WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Sunseekers of the world unite!

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

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

I’m gonna soak up the sun.

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

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

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

Below are the turtles with their shells peeling off.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yep, the weather is wacky these days.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, nature, White-tailed deer | 50 Comments

Gosling-palooza!

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

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

The month of May in Michigan means goslings galore!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

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

Taking a pink pause …

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Linda Schaub

**Dogwood tree blossoms at the Ford Estate**

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

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

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

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

Here are some of those Eastern Redbud trees.

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

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

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

Enroute to the Environmental Interpretive Center.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bingo! There they were!

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

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

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

How can you NOT be enamored with critter babies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

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

On the road again …

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

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

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

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

Birds of a feather.

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

A few subtle changes indicated Summer was on the wane.

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

… but in other places the Lotuses were still blooming.

Phragmites swayed slightly in the breeze.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

… but also Summer Goldenrod …

… and some wild Black-eyed Susans.

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

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

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

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

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

Revisiting Council Point Park … without pictures.

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

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

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

Posted in birds, nature, walk, walking | Tagged #Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, birds, nature, walk, walking | 94 Comments

Hey lady – poses for worms! #Wordless Wednesday #When the red, red Robin goes bob, bob, bobbin’, er … beggin’ …

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Linda Schaub

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

Posted in #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, birds, nature, Uncategorized | Tagged #WildlifeWednesday, #Wordless Wednesday, American Robin, birds, nature | 51 Comments

Seizing the moment, day by day .…

Posted on May 25, 2025 by Linda Schaub

I continue to bemoan the funky weather, which has not been stellar for daily walks at Council Point Park and there have been few long excursions either.

Recently, two severe weather outbreaks in our state brought 11 tornadoes over two days and we had temps in the mid-80s. This week, we were in the 50s with rain for four days straight. Getting out in nature is a welcome respite from the everyday rigors of life, but in watching the severe weather outbreaks and devastation from massive tornadoes, I remain ever grateful to continue to be unscathed from severe weather.

When it seems to be picture perfect, I seize the opportunity, even in gusty winds or when it is stinkin’ hot. I walked so much over two days recently that I ended up with painful shin splints from overdoing the miles in my efforts to glean newborn pics of the goslings belonging to the two Mama geese featured in my Mother’s Day post. Yes, I was successful and will be sharing those cutie pies in future posts.

So with that said, I hope there will be many parks to visit and adventures yet to unfold in 2025.

I admit as of today I am somewhat doubtful I will accomplish my yearly walking goal (1,258 miles/2,025 kilometers), but I will try my best, one foot ahead of the other, onward and upward as I always say!

We have babies everywhere, um … if you can find ‘em!

Because it is the season for nesting and young’uns, I did a 30-mile round trip to Lake Erie Metropark to check on the Sandhill Cranes and possible offspring, as well as the resident Osprey families at this park.

No Sandhill Crane “colts” then, (nor as of Mother’s Day, my last visit to this venue).

You may recall there are two Osprey families at Lake Erie Metropark, the one that nests in the siren at the fire station at the outskirts of the park and the other family that has a fancy-schmancy platform on Lee Road near the marina.

Patience is a virtue.

Well, I was pleased to find the latter Osprey pair were at their nest on this windy and coolish day. I was hoping to get a few in-flight shots perhaps while the male was on a stick-finding mission or triumphantly bringing home a fish breakfast. I wondered if the Missus was sitting on a nest yet and if and when that blessed event would occur.

But instead I found two stubborn Ospreys who decided they had enough of playing patsy to a pesky photographer interrupting their day.

The female apparently WAS in the nest, but had sunk down into it, perhaps sleeping in, maybe incubating eggs, or even evading me taking her photo. She raised her head once as her mate monitored me from his perch on a nearby pole.

As I stood beneath the platform gazing up, did I detect a somewhat defiant look by that male Osprey?

Well, patience is a virtue and you wait and wait sometimes for that coveted shot.

If there was a thought bubble over its head it would read “the pest is back, I’ll let her stand there like a fool while the Missus and I evade her!”

Which is exactly what they did.

First the male Osprey left its post and flew as far away as it could. Sneaky!

Then I zoomed in …

I think he was enjoying himself, taunting me with his antics.

Just then a series of chirps erupted from the nest and before I knew it, the female was enroute to her mate and I was left with “empty nest syndrome” as you see below.

Together they alighted on a branch, with a somewhat precarious landing I might add.

When the bough breaks, the Ospreys will fall ….

These are big birds and there they were, side-by-side, on a not-so-big branch. Hopefully, it would hold them both and they didn’t come tumbling down.

The branch wobbled a bit and I raised the camera to get a shot, should it creak and crack and they bolted for the sky, whereupon they promptly looked in the opposite direction. No one else was there to distract them. Not a single car whizzed by.

Defiance I tell you!

Then they simply took flight and were gone. I waited for them to return, but after about 20 minutes I decided they were obstinate and had no intention of returning to their twiggy abode until I was gone.

I am 100% sure their swift retreat was simply to “mess with me” and not for lack of bravery regarding the big, bad human.

It’s Memorial Day, a time to be mindful.

It’s the final day of the first long holiday weekend, the gateway to Summer. But it’s also a time to remember the bravery of service personnel that lost their lives so that we might enjoy the day surrounded by family and friends.

I visited Memorial Park to take some photos of the flags that were placed in advance of last Sunday’s Memorial Day parade.