rains and significant wind last Thursday pushed some into the water.

Unfortunately, I must don my rose-colored glasses to avoid seeing the ugliness Mother Nature created in my go-to nature nook. The lack of oxygen will also doom the crayfish, turtles and frogs. In Winter, the frogs hibernate underwater, tucking themselves away in a corner of a pond, not necessarily in the mud, as their metabolism slows down and they get their oxygen from the plant life in the water. But now the plant life is no longer there.

Though I’ve never been lucky enough to see Jeremiah*, the bullfrog that greets me every morning with his loud belches, I hope my little amphibian friend will continue his a.m. serenade and I am not forced to speak about him in the past tense.

So happy together??

Similarly, all the turtles go into a state of hibernation by burying themselves deep in the dirt at the Creek bottom. The turtles, unlike that big bullfrog, are silent on my morning jaunts, but there is something special about watching those painted turtles sunning themselves on a log on a warm Summer morning.

Turtles

Last year I watched a snapping turtle dig a hole, deposit eggs, then cover it up. You and I waited 90 days to see if those turtle hatchlings would march across the perimeter path, or not, and we surmised they made their grand escape in the cover of night, after an empty hole near the nest was discovered.

Meanwhile …

The days will get longer, the path will be sweeter as the Park comes alive and goes full throttle again. The ground will finally defrost and the squirrels can dig up their nutty treasures they began burying last August when we had some chilly days, a precursor to the colder-than-usual Fall and at times, brutally cold Winter. Will my furry pals pretend they don’t know about their respective caches they have hidden throughout the Park and continue to beg mercilessly at my feet, or even straining to reach the mesh bag of peanuts that swings so merrily on my fanny pack and taunts them? Perhaps I will turn around and find them lingering at my heels, or following me around the Park like I am the Pied Piper of Hamlin? Only time will tell and my grocery store is helping out the cause – once a month they send out coupons for the items that their shoppers buy the most. The item you purchase the most is always free. Well, those algorithms are pretty smart as I got a coupon for free peanuts this month … good thing as I was considering putting all the furry pals as dependents on my income tax pretty soon!

aa coupon

I tried really hard to get to 142 miles walked thus far in 2019 by the first day of Spring. I am happy to say I made that goal this morning – it was a mini personal goal I set, so now I only have 1,100 more miles to reach my final goal of 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers) by year end. That’s a lot of walking, so I’ll need Mother Nature to cooperate with me.

I’ll close out this post by sharing a video that I click on from time to time; it helps get me through those harsh, never-ending Winter days when I have my doubts that Spring will indeed grace us with its presence again.

Please take a few minutes and enjoy this beautiful video: Just click here:

*Yup, I’ve probably dated myself with the Jeremiah the Bullfrog reference … so, for the younger set, Google “Joy to the World by Three Dog Night” … 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Spring, walk, walking | 74 Comments

Kickin’ up my heels for St. Paddy’s Day …

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Linda Schaub

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What a gorgeous day it was today! After a week filled with two high-wind events, (with tornadic conditions expected on Thursday), and getting caught in a snow squall yesterday, this St. Paddy’s Day weather was the perfect tonic for all the gloomy, icy, windy and snowy days we’ve endured since mid-January.

It sure made you stand up and take notice …

… or, at least kick up your heels, just like this Canada Goose did up top.

Heritage Park was my primary destination today.

It was cold, just 23 degrees F (-5 C) when I arrived at this park. Sure it was nippy, but if you’re dressed for it, you didn’t even notice.

I was here last St. Patrick’s Day too. Click here.

The bright sun was glinting off the ice which covered Coan Lake. Most of the ducks were huddled together by the covered bridge, while the geese were in small groups, walking rather precariously across that ice which resembled glass.

This pair of geese stayed put, looking a little wobbly on the slick surface, first gravitating toward one another, then finally going their separate ways.

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There were a few breaks in the ice where there was water, like here:

I don’t know about you, but if I had my druthers, I’d stay on the ice, not in the frigid water, surrounded by ice … just sayin’.

These two geese looked like they’d rather stay on dry land, than venture out into the water or onto the ice. I can’t say that I blame them, do you?

I usually walk around Heritage Park’s historical village a couple of times, then take the perimeter path around the entire Park. But, all that rain we had Wednesday night and through Thursday left huge puddles on the grass, and even on the pathways in the village. You can see in this picture how treacherous the icy pathway was for walking and the sun was so strong, you couldn’t always tell where the ice began and ended.

The alternative was the goose-poop-laden lawn. These were my parting shots of Heritage Park, which is always beautiful, even wearing its barren cloak of Winter.

It was still early and I was not going to head home yet, so I went to my favorite stomping grounds, Council Point Park and concentrated on walking and feeding my furry pals. I got six miles walked today … and that was worth doing a little Irish jig over!

I think we may have turned a corner on this brutal cold as we will inch up a few degrees every day and it will be 50 degrees (10 C) on the first full day of Spring. That makes me smile.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged geese, nature, St. Patrick's Day, walk, walking, Winter | 62 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Linda Schaub

tuesday-musings

A perfect Winter day.

I left the house with a little more pep in my step than usual, due in part to that flawless blue sky and the birds serenading me from the trees. My favorite nature nook lured me like a magnet.

It is also worth mentioning that I was running late. 🙂

In a four-season state, when Winter’s harsh weather finally begins to wane, you cannot help but just exhale deeply. We are promised 64 degrees F (17 C) this Thursday. That is cause for celebration and time for a Spring Fling. What’s a Spring Fling you ask? It’s the day you leave behind the hat, scarf and gloves and maybe even end up carrying your coat home.

This is National Pedestrian Awareness Week.

