WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

It’s been feeling Fallish …

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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… for a couple of days anyway. It’s not like the frost is on the pumpkin, or anything quite that dramatic, but the pumpkin goodies are on the store shelves and Starbucks is offering up its pumpkin latte, which tells you there’s a hint of Autumn in the air. The porch pots, brimming with jewel-colored chrysanthemums, were on display at Meijer when I was there earlier in the week. To me, when mums kick the flowering annuals to the curb, it always signifies that Autumn is near.

College football starts today, thus the annual rivalry between Michigan’s foremost teams begins anew. While strolling through the ‘hood, I passed ornamental cement geese wearing hoodies emblazoned with “U of M” or “MSU” and collegiate garden flags were flapping in the breeze.

Thursday morning it was almost twenty degrees cooler and much less humid than twenty-four hours before. It was actually chilly and very overcast. I almost declared it officially “sweater weather” but this delightful respite once again will not stick around long – heat and humidity return Saturday morning as Summer rages on.

As I walked to Council Point Park these last two days, I couldn’t help noticing the many leaves littering the lawns and sidewalks, all courtesy of that nearly month-long drought we had in July. The tall oaks are spilling acorns onto the sidewalks and the squirrels are industrious, scrambling to get them and stuffing their cheeks until they look like they have the mumps. It is also amusing to see them clutching onto pinecones and nibbling delicately at those wood-like “petals” … perhaps the chillier air has put them into hunting-and-gathering mode, as they scurry to and fro across my path, foraging for food while the goin’ is good. Those squirrels remember all too well our wicked Winter of 2017-2018, when Mother Nature cranked up the snow machine on December 9^th and she was having so much fun, she forgot to press the “stop” button until April!

I checked out the horse chestnut tree, but it looks the same with its pendulous, fruit-like chestnuts on nearly every branch. I am eager to see what they look like when they ripen.

When I returned to Council Point Park yesterday, after an absence of only three days, my favorite squirrel, Parker, came racing over to see me. Yup, I wanted to scoop him up and say I was sorry I’d not been by due to the heat. He pranced and danced around my feet, then stood on his haunches, eagerly awaiting his treat, so I lavished peanuts on him. He grabbed two in his front teeth and headed across the parking lot to the spot he always goes to hide them. All I saw next was a furry tail sticking straight up in the air.

I stepped onto the walking trail, then chatted with a few other walkers about the weather, always a common topic, then doled out peanuts along the way to my other furry pals. On the second loop, I put away the camera as not much happens on that side. But, I was premature in tucking it away. There was a black squirrel on the path ahead of me, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. As I’ve mentioned countless times, the black squirrels in the neighborhood, and at the Park, are notorious for either rebuffing your efforts to give them peanuts, or, they bolt as soon as they see the whites of your eyes.

However, as I neared this cute little creature, he came over to see me on his own accord.

CHECKING ME OUT

No coaxing, or cajoling, nor tossing out peanuts.

I wanted to feel his forehead.

Timid at first, he hung out around the tips of my shoes, like we were best buds or longstanding pals, like Parker and me. So, where was that skittish personality I’ve encountered with all the black squirrels in the past? It sure wasn’t evident.

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I bent down and tossed out a few peanuts onto the path.

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The Park was full of walkers yesterday and today, all of us enjoying the cool and refreshing air after the relentless heat and humidity we’ve endured all Summer. They saw me stopped on the trail and moseyed over to see what I was doing.

Well, what I was doing was sweet talkin’ this little guy and bending down closer to his level to give him more peanuts. After an initial reluctance, where once he dashed into the bushes, he soon ventured out again and stayed put to enjoy his treat. Slowly, I retrieved the camera so I wouldn’t spook him and could get his picture. More walkers marveled at this little black squirrel sitting there so contentedly, especially Mike who feeds the squirrels and he said “I’ve never seen one of those black squirrels take peanuts, or even come up close to any of us.”

I stayed there with him, clicking off a lot of shots, but it was quite gray yesterday and the trees and bushes shaded the pathway. In fact, I had a few shots of him where he looked slightly demonic with bright-red eyes. I wonder if he is older, judging from those pesky white hairs intermingled with the jet-black fur in his tail.

I stayed near him while the others moved on, but more walkers passed by, and also marveled at this little guy, posing so nicely and enjoying the companionship of his benefactor. So, will this little guy be competition for Parker? I finally left when he scurried off to bury some nuts – maybe he thought I wasn’t passing this way again?