There’s no Spring Fling yet however; it was still a little chilly, but I bravely left the hiking boots at home and ventured out in my walking shoes – yeah for that! I am more of a fleet foot in my comfortable walking shoes that seem like slippers to me. But … no matter how late I was running, or even with my Easy Spirit “Punters” on my feet, I still had to be mindful of vehicles on my one-mile trek each way to Council Point Park.

The statistics for pedestrian accidents and fatalities here in our state is quite alarming. Granted, many of these accidents take place after dark, or in bad weather. This bulletin was issued by the Michigan State Police in an effort to make drivers and pedestrians aware of how accidents happen.

Every so often MSP will send out plainclothes troopers in unmarked vehicles to scope out who is not paying attention when they are driving. I’ve mentioned it here before and a few fellow bloggers who are runners agree with me. We simply can’t daydream out there.

Often I’ll see a vehicle idling in a driveway in the ‘hood. So I will wonder if the driver is in the car ready to back up, or, did they remotely start the vehicle from inside the house and they are still nursing a second cup of coffee?

It pays to be ever-vigilant, and not laid back.

So … as a public service announcement to those who might be getting out and enjoying the Spring weather, I’ve compiled a list of the types of drivers that pedestrians should be aware of:

First we have the fiddlers … and no, they are not playing a stringed instrument with a bow. They are fiddling with their radio, or the heat, or the A/C, or some button or gizmo on the car. Their eyes aren’t on you, nor the road. Yup, it only takes a second, one bad swerve and yikes! In other words, when crossing the street, don’t be dragging your wagon or you might be missing part of it when you get to the other side.

bob tail

The snoozers are those folks who hit the snooze bar one too many times and you, yes you, are in their way. If you see them speeding down the street, run like the dickens!

run like the dickens

Of course there are the texters – if you’re tall like I am, if they’re in a car, you see them as they drive by, head bent toward the floor with a smile on their face. They’re not going to see little ol’ me, or you either.

The noshers have one eye on a fry and the other on the road. Swiping a fry or two from the carton is okay in my book, but do beware if a driver zooms by and they’re cramming a Big Mac into their mouth.

The bleary-eyed drivers stayed up late watching Netflix and should have stopped for a caffeine fix because they have that deer-in-the-headlights look.

i need my caffeine

Since 2011 when I began the walking regimen, I’ve amassed thousands of miles on my feet. At the Park my mind AND my feet can meander (as long as I watch out for police patrol cars on the perimeter path – you’ll recall how the officer had to wait while I was taking pictures of Harry the Heron a few months ago). If not, just click here.

So remember my advice to be ever vigilant, and …

bright eyed and bushy tailed

… stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and you won’t become a wet spot on the pavement.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Squirrels, walk, walking, Winter | 47 Comments

Mother Nature gets an A+ (but with an asterisk).

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Linda Schaub

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Finally … back-to-back days brimming with sunshine, which made for two perfect walks in my favorite nature nook. I was happy that I could have belted out “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here!” That would be for my furry friends only, because most of the walkers are still at large. I was at Council Point Park for over three hours this morning, between walking, doling out peanuts and taking pictures. So, I have decided to run down the alphabet from “A” to “Z” to tell you what I experienced today with my eyes and ears:

A is for AMBIANCE. Ahh, this venue never disappoints and I got there early enough that I had the Park to myself … just the critters and me.

B is for BIRDSONG. The first noise I heard as I stepped on the perimeter path this morning was a Red-Winged Blackbird and that was music to my ears. Once the marshy area comes alive again, the Red-Winged Blackbird is a staple among the reeds with his identifiable call. Hearing it gave me newfound hope that Spring, still eleven days away on the calendar, may actually be waiting in the wings after all.

C is for COLD. Yes, the sky was bright blue and the sun was shining, but it was mighty cold. I was dressed for the 21 degrees F (-6 C) temps, but that wind was whipping around at 16 mph (25 kph).

D is for DRAB AND DESOLATE. We have had a wacky Winter season. Last Winter we had 62 inches (157 cm) of snow and we still had snow in early April. This year, it’s not been the snow, as much as the ice and cold. It clears up nicely, bare pavement once again, and then we get more snow, but it is usually a wintry precip which causes accidents and Your Roving Reporter to venture no farther than the driveway. Winter has left its mark on the Park as well, and it looks rather drab and desolate these days.

Desolate1

Desolate2

Desolate3

Desolate4

E is for ENCOUNTERS OF THE WEIRD KIND. The first time I went around the perimeter path this morning, I had an usual cast of characters scrambling for peanuts – no, not just the squirrels, but Cardinals, Blue Jays and the aforementioned Red-Winged Blackbird. At one time, three different birds and the squirrels were noshing nuts along the perimeter path. I took some pictures, but this was my favorite of a bird and squirrel who were almost too close for comfort, don’t you think?

F is for FURRY FRIENDS. Of course no walk at Council Point Park would be complete without a few squirrel photos thrown in. I wavered on how many is too many squirrel pictures (I know … they all look alike sometimes) and settled on these. Yes, only three photos, but … there are some photos of Parker coming up later in the post.

G is for GEESE. About an hour after I arrived a huge flock of geese flew overhead, honking their heads off. They were impressive in perfect V-formation. Their signal caller said “land here!” Suddenly, there they were about twenty feet from me. They regrouped and began to graze. These are just a fraction of the gaggle. I suspect the cold ground was bothering their feet as many of the geese were standing on one leg. I tried that stance when the bus was late in the Winter and it didn’t help one iota.

Geese

Geese1

H is for HAZE AND FREEZING FOG. Early this morning when I first got up, there was a freezing fog advisory. “Oh great!” I thought. I originally planned to go here as well as Heritage Park, but decided to just stick close to home. You can see the haze that remained despite the sun breaking through. The grass was coated with a light frost and the asphalt path was slick in some places.

Haze

I is for ICE. This ice is just not nice! We had frigid temps this week when the mercury dipped way below zero for the air temp, not just the wind chill. The ice on the Ecorse Creek remains frozen solid and there were no visible breaks in the ice where ducks could swim. The powdery snow from Sunday afternoon settled onto the ice and stayed there when we got the precipitation later in the day – ugh for Winter!

Ice1

Ice2

Ice3

Ice4

J is for JAY. Peanuts on the pathway for the squirrels tempted several birds to come down and snatch a few, just like what happens on my front porch. You already saw the Red-Winged Blackbird with the squirrel, but the Blue Jay was eyeing those peanuts from his high perch above. He swooped down when the coast was clear.

Jay

K is for KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS. Yesterday I was greeted with a passel of hungry squirrels and today as well. The ground is frozen and I wonder if their new benefactor is away on vacation? I was hoping to meet this person, based on the description I was given, but saw no one yesterday or today. So, as to my furry friends, I decided to kill them with kindness. By the third time around today, they no longer came to see me. The peanuts were gone – they were all filled up and tucked back in their nests. I left more peanuts on the picnic table since tomorrow is not promising for a walk.

L is for LINDA AND PARKERS’ SHADOWS. Last year since we had so many rainy weekends, for a while I’d count each sunny day as a “good shadow day” … well, from the header photo, you see it was a brilliant blue sky. The bright sun made it a good shadow day and, while shadows are not exactly stellar when you are trying to get a good picture, they are good examples of Parker dancing around me in anticipation of peanuts.

Linda and Parker shadow1

Linda and Parker shadow2

Linda and Parker shadow3

Linda and Parker shadow4

M is for MYSTERY BIRD. I can I.D. most of the common birds around the ‘hood and the Park, but a small bird alighted in a nearby tree. The sun was so strong, I was merely pointing the camera and clicking away at the Jay and this bird and hoping for the best. I couldn’t identify it, nor its song, but this fellow studied my every move and did not come to the path for peanuts.

Mystery bird

Mystery bird1

N is for NUISANCE. I’ve decided that cold weather is a nuisance when picture-taking in the Winter, because juggling peanuts, the camera and heavy gloves is definitely not for amateurs.

O is for OMG – PAVEMENT CRACKS! This freeze/thaw cycle we’ve had all Winter has been bad for the roads. I showed you one of Michigan’s car-swallowing potholes a few weeks ago – this large crack in the perimeter path has just happened in the last week.

OMG pavement cracks

P is for PARKER. Of course, I had to include some photos of my favorite Park pal who rates his own letter of the alphabet. Yesterday and today Parker caught up with me on the perimeter path. I think he, and the other squirrels, came down from their nests because there were no squirrels at ground level when I arrived. It’s nice to know I still rate a personal visit with my frequent absences due to the icy walking conditions in the ‘hood.

Q is for QUIET. The first hour of my visit was peaceful. I love it when the only thing I hear are the peanuts being cracked, the Sparrows murmuring and the other birds calling. Even the Red-Bellied Woodpecker was silent as I made my way around the path. Harry the Heron was not in residence, nor were there ducks or swans. The peace of the Park was welcoming, and, as I passed the half-submerged log where the painted turtles sun themselves all Summer, I wondered how many weeks before I hear them plopping into the water, one by one, when I get too close to the Creek banks?

R is for RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD AND ROBIN. I mentioned this fellow already. He followed me around as I was dispensing peanuts and made it a point to abscond with a few while the squirrels were not watching their stash. Though I enjoy hearing his call, I’m not always enamored with the Red-Winged Blackbird who often is a bully to the other birds. Last year he tried to steal the Robin’s eggs, then the hatchlings. I watched him duke it out with Mama Robin a few times and had to intercede and chase him off. He’s picked a fight with the geese as well. There is one in every crowd it seems. As for the Robin, I think the Robins returned to Michigan too early this year. They are also a welcome sight, but I’ve been seeing them for almost two months now.

Red Winged Blackbird

Robin

S is for SNOW. I wonder how many more times I’ll be posting snow pictures – it would be nice if this was it until late 2019, but I fear that is not the case. The dregs of the last snow were still around, even in the tree hollows.

Snow Snow1

T is for TREES WITH BUDS. Besides noticing the progress of the Snowdrops as I walked past them, it was promising to see the buds on some of the trees.

Tree with buds

U is for UV RAYS. The sunlight was so bright, especially glinting off the snow, that I had to shoot blindly a few times, especially the birds in the trees. I’m not complaining after our consistent gray and gloomy weather.

V is for VICTORY. I did five miles today! It all helps toward my walking goal of 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers). Onward and upward!

W X Y Z is for the WEATHER IS NOT NICE TONIGHT! I’d like to just X out the forecast – we have torrential rain, probably an inch or more, plus thunderstorms and 45-50 mph winds tomorrow. It is pouring as I write this post and the winds are quite gusty. Y are you doing this to us Mother Nature? So, I guess we’ll stay home and catch up on our ZZZs we will lose tonight when we Spring forward.

Mother Nature did a good job up until now – and therein is where the asterisk lies.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birds, nature, Park, Squirrels, walk, walking, Winter | 53 Comments

Pretty please, could I have some peanuts?

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Linda Schaub

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Ahhh … there’s nothing like the smell of fresh peanuts. Whether it hearkens back to the vendor hawking packets of fresh-roasted peanuts at the circus, or a baseball game [“peanuts, peanuts … get your fresh-roasted peanuts”], or simply ripping the seal off the jar of Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter, to many it is an aroma that rivals the finest chocolate.

I finally got to the grocery store yesterday with the threat of another wintry precip morning looming, so I decided I’d better high tail it out and get some peanuts for my Park and porch pals. I didn’t want to resort to rationing the porch pals’ peanuts again and I really didn’t want to end up serving tortilla roll-ups stuffed with peanut butter to Parker and his friends. After all, I think I owe my allegiance to Parker and his pals, as they’ve not had the benefit of “droppings” every morning to tide them over until their paws and claws can begin digging up those buried nuts. We’ve had incredibly frigid weather the last three days with subzero overnight temps.