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This morning I doubled up on my peanut offerings before leaving the house. Parker never disappoints and was quick to come bounding over as soon as I walked into the parking lot, but Midnight, the moniker I gave to my newest little buddy, was a no show today. There will be many more morning walks at the Park, and hopefully more photo ops of him.

Today I passed the 700-miles-walked goal I set for myself for August 31st. It was touch and go for a while with all this rain, but I still have another 350 miles to go for my year-end goal. I will have to really push myself in September and early October … sun up is noticeably later every day and after mid-October there is the threat of black ice on those frosty mornings. It really slickens up on the asphalt path, so sometimes I just stay in the neighborhood to maximize my miles as the sidewalk is more porous and not slick.

Tomorrow, as I push toward this goal, I’ll christen my new walking shoes …

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… since my current ones were starting to crack just a little. I’m sure they have at least 1,000 miles or more on them and I’ll keep them for a spare pair.

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I took the new shoes out of the box this morning to take the picture. They sure looked heavy and clunky looking, and seeing them made me recall getting new back-to-school shoes every year. After a Summer of running around in flip flops or sneakers, my mom would say “you’d better wear your new school shoes around the house and get used to them, or you’ll get blisters when you walk to school!” So, I’d tromp around the house in my Mary Janes, and, when I got older, my penny loafers. It didn’t seem to help – I’d always get blisters on my heels anyway.

I’ll venture out tomorrow in these new shoes, onward and upward … no barefoot in the Park for this gal.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Black Squirrels, Fall, nature, Squirrels, Summer, walk, walking | 67 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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It’s a “pools and Popsicles” kind of day with sultry temps that soared to a “real feel” in the mid-90s. I keep reminding myself that back in the Wintertime I promised I would not whine about the weather once those Dog Days of August arrived. Well, those Dog Days have done passed us by; we enjoyed a three-day coolish respite, followed by a return of this oppressive weather.

When I left for my walk this morning, I stepped outside to 77 degrees, a dew point of 70 and humidity of 75%. I thought I might melt into a puddle on the ground. I wore my lightest clothing and felt that lightweight shirt clinging to my body before the screen door shut. I decided rather than sizzle like a slice of bacon, I’d just hop in the car and go to the grocery store and walk there. I’m trying so hard to make my year-end goal, but also fulfill a mini goal of 700 miles by month end, so I know I have to hustle to do so. Walking laps at Meijer seemed like a logical choice, as long as I didn’t stop to chitchat with too many of the friendly clerks that work there.

I didn’t do a single blog post last weekend to refrain from whining about the weather. I had pre-registered for a 5K slated for Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. I didn’t have to drive far, so only needed to pick up my T-shirt and number. All the weather folks had promised foul weather for Saturday, but since they are sometimes/often wrong, I decided to take a chance and go anyway. However, I opened the screen door to hear a long rumble of thunder. “Hmmm – not good” I thought. The sky was dark and ugly looking. I decided to at least run my car in the garage while I was outside … in less than five minutes, big splats of rain had me scurrying into the house. I barely shut the door when a torrential downpour and heavy storm erupted. Whew! Good thing I didn’t leave earlier. It was the third 5K I registered for and did not walk in this year and Saturday’s ugly weather kept me hunkered indoors the rest of the day.

Sunday, I awoke to fog. I planned to attend an afternoon butterfly garden walk in a nearby city. The homeowner’s backyard is filled with perennials and is a monarch waystation, so it is a haven for butterflies. To attend the butterfly garden event, you simply donate a few items for dogs and cats which are given to a local animal shelter. Not wanting to lose valuable walking steps, I went to Council Point Park where I eked out four miles. I left the camera at home since the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I was pretty “done in” at the end of my walk, and since it was so overcast, it meant less butterflies, so I decided to pass on the butterfly event.

I’ve walked at Meijer on hot Summer days in the past. It is a large grocery store, so there’s plenty of room to walk and without driving too far out of my way (just three miles round trip). Laps around the air-conditioned grocery store sure beat a steamy trudge on the perimeter path at Council Point Park, at least until this heat wave abates. They say storms tomorrow will bring in cooler weather – aah.