When I got to Meijer, I went to the usual spot where they have the bagged peanuts. A new display was there for dried fruit snacks. Panicked, I looked around for where they might be. Meijer does not have loose nuts of any kind in their store, so if they quit selling the Hampton Farms peanuts I’d be up a creek. It turned out they merely moved them – whew! I got eight bags and that ought to keep everyone happy for a while.

I gave my “porch pets” extra peanuts this morning, shortly after sunrise. Those squirrels and birds give me a smile with their antics. Lately, just like clockwork, they arrive, two by two, as if they are lining up to get on Noah’s Ark. If I don’t make a dropping of peanuts early enough for their liking, when I open the door, one of the two blue jays greets me with a big screech that sounds like “slacker, where’s my breakfast?” The pair of cardinals, male and female, think they are concealed in the barberry bush. The female blends into the twigs, so I can’t see her well unless she hops from branch to branch, but the male’s beautiful red plumage makes him stand out, especially on these gray days. The squirrels … well, they live across the street and when I open the door, I see immediate movement in the trees. I picture two heads bobbing out of their respective nests and saying “Linda’s put our peanuts out!” Soon Grady and his pal are scurrying across the street to my house.

These days I see less nutshells on the porch and with our recent sub-zero temps, I know that the squirrels aren’t hiding those nuts in a hole. The birds are really no savvier than the squirrels, BUT, they abide by the proverb “the early bird catches the worm” … all that swooping and swiping that goes on tells me the squirrels better set their alarm clocks earlier.

“The Peanut Lady” goes to Elizabeth Park.

The squirrel featured in today’s post is not Parker and his pals, nor Grady’s pal, but one who lives at Elizabeth Park. When I made my foray to four parks last Sunday, I decided to keep that post squirrel-free since the bird was the word that day. [You know it was killing me to leave this furry fellow out of that post.]

I parked the car and crossed the vehicle bridge and this squirrel started chattering at me as I passed “his” tree.

I glanced up at him and we had a quick stare down, followed by a Pavlov’s dog-like movement on my part, wherein I patted my pocket to feel if I had enough peanuts in the Ziploc bag to offer him, while simultaneously unzipping the camera pouch to get ready to take his picture.

I stood next to his tree, grateful the incessant flurrying that had plagued me on my earlier jaunt to Lake Erie Metropark, had finally stopped, so perhaps I could get a few photos of him. I wiggled the bag, even took out a few peanuts and held them between my fingers to lure him down. It worked.

I watched his slow descent and then, as he got closer to me, he ran back up the tree. Really?! What did I do? My moniker at Council Point Park is “The Peanut Lady” and I am usually a squirrel magnet, so I was a little puzzled by his reluctance to come closer. I said to no one in particular “well suit yourself Bud” and proceeded on my trek down to the channel.

Well, I guess he did not like my dismissive attitude. I felt a presence behind me while taking pictures of the ducks and geese that lined the channel and noticed him begging at my heels. I turned around – so, who could walk away from those sad eyes and begging stance that you see pictured at the top of this post? Not me. I told him he was lucky 1) that I don’t carry a grudge, and 2) that I always carry a Ziploc bag of peanuts in my pocket, whether I’m walking or just outside, and this time he should stick around because it was worth his while to do so.

I poured out some peanuts and, as I fed him, he was happy to oblige me for a few pictures.

While I was taking pictures, a gentleman came along and remarked “there are more panhandlers in this park then there are in San Francisco” and I replied that it is such a large park that I’ve never been “hit on” before. [I didn’t know about the panhandler situation in San Francisco; I was last there in 1980, so I didn’t remark on that comment.] What I did say was that my reputation of being “The Peanut Lady” at Council Point Park was true.

After we chatted awhile, he moseyed on, bidding me to have a good day, and I left my furry friend who was happily noshing peanuts on the snowy grass.

I walked down near the big bridge, which you’ll recall was a tad icy/snowy so I stopped in my tracks and retraced my steps. On the way back, my little pal was gone and only peanut shells remained from our visit. I walked up the hill and at the very same location, if he didn’t begin chattering at me again.

Quick as a whip, he was down the tree and we were having another face-to-face encounter. It began to snow so I didn’t want to linger, but emptied the bag onto the cement and pointed to the meager offerings and left.

As I drove out of Elizabeth Park about fifteen minutes later, the peanuts were still there. Perhaps he could not believe his good fortune of being in the right place at the right time earlier and his Mama reared him right – he shares with others.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Squirrels, walk, walking | 38 Comments

Just goin’ with the floe.

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Linda Schaub

I planned to go grocery shopping this morning, even though I wasn’t out of anything (especially since I found those peanuts). But, just like Friday morning, I dithered and dilly-dallied, trying to decide whether I wanted to waste a weekend morning going to Meijer. I figured I should buy more treats for my furry and feathered friends, and maybe myself too, since Fat Tuesday is coming up. Who knows what this week’s weather will bring? I’ve officially quit believing the weather folks, after four different sources predicted snow Saturday morning and it never materialized.

I got ready to leave and I just couldn’t do it … go grocery shopping, I mean, even though it was another gray and gloomy Winter day, I figured the car really needed a long run and I needed a diversion that was better than strolling past the canned peas. So, I went back into the house, and grabbed the camera. In the five minutes I was gone, when I went back outside, it was flurrying … hmm, well do I go or not?

I decided to just go with the flow and hope it didn’t turn into a snow squall that would slicken up the roads while I was out.

Road trip.

For some people, the phrase “road trip” means racking up a couple of hundred miles on their vehicle. For me … welI, I thought I’d aim high and go to four parks and that would be 35 miles of driving and about four or five miles of walking, while exploring and taking pictures for today’s blog post.

As I drove to my first stop, Lake Erie Metropark, I decided that four parks that are near bodies of water, surely deserved a blog post title of “On the Waterfront” – pretty catchy, huh?

The snow began twinkling down in earnest while I was driving. I figured it wasn’t sticking and besides … those weather folks said the snow wasn’t arriving until late this afternoon. But they got it all wrong yesterday. I am no fan of driving in the snow, but I kept driving.

Lake Erie Metropark – Brownstown, Michigan.

I arrived at Lake Erie Metropark, 16 miles from home. I thought I’d walk along the shoreline, at Cove Point, and get some photos of the waves lapping up against those big rocks, but first I stopped to see Luc, the resident eagle. I’ve written about Luc (pronounced “Luke”) before. He is about 15 years old and was discovered wounded in the Saginaw Bay, Michigan area. Because of Luc’s injuries (he is blind in his left eye and has an impaired right wing), he could not be released into the wild, so he has a permanent home here.

I’ve been to this park a half-dozen times since discovering it last 4^th of July weekend. Every time I stop to say “hi” to Luc. Even though I talk to him, he has never made a peep, merely watching my every move. I suspect Luc doesn’t get many visitors in the Winter months, but he had one just as I arrived.

This beautiful bird had alighted on the railing and I was able to snap its picture before it bolted. I said “Hi Luc” and was rewarded with a large chirp. I’m not sure if he was happy to see me or it was a belated greeting for the cardinal who had just departed.

I meandered over near the boathouse around the corner from Luc’s enclosure.

The marsh water was frozen and a lone goose was wandering around on the surface. It was quite desolate and bleak looking.

I noticed that someone had gone walking on the ice in the marsh and left their calling card. They were braver than me – who knows how solid that ice was?

It began to flurry again and there was nowhere to dash under cover to take photos. I figured I had better forego the trip along the rocky shoreline and went to the boat launch area instead – who knows I might see some interesting raptors there?

Well, if you were wondering where the buoys are, they were scooped out of Lake Erie and piled onto a deck.

The only bird life at the boat launch were seagulls, and this one in particular was enjoying his high perch. He was there when I arrived and I got this photo of him, then I ran to the car for cover as I wanted the camera to stay dry.

Thanks to that sudden burst of snow, I had tucked the camera away in its pouch, in my pocket. That was bad timing because I witnessed another gull fly over and knock this guy right off his throne, er … perch. The two tussled a bit and the intruder left in a huff, and this gull was left to its woolgathering once again.

I sat in the car a few minutes, then left for my next park stop.

Elizabeth Park – Trenton, Michigan.

I drove seven miles down West Jefferson Avenue to lovely Elizabeth Park.

I wanted to walk along the boardwalk and there are two ways to do this: access it from the Detroit River side of the Park, or how I usually do it, walk along the water, over the big bridge and then along the boardwalk – that is the more scenic trip.

I stopped to watch the ducks and geese who were preening or paddling along in the icy-cold canal water.

Yup, it was icy cold – just look at the little floes drifting right by them. It made me cold just looking at this scene.

I walked along the water’s edge, then headed for the footbridge which crosses the canal near when it enters the Detroit River. Oops – the snow was not a problem, but many of the steps were icy. I didn’t feel like slipping over the railing and into the canal. They don’t salt the steps at Elizabeth Park’s historic bridges in order to preserve them – they are almost a century old. So much for that …

… so I retraced my steps, noticing the goose footprints in the snow.

I got about halfway around this park’s perimeter path and then it started to snow (again) – yup, the snow flurries were getting to be a pain, as to taking pictures, so the camera went back into the case again and I set off for my next stop.

Bishop Park – Wyandotte, Michigan.

I just stayed on West Jefferson Avenue and five miles later I arrived at Bishop Park. You may recall the last time I visited this park, three weeks ago today, I was so amazed at the frozen waves and water that were caused by the Polar Vortex. I had never seen a sight like that before. Sure, there are ice floes, but not solid ice as far as the eye could see. I captured that frozen ice here in this post:

As I drove to Bishop Park, I wondered if some of the ice had broken up and would be just large ice floes now. Unbelievably, there was no ice at all! It sure isn’t because we had a heat wave, that’s for sure. Likely the Coast Guard ice cutter came along and mowed through the ice and it broke apart. But here you see it is all gone at the boardwalk and near the pier.

Bishop Park is really prettier in the Summertime. I scanned the trees to see if I might be lucky and see another eagle like last time, but the trees were bare – not a single bird to be found.

I did notice something new in this park though – park benches with dedications on them. Two of the benches had interesting dedications on them and I smiled to myself at the first one …

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… there are many people who park down near the water’s edge, and pass the time by watching the boats – large and small, as well as the seagulls who are always swooping and gliding about. The second bench was amusing as well. Now it was time to head for my last pit stop of the day – a short 2 ½-mile trip to Dingell Park to see if the eagles were in the trees or looking for their lunch by fishing from the ice floes.

John D. Dingell Park – Ecorse, Michigan.

Brrr it was cold right at this Park which is right on the Detroit River. When I was here three weeks ago, there were some small ice floes, but nothing like today. The header picture is of the ice floes in the channel between the land and Mud Island. Ice floes were everywhere, thick and irregular shaped. They floated lazily along, bumping up against one another and emitting audible cracks. I was the only one there and strolled along the boardwalk, but all the action was clearly back at the pavilion area. This small pavilion juts out over the shoreline and I had a bird’s-eye view of the mallards congregating in the water and on the ice floes hugging that frozen shoreline.