After trekking through the store parking lot, I decided to hang out at the frozen section until I cooled off and then begin walking laps around the store. There were at least a half-dozen people checking out the variety of cold confections, their faces pressed up against the glass doors, so to be sociable, I peered inside too. My eyes honed right in on the Popsicle section because it was deserted – everyone was checking out the array of ice-cream treats and novelties. Long gone are the twin Popsicles I remember from my youth – in fact the Popsicles I perused today are either the sensible, sugar-free or juice variety, or fancy Popsicles with a lot of razzmatazz. Those many newfangled Popsicle treat names that I saw escape my heat-riddled brain right now, but Fruit Pops and Firecracker Pops stick in my mind for some reason.

One thing I know is these skinny, single-serving Popsicles are nothing like the side-by-side Twin Pops with two wooden sticks I remember from my youth.

Perhaps you remember them too?

As people grabbed their frozen treats and scurried off to transport them before they melted in a pool in their car, I checked out the never-ending shelves of scrumptious icy delights. I couldn’t find the orange Creamsicle Push-Ups I remember from my youth, but I saw some perpetual favorites of days long gone, like Klondike bars, Fudgesicles and Drumsticks (a trio of my personal favorites). Then I saw the ice-cream sandwiches, in a 2018 version that was kicked up a notch or two from the $0.10 variety I remember eating as an occasional treat at Huff Junior High. Today’s deluxe-looking ice-cream sandwiches sure aren’t the soggy brown chocolate wafers with a thin layer of vanilla ice-cream where you’d peel off the wrapper and half the chocolate came off with it. The modern version are chocolate-chip cookies, stuffed with a generous wedge of ice-cream then dotted with chocolate chips. I’d think I died and went to Heaven if I tried those.

When we moved to the States in 1966, I can remember racing out to the Good Humor Ice Cream truck after hearing his endless song cycling for what seemed like hours, before he even reached our neighborhood. Along with the other kids on the block, we’d check out his wares. He probably was a mite impatient with us as we clutched our loose change in our sweaty little hands while we pondered what ice-cream delight to buy. No matter what treat we ended up with, nothing beat sharing a double-stick Popsicle with your best friend when you were a kid.

After I cooled off in the frozen section at Meijer, I set off on my trek around the store. In some places, the air conditioning was not cranked as high, and I found myself tromping back time and time again to the frozen and refrigerated sections of the store … not to buy anything today, but just to cool off.

Along the way, I reflected on pools and popsicles and my long-lost pal Linda Crosby.

Most people who love the extreme heat either own a cottage by a lake, or they have a pool. I had a pool once too. If you were a little kid in the late 50s/early 60s, you probably also had one of those inflatable, yellow, two-ring, vinyl swimming pools with an orange-colored liner bottom. I don’t recall my parents using a bicycle pump to inflate that pool, but instead taking turns, while getting quite red in the face, trying to blow that pool up at the beginning of the Summer. They would be sticking their finger over the valve plug in between trying to catch their breath, while two little girls danced around, eager to hop in. We’d have to wait a little longer until the sun warmed the water a bit since it was ice-cold coming from the hose. That little pool would get emptied and rinsed out every night and hung on the clothesline until our next “pool party” and sometimes it sprung a leak which was not patchable, so a new pool had to be bought and blown up again.

I shared my swimming pool with my best friend in the world, Linda Crosby. In that pool, we also shared secrets and grape popsicles. We were inseparable in those days, not just because we had the same first name, but we also lived next door to one another.

LINDA AND LINDA

My mother would be checking on us from the window to ensure we did not “cook” out there and she’d come out periodically with cups of juice or icy treats, usually Twin Pops. Mom would call us to the door, having broken the twin Popsicle in the kitchen. That was quite an art to separate a double Popsicle without it breaking apart, and it was a task not to be undertaken in the heat of the day outdoors, as it would likely land right onto your toes, and what parts of the Popsicle you DID salvage, usually ended up running down your chin. Mom would hand each of us our half then say “now eat it over the grass because you know your father will be mad if there are purple stains on the cement.”

So, there we were, six decades ago, circa 1958, lovin’ Summer in our sunbonnets, suckin’ on a grape Popsicle and chillin’ in the wading pool. It didn’t get any better than that back in the day.

In looking at this picture, I guess it was better to have a grape, Popsicle-stained chest than purple drip marks on your sun suit or bathing suit? I wish Mom was sitting here right now so I could ask why she chose to make me a topless bathing beauty? 🙂

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P.S. – I have another picture to share, also of the two Lindas on a Summer day, but the following Summer. At least we both had our clothes on, sluggin’ down some juice after playing with our beach balls – I guess we must have outgrown that little pool.