The gulls hung out together on this big ice floe:

I felt so sorry for my feathered friends on this cold day. It was 22 degrees F (-5 C) when I left the house. I watched this female mallard dipping its beak in the water, then preening its feathers, distributing the oil throughout, to keep her feathers dry once it plopped into the water again.

This drake was swimming along, watching the water, no doubt for a taste of shad, those small fish that they enjoy.

When there were none to be found, he decided to search under the ice – perhaps a fish was lurking there?

It was peaceful watching them paddling around or walking flat-footed on the ice. But, soon I was not alone as a woman came to the pavilion area holding onto a cardboard box. She tossed its contents onto an ice floe and a mad scramble ensued. I turned to her and said “you just made their day!” She laughed and said she brings them birdseed three times a week. All the mallards gathered on one large piece of ice where she had scattered the seed. There was no quacking, as they silently lapped up that seed – the only noise was me clicking off shots with the camera, like these:

Suddenly the woman turned to me and said “I’m going to my car – I’ve got something else for them” and she returned a minute later with a large box and showed me it was half full of popcorn and said “this is left over from going to the movies last night.”

The only problem was the popcorn was so light, it didn’t land where she aimed it, i.e. the same ice floe. So once again there was a flurry of activity as ducks dodged one another to grab a morsel of popcorn.

Well, the seagulls, who had stayed away up to this point, suddenly appeared and became party poopers as they tried to scare the ducks away from that prized popcorn. The gulls swooped and dived but the ducks were steadfast, laying down on the ice to cover that popcorn.

Soon the popcorn was gone and it was time to move on and go back to searching for shad. A few ducks were late to the party – see how they walked away rather dejectedly?

The sky was dark and gray and the day was rather bleak looking. I thought “hurry Spring – it is cold and a little windy out here.” But I know I share my pain with this pair of mallards … notice in the top of this picture how the female mallard rests her head against the drake. If there was a thought bubble over them, it would be her saying “next year, let’s spend the Winter somewhere warm, okay honey?”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ducks, Eagles, geese, nature, Parks, snow, walk, walking, Winter | 80 Comments

Speaking of March …

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Linda Schaub

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Well, it’s March and we turned over the calendar page. I still don’t know if the weather authorities proclaimed that March arrived like a lion or a lamb – unbelievably, not a single person mentioned this proverb in conjunction with March 1^st.

I can tell you that in my corner of the world, today there was no wintry precip, the roads were clear and dry, as was the Park perimeter path, so it doesn’t get any better than that for Winter in Southeast Michigan. Sure it was cold – low 20s and a wind chill too, but the sun was out – pure bliss!

I was happy to get to Council Point Park this morning. I had really worried about my little furry friends, even though I was there last Friday and Saturday and gave them lots of peanuts, but I’d not been back in nearly a week. I worried my little pals would be hungry since the number of walkers toting peanuts has dwindled during the Winter months and the ground remains frozen solid.

I took the camera, but didn’t pull it out of my zippered vest. It was really cold and I just wanted to make sure I made the rounds and got as many squirrels fed as possible before I needed to head home and start work.

I am delinquent in posting. It’s unusual for me to let an entire week pass by without a peep, er … a post, but I figured any post would be a weather whine about the daily trudge outside, as opposed to a delightful walk at the Park, like I had this morning, so I remained silent. First, it was the Bomb Cyclone Sunday, then some strong winds hung around for Monday. It was slick with flurries on Tuesday, then we awoke to two inches of snow on Wednesday. Yesterday it was slick from the snow on sidewalks and streets. Really?!?! The weather has been a drag to be honest and snow is on the way tonight and Sunday, then we’re in the deep freeze with wind chills below zero next week. Along with everyone else, I am Winter weary.

As Winter wanes, there will be countless memes on social media about recipes for “Groundhog Helper” or similar groundhog dishes. Today the weatherman explained what happened to our promised El Nino … I’m happy for that, because I’ve been wondering about it myself since late September when we had a hard freeze.

In a nutshell, the El Nino didn’t have enough oomph to sustain a mild Winter, so we had the usual wintry conditions. Well, could we have El Nino next year, since we missed out this time?

Speaking of nutshells …

I have stayed away from the grocery store – in fact I’ve not been to Meijer since January 10^th I stock up on pantry items all Fall so I don’t have to be traipsing around in the ice and snow in the dead of Winter. Actually, I have intended to get some refrigerated food several times, but, with the endless freezing rain events and gusty winds, the weatherman warned of power outages, so I was reluctant to stock up on too much perishable food. I lost a fridge full of food last June when an overloaded electrical grid left us with no power for nearly a day.

So, food-wise it was all good for me, but, um … I was horrified to realize last weekend that I was about to run out of peanuts. The weather was already crummy, with more bad weather on the horizon, so I started rationing peanuts, doling out much-smaller portions for the porch pals. I visibly cringed as I placed that meager offering at the front stoop, imagining what was going through their heads when it was so cold and snowy. I made my “dropping” then hustled outside to run the car after suiting and booting up. Sadly, the peanuts were already gone, shells littering the porch, but my furry friends remained nearby, as if to say “so when will part two be arriving please?” I was chagrined to have dropped the ball on my little friends who give me such joy in the dead of Winter, a rather joyless and gloomy time of year. Even the two jays gave their disapproval by staring me down from the neighbor’s tree and uttering screech after screech in an effort to intimidate me. (Have you seen their beaks? I was a little intimidated by them.) Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal perched on the barberry bush and tried to send a telepathic message about their peanuts. Obviously the squirrels had scurried off before the cardinals had their share. I made my apologies and then the pair of cardinals was pretty vocal with their tweets. Okay, I succumbed and went back into the house, peeling off my boots and grabbing a few more precious peanuts ‘til I could get to the grocery store. I hated being “peanut shamed” on my own front porch!

So, I intended to go this morning to replenish their treats. I could not bear to look those sad faces – what a sucker for sad eyes I am. I looked outside – a gorgeous sunrise, clear streets … sigh. How I wanted a walk. So, could I get to Meijer, grab a half-dozen bags of peanuts, head to the Park, dump out some peanuts there and make it back before work? And squeak in a little walk too? Then I remembered squirreling away a package of peanuts that couldn’t fit in the Rubbermaid container – whew! My walk was salvaged and I took half the bag with me and will hold the rest in reserve for the porch pals – it will be good weather in a few days and I’ll stock up then.

The collection of critters with their reproachful looks reminded me a little of a younger version of myself. I’d come home from grade school and Mom would give me some cookies and milk to tide me over until dinner. On the days she baked cookies, if some of them broke while moving them from the cookie sheet to the counter top, I’d get “bonus cookies” on my plate that day. She didn’t bake cookies every day, but I didn’t necessarily understand that fact, as I can remember looking at the plate, then over at Mom, puzzled where the “bonus cookies” were and wondering if I should be so bold and brazen to ask.

Speaking of bonuses …

Well, there was a bonus at the Park this morning. No, not the squirrels who climbed down from their trees and came racing over – they made me smile, especially Parker, as it had been a while since I visited with him. The perimeter path had been plowed – that was a first! In the nearly six years I’ve walked there, the paths have never been plowed, though I understand they used to do it back in the day. The parking lot was a little treacherous from all the ice, but the paths were clear as a bell. That was a real bonus for me.

Another bonus was chatting with a fellow walker who arrived as I was ready to go. He always feeds the squirrels and told me there is a new walker who is feeding them as well. The new guy is enamored with the squirrels and brings big bags of peanuts for them. So no more angst about my furry pals at the Park.

I added three miles to my total today – I am now at a whopping 103 miles (165 kilometers)!

[Lion and lamb photos are from Pixabay]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, walk, walking, Winter | 54 Comments

Friday Frivolity.

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Linda Schaub

friday

I’m channeling Summery thoughts!

So today I registered for my first 5K of 2019.

I could have entitled this post “Great Expectations” because in 2018 I registered, and paid for, four 5Ks, but, because of funky weather on race day, I only participated in one … yup, count ‘em – one. And the one walk/run I did participate in, I kept glancing at the sky the entire time I was walking. I thought I could reach up and touch those low-hanging dark clouds. I remarked to a few others “do you think we’re gonna get rained on?” “Nah” was their answer. Well, to their credit, we finished the event, got our lanyard with a medal on it for crossing the finish line, just as the sky opened up. I waited under cover while watching the awards ceremony and downing a bottle of water, then finally ventured to the car in the pouring rain.

This year I’ll register for the same 5K events, but with a different mindset, because back on January 1^st, when producing my list of New Year’s resolutions, I decided to be like fellow bloggers/runners Laurie and AJ, who run, rain or shine, and even in the snow. So, why shouldn’t I be more adaptable as well? After all, I have set a walking goal of 1,242 miles (2000 km) for 2019. Last year I bowed out of participation at prepaid 5K events, as well as dozens of rainy mornings, as I decided to stay on the inside looking out. (As to the torrential rainy mornings … I may need to tweak my mindset a tad as I go along.) Though I might like to think I’m made of sugar, I’m not … so yes, I will try to roll with this weather, so this year, before the 5K season begins, I’m getting waterproof shoes and a rain suit … no more wet weather for ducks causing me to duck out!

Meanwhile the threat of torrential rains and thunderstorms is on the horizon for tomorrow, and we are part of this “Bombogenesis” or “bomb cyclone” weather event. The thought of Sunday’s 50-60 mph winds takes me way out of my comfort zone.

Finally, after 4 or 5 weeks, I made a weekday trip to the Park.

This morning I thought I’d “hoof it” to Council Point Park. I made a short bop around the neighborhood yesterday, but figured I’d head to my favorite nature nook today.

It’s been many weeks since I went to the Park on a weekday, and I was surprised to see how early the sun was up – so when did that happen? It kind of snuck up on me to be honest. I’ve been stuck in a different mode, a non-walking mode, on the weekdays and really paid no attention to the sun’s earlier arrival.

I reached out and left some peanuts for my porch pals, then suited up with a half-bag of peanuts in tow to visit my Park pals.

I wanted to run the car before walking to the Park, and, I came around the corner of the house just in time to see the fox squirrel up on the brick ledge. He was wearing a look that I could only identify as “oops, I’m busted, huh?” A month ago he could not fit on that ledge, but he’s lost some of his girth, so he easily scurried along. A pile of shells remained on the porch begging the question: did he share any of the peanuts with Grady or the birds?

I put more peanuts out in case the rest of the crowd slept in.

Enroute to the Park, I was continually sidestepping large patches of glare ice on the sidewalks, so I finally just walked in the street where it was clear. Along the way I checked the progress of the Snowdrops, those seemingly fragile flowers I showed you in last Saturday’s post. Surprisingly, the snow and freezing rain had not smooshed them and they were resilient, with their tender green shoots and tiny white blooms.

I heard a robin singing and this time I saw the robin. The other day, I just identified the birdsong. That red-breasted bird was sitting on a chimney cap, and I could see its beak moving as it sang on its high perch, a flawless blue sky in the background.

I would see five more robins before I reached the Park!

I like this cartoon I saw on Twitter the other day …

Robin Redbreast

At the Park, the parking lot was an ice rink in a few spots and the sun was so unbelievably strong that I had to use my arm, not just my hand, to shield my eyes so I could cross the parking lot and get on the perimeter path without sliding on a patch of ice.

So there I was … walking along, treading on the grass way more than the pathway, due to glare ice, and there was not a squirrel in sight. Where was Parker and the rest of the welcoming committee today? I even jiggled the bag to announce my presence, just in case their hearing was better than their eyesight this morning. Still no takers.

But a male and female cardinal, high up in a tree, saw me. A series of identifiable and distinctive tweets caused me to look up and there they were, sitting pretty in a plum tree. As I approached the tree, they both came to the lowest branch, clearly intent on grabbing up a peanut or two. I didn’t drag out the camera as it was zippered inside my vest, under my coat, but tossed out some nuts for them. I stepped aside and they both landed on the pathway – yup, I should have had the camera handy. There will be other Kodak moments once the weather gets better.

I only walked the one loop due to the patches of ice and finally three squirrels spotted me and came racing over, so I opened the bag and spread peanuts on the path. I left the Park after watching them happily noshing away and I’d barely touched the peanuts I’d toted along.

Animal antics.

Squirrels are always guaranteed to give you a smile with their cute antics as you know from my many posts about them.

The squirrels are a foe, and not a friend to some people though. In fact, I remember the first year we moved here, my father ordered tulip bulbs from Holland. He planted them in the Fall and in the Spring, when he did the initial yard cleanup, he found chewed-up bulbs all over the yard. Not a single bulb bloomed. He was furious and blamed the squirrels after seeing a few of them chomping on bulbs which they were holding in their front paws.

Another one who is not smiling about the cute squirrels is my boss. His “check engine light” came on yesterday while driving. He went to the dealership for a look-see and was told there were forty vehicles ahead of his. We have more damage than usual from this erratic Winter’s freeze/thaw cycle and massive potholes have emerged. The tire-eating potholes are not all as big as this car-eating pothole in nearby Hamtramck, Michigan that was featured on WXYZ’s social media site.

pothole1

The ragged roads are indeed taking their toll on drivers while making tire companies and tow truck drivers rich. My boss had to get a rental car and leave his vehicle there to be diagnosed. The verdict was a small animal, most likely a squirrel, had chewed the electrical wires and the electrical system needed to be repaired. Needless to say, he is not as enamored with squirrels as I am.

Animals have a knack for getting on your last nerve sometimes, much as you might protest they don’t. The animals who frequent my backyard aren’t getting into much mischief these days, but the same cannot be said for my friend Carol’s backyard critters.

Yesterday she posted these pictures of her view from a window at her house which is near a woodsy area. Carol counted 17 deer altogether. They make themselves at home in the backyard, and often raid the bird feeder – they were behaving themselves in these photos, and merely nibbling on a patch of grass, but they love to chew on her flowers and bushes and are especially fond of her Summer berries.

deer1

deer2

I often tuck away quotes that I like, and this one sure fits today’s post to a “T”:

“Animals are born who they are, accept it, and that is that. They live with greater peace than people do.” ― Gregory Maguire

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ice, nature, Squirrels, walk, walking, Winter | 93 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Linda Schaub

tuesday-musings

Tomorrow morning we will endure still another Winter wallop … Mother Nature is showing us who is boss.

While my walking regimen was going great at the beginning of the year, having walked 50 miles (80 km) as of January 12^th, the progression has not been so wonderful since then. As of today, I’ve only walked 90 miles (144 km) so far in 2019 and I’m lagging way behind the miles I’ve driven (139) (233 km). That hasn’t happened in a long time.

So what is this walker to do? We have freezing rain coming tomorrow morning, sure to gum up everything – sigh. I’ve lost track how many ice storms we’ve had this year.

It was a marvelous morn for a moonwalk.

Monday morning was beautiful, albeit cold. The sun kept trying to pop through the gray clouds and that made the light layer of snow glisten.

So, before I marred that pristine snow by walking through it, I decided to see what animals and birds have been lurking around. I figured that even if I was not making tracks, I might as well see what tracks I’d find around the ol’ homestead.

I’d put peanuts on the porch already, so I had hoped to get a few outside pictures of my furry and/or feathered friends taking their peanuts. I suited up and was out within ten minutes of dropping those peanuts, and, while I didn’t ring a dinner bell or anything, they were all gone, just the shells remained.

Well, the furry and feathered friends were “working the porch” pretty quickly. From studying the tracks, it appears they were probably pacing down the side of the house …

… and across the driveway …

… while waiting on that slacker Linda to produce their breakfast.

I had the camera all ready, but, so much for those missed shots.

What happens in the backyard, stays in the backyard.

Camera in hand, I headed to the backyard, my heavy snow boots leaving their own tracks in the snow.

I’ve had these Khombu snow boots for decades. The toasty-warm, fur-lined interiors kept my tootsies warm when waiting on the bus and their heavy soles keep me upright in slick and snowy situations. Sadly, I noticed they are starting to crack after all these years.

I did a round robin in the backyard – so who has been visiting?

There were delicate bird tracks etched in the snow on the patio, likely belonging to the sparrows who nestle together on the back windowsills, protected from the wind and precip by the patio roof. I wonder how they determine the pecking order of who gets those primo sleeping spots?

The bird tracks photos were not clear enough to use in this post, but what was clear, was birdsong … a robin’s cheery notes suddenly appeared in the still morning. I looked around for that songbird, but could not find him or her. The song made me happy, though it is very far from a Spring or Summer day. I watched the frosty vapors coming from my mouth as I tried to whistle back.

I also heard a blue jay so I left some peanuts on top of the boxwood bush, hoping to lure that beautiful bird down so I could get a picture.

But there would be no photo op with that beautiful blue jay. I suppose the deal breaker was that I had to step away first, because this morning’s trip to the yard yielded lots of empty peanut shells atop the boxwood bush.

I got a few pictures of the moonset … the dregs of that beautiful Snow moon.

I tried to take some photos of the moon in the night sky, but the reflection from the glass on the storm door messed up the photo. It was a beautiful big moon to gaze at and remember all those years ago when I was a little nipper and believed the moon was made of cheese.