LINDA AND LINDA OUTSIDE OF POOL

[Images of Popsicles from Pinterest]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged best friends, Heatwave, pool party, Popsicles, Summer, Vintage pictures | 62 Comments

With some pep in my step, I explored the “naturehood”

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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It was Day #2 of beautiful Fall-like weather. I know I embarked on my walk with some added pep in my step once I encountered that refreshing air. And today, for the first time in ages, the sun was shining brightly and I saw my shadow. I aim to make the most of this brief respite from the heat and humidity.

I may have ended up at Council Point Park, my all-time favorite nature nook, but the neighborhood was also infused with nature, so I decided those winged, feathered or furry critters deserved a post all their own.

Here is what I discovered in the “naturehood” …

Before I even left the house, through the screen door I watched a huge bunny nibbling on the grass. He didn’t hear the inside door open, so I was free to gaze at him. There I was, just like a gunfighter reaching for his gun in the holster, as my left hand found the camera case and was unzipping it, ready to grab the camera to take its picture, but I decided I shouldn’t share with you how dirty the screen door was. Suffice it to say, he was large and furry and nibbling on grass and, of course, right after I opened that screen door, he bolted, just a white flash of powder puff tail as he went to seek refuge somewhere else.

Even though it was a workday, school doesn’t start back up for another couple of weeks, so the neighborhoods were relatively quiet. The A/C units weren’t humming for a change, as people had opened their windows and many screen doors were ushering in all the cool morning air. Due to the still morn, I could hear the cicadas buzzing. I’ve meant to remark on them for a couple of weeks now, but this morning, since it was extra quiet, their buzzing noises were especially loud. I found one clinging to the door the other day and got its picture. It’s hard to believe this bug will generate all that buzzing, but it does. Summer is not just all about the heat and humidity – to me, nothing says Summer like the sound of cicadas.

CICADA

As I turned the corner, I heard the unmistakable tweets of a cardinal. As I whistled back, note for note, I searched for that beautiful red bird. I finally found it, way high up on a telephone wire.

CARDINAL UP HIGH

An airplane went overhead and the cardinal did a head tilt and looked up – yup, a bigger bird than you was flying the friendly skies.

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I zoomed in on him while he was singing.

CARDINAL SMALL

I heard that birdsong and kept whistling back all the way to the next cross street.

In the next block was a black squirrel chattering away from his perch on a low branch. Usually black squirrels are more skittish than the fox squirrels. I often try to entice them down from a tree branch by scattering a few peanuts, but they generally run the other way. I couldn’t coax this one down to ground level either.

First, I took a photo of this squirrel fairly close up.

But then he gave me the side eye, and next raced up higher where I couldn’t reach him.

BLACK SQUIRREL CLIMBING HALF WAY

I thought this tall, bumpy and lumpy-looking tree was interesting.

BLACK SQUIRREL IN LUMPY LOOKING TREE

I tossed a few peanuts out onto the sidewalk, but no dice – he was up there to stay.

And speaking of trees, as I meandered along, I saw this tree that I used for today’s picture. I know you were wondering why a tree merited being the featured photo, but I wondered what type of tree it was. I did a reverse Google image search but found nothing. The homeowner is never there when I pass and I am curious what tree bears this fruit? [Note: Fellow blogger Anne Mehrling has identified this as a horse chestnut tree. How many years has it been since botany class???]

As I near Council Point Park, Pagel Avenue becomes a series of twists and turns. A pair of bunnies was sitting on a homeowner’s lawn. They looked like a couple of statues, not moving a muscle. I think they had a spat since they were looking the opposite way. They remained motionless as I took their picture, then one bolted, quickly followed by the other one.

BUNNIES TWO

A squirrel popped out of nowhere with a walnut in its mouth.

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I wiggled my Ziploc bag filled with peanuts, but he had no interest, instead keeping his mouth wrapped around a huge muddy walnut. To each his own I guess.

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At Council Point Park, my furry pals were quick to show up for peanuts, and just as quick to scurry away and bury them, their front paws digging furiously into the grass. Could it be the cooler weather has prompted them to step up their gathering and burying efforts? Perhaps I should have let them in on a little secret … the heat and humidity will return on Saturday and should be here for a few more weeks, so there is plenty of time to squirrel away those peanuts. Ugh to those muggies!

Nothing beats a nature jaunt in a real Park, but the urban forest was a treat today as well!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Summer, walk, walking | 66 Comments

Tuesday Musings

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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I thought I’d dust off “Tuesday Musings” as it’s been about a month since I last mused, though I think, with all the rain we’ve had so far today, “mud” and not “dust” would more likely be the key word here. It was a treat to sleep in this morning, but my walking took a hit again, and no steps were added to my yearly tally, unless you want to count a few trips from the back of the house to the kitchen.

One of the stories on the news this morning was about animal crackers and how the PETA people succeeded in persuading Nabisco to change the design on the box of Barnum’s Animal Crackers. Now, the animals are displayed as freed, and thus cage-free, rather than traveling in caged boxcars enroute to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, which, as you probably know, closed down a few years ago. Here’s the story: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nabisco-barnums-animals-animal-crackers-animals-freed-mondelez-international-boxes-get-new-look/

I pity the kids who will never enjoy the circus as I remember it from my youth, and, I loved those cute little animal crackers as well, in fact, so much that I wrote a post about them a few years ago. I’ll skip sending the link to the post because I rambled on about the ugly and sleety weather we were having in late April. On that morning, I had heard the song “Animal Crackers in my Soup” by the late Shirley Temple. Not only did that song evoke a few memories, but it was an earworm for me all day.

So, if you remember these …

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… and, if you’ve ever seen a Shirley Temple movie, you’ll probably enjoy this little song which will give you a smile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cntYIkuthYg

That song took me back to a time of those sweet cookies and a few sweet memories as well.

When I was a toddler, whenever we went grocery shopping, Mom always bought me a box of Barnum’s Animal Crackers. In the store, I’d be holding onto the pale pink string handle that was attached to the oblong red and yellow box that featured circus animals. When we got home and unpacked, and put away the groceries, we’d open the box and pour them out onto a plate, then name all the animal types. Then we’d divide them up and eat them, washed down with a glass of chocolate milk.

Many decades later, one day while grocery shopping, on a lark I bought a box of those same animal crackers, and a carton of chocolate milk. Mom and I did the same thing just like when I was a child, but yes, we skipped the naming of the lions and tigers and bears (oh my!)

It’s good to act like a kid every so often – don’t you think?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cookies, Shirley Temple, Sweet memories | 22 Comments

Got peanuts for me?

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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I decided to defer this post about nuts, and my pals that gobble them up, to today because I wanted to crow about my long-awaited goldfinch and heron finds. Both those birds have been so elusive in the past, that I was happy to finally have one close-up of each of them. I’m still marveling at those mysterious soaring birds, that numbered about a dozen, and most were the size of a pinhead on your screen when you read the post. Those big birds were missing in action this morning, but had wreaked some havoc at my favorite nature nook – more on that later.

It was still dark outside when I listened to the news to decide where the car and my feet would take me today. Truthfully, I really wasn’t too hepped up on what I heard … at 5:00 a.m. it was 71 degrees and the humidity was 93% with hazy skies and a chance of rain. The national news focused on the “Heat Dome” that has rocked all of the Northern Hemisphere since late Spring. They prefaced the story by saying “if you think it’s been hot this Summer, you’re not just imagining it!” A slew of facts and figures followed and the story concluded by saying “get used to it, as this is the new normal.” I wish that was “fake news” and I remember well how many people laughed at Al Gore’s predictions of global warming – laugh no more my friends.

When daylight arrived, I peered out the door and it was gray and gloomy looking, so I decided I was not going on any big excursion. The weather once again made me switch my priorities. My Summer weekend jaunts I’ve relegated to picture-taking expeditions to accompany my blog posts, while still getting the miles walked. This weekend, I’ve focused on getting the miles walked before it got blistering hot, while still snapping some photos.

I drove to Council Point Park to give the car a spin, then walked six miles, which equaled three times around the entire Park. I was grateful the sun still hadn’t put in an appearance and there was a slight breeze, so I wasn’t draggin’ my wagon, by the time I finished, like yesterday.

After Saturday’s sighting of the predator birds, I decided I would place the peanuts off the pathway and closer to the bushes, so the squirrels are not direct targets for the hawks. They don’t care where they get their treats, although these days, they immediately scurry off to hide a few peanuts, so they are still in plain view for the hawk(s). I sure can’t herd those squirrels into the pavilion area under the picnic table, although I have left peanuts there in the past when I knew bad weather might keep me at home for a few days.

This morning I arrived at the Park earlier than usual, trying to maximize my miles before it got too hot. I scanned the skies and saw nothing up there, nor on the ground. Yes, not a single critter, either furry or feathered, my first time around the entire park (two miles).

Of course, I thought the worst, especially after seeing a mess of feathers strewn across the pathway and grass on the first loop. Judging from the many feathers left behind, that victim put up quite a fight. I believe it was a robin judging from the plumage,. It turned my stomach a little, and the next two times I passed, I looked the other way. Yes, a cat might have attacked that poor bird, so I can’t really lay the blame on a particular predator.

The second time around the Park, I saw Mike, who also feeds the squirrels, and asked if he’d seen any squirrels and relayed the mysterious birds story. He immediately asked if I saw the collection of feathers scattered all over and I nodded my head. He said “they’ll turn up – it’s earlier than usual.”

Well, Mike was right – the third time was the charm as that saying goes. Squirrels were coming out of the woodwork and I was happily doling out peanuts with a warning to them to stay near the trees and bushes to enjoy their peanuts and to please watch their backs.

Now, onto my post about the peanut pals yesterday.

I think I follow a fairly healthy, albeit boring, diet. Lately it seems I’ve been bombarded with health tips encouraging you to eat more nuts, since they are a natural way to add protein to your diet, plus they are chock full of vitamins. “Throw away your vitamins and eat more nuts!” seemed to be the general consensus. So, I decided to get on this nut bandwagon too. After perusing the labels, I bought several varieties of nuts, all guaranteed to be nutritious and heart healthy (even if you read the disclaimer, i.e. – don’t go hog wild and eat too many of them!)

heart healthy

The cashews didn’t last long – that’s for sure.

cashews

There haven’t been cashews in this house for a few decades now, not since a coworker was selling plastic Santa Claus boots filled with whole jumbo cashews for her kid for Boy Scouts or some similar endeavor. I bought one Santa boot to be sociable and brought it home. The cashews were gone in record time and I clearly remember my mother asking “why don’t we ever get cashews – these were delicious?” Well several months later she said “Linda, quit buying cashews every time you go grocery shopping because my pants are getting tight.” I guess I forgot all about that scenario in my zeal to get healthier.

As to the mixed nuts, well, they were plenty delicious too, a tasty combo of peanuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. Yummy!

mixed nuts

On the outside of the can, however, the suggested serving was one ounce, or 30 whole nuts. Hmmm – really, you’re going to count them out? Besides, many were just bits and pieces or halves anyway. I measured out a small Dixie cup and decided that was my version of “one serving” although that piddling amount stretched into another serving. Oops! Then there were the almonds which were as hard as my head and I imagined biting down the wrong way on one and taking out my crown. So, I fished out all the almonds from both cans of mixed nuts and put them in a Ziploc bag for Parker and his pals.

The jar of peanuts is all that remains, and I’ve not cracked it open yet. Thankfully, I did have the good sense to buy the dry roasted and unsalted variety which will be blah and boring of course (to humans anyway).

So, in a nutshell … I’ve decided to scrap the eat-nuts-to-stay-healthy campaign and go back to my tried-and-true method of simply shoving a tablespoon into the jar, then dragging it back out laden with nutty peanut butter, and getting my peanut fix that way.

Yesterday, since it was the weekend and I had more time to dawdle, I sought out my squirrel pals to share the love with them because, as you know – squirrels just go nuts for nuts.

I realized I had their attention, so I scattered some almonds on the pathway.

nuts aplenty

Well, I piqued Parker’s interest.

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But, first the almonds were given the “sniff test” …

sniff test

… so, would they pass muster?

Well, yes they did … see for yourself.

pass muster

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So many nuts, and so little time!

so many nuts and so little time

You saw for yourself how my nutty buddies loved those almonds and glommed onto them as soon as they were spread across the asphalt path. I left my furry friends in nut nirvana to walk another loop, only to return to find they were still noshing on almonds and some kind soul had tossed some shell peanuts into the mix on the pathway.

Around the Park, there were other squirrels that did not get the word about the almond joy, so they got regular shell peanuts instead.

Of course, nuttin’ but the best for my furry pals, and, while treating them, it was a great photo op. I got a few cute and funny photos – I hope you enjoy them.

Squirrel Standing Up

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Angel Face.jpg

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Squirrel on Haunches.jpg

Squirrel Sitting on Path1.jpg

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Nuts, Peanuts, Squirrels, Summer, walk, walking | 65 Comments

Birds of a feather …

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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I’ve decided the balance of this Summer, I won’t make weekend excursion plans in advance, since rain keeps intruding. Even though we’ve been blessed with about four weekends in a row with no rain, what is problematic are the rainy days preceding the weekend.

We had two days of rain, and today, at 5:00 a.m., it was 70 degrees and 93% humidity, with a breeze barely worth mentioning. We are still entrenched in those dreadful “Dog Days of Summer” until next Thursday, the 23^rd.

So, in picking today’s Saturday morning excursion, I decided the planned wildflower walk at Lake Erie Metropark would be soggy after two days of rain, plus it would be buggy and muggy, since it is near a marshy area.

I’m itching to get to Hines Park since six miles of that park is closed to traffic from 9:00 to 3:30 every Saturday through the end of September, but this park is prone to flooding after any rain … no telling if that happened, since the traffic report was full of construction detours and warning about the burgeoning traffic jam for the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Heritage Park is still hosting the Junior League Baseball World Series.

So, I stuck with my tried-and-true, old standby, Council Point Park.

I’ve collected a few more pictures of Parker and his pals noshing on nuts and fully intended to share those photos for today’s post , but I’ve decided to crow about my goldfinch and heron sightings instead.

The rain left pools of water in the street as I made my way down to my favorite nature nook, and there was a huge puddle in the parking lot at the Park.

PUDDLE

The perimeter path was still damp from the trees shaking off their water droplets, or maybe from that oppressive humidity – whew!

WET PAVEMENT.jpg

I chatted with a few walkers as we paused along the trail and we decided that this Summer definitely was a disappointment. I think we need a redo, but of course it’s too late for that now.

Discovering the goldfinch was a delight because I’ve been looking for them all Summer and they’ve been elusive. This one first peeked between the bushes at me.

GOLDFINCH FAR

I inched closer and might have had a better shot of him, but just then someone walked by and spooked him, so he flew away.

Likewise, the Great Blue Heron was spooked on two different occasions. Perhaps it was ornery from the heat, or hadn’t caught any fish for breakfast, but both times it flew off, making a screeching noise like something was in hot pursuit of him.

HERON

I was happy to see a few mallards were back, even though they were paddling through the algae bloom that was in some portions of the Creek. The picture looks almost as murky as the thick muck the ducks were swimming through.

DUCKS

I almost didn’t see them, as they made no sound, and they are still wearing their drab brown eclipse plumage, so I couldn’t tell the males from the females, unless they were a contingent of females who were headed to a kaffeeklatsch. The group swam along noiselessly, which is so unlike them because they are usually a raucous bunch and their voices carry in the still of the morning. I’ve really missed the ducks and geese as they add a little more character to the Park.

Lastly, I can’t forget to include these hawk pictures. They are not great images, that much I know, because I shot blindly since I was in the middle of the second loop where there were few trees and the sun was right in my eyes. They look like fly specks, but if you look closely, you’ll see how many there were. I have been scanning the sky for predators at the Park ever since the Cooper’s Hawk swooped down on Stubby. I won’t feed my peanut pals if a hawk is looming nearby. There are never many squirrels in this part of the Park.

So, on one of my glances to the sky, I saw a collection of birds gliding around. I suspect the three large ones were hawks, maybe juvenile bald eagles. But, there were smaller, similarly shaped birds, with wide tails and a large wingspan, just gliding aimlessly while dipping in and out of the clouds.

BIRDS MANY.jpg

It was eerie and reminded me of an old black-and-white Western movie where a group of buzzards were circling overhead. Finally, I reached the area where a row of pine trees stand, so I dipped behind one and at least got a couple of blurry shots of the bigger birds.

BIG1

BIG2

This steam bath weather is for the birds, but at least it didn’t rain, and I added six more miles to my total walked in 2018.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Goldfinch, Heat, Heron, nature, Summer, walk, walking | 59 Comments

Vintage vignettes.

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Linda Schaub

I’ve been hunkered down in the house today. It’s been raining off and on all day, but so far the storms have stayed at bay. Because of the weather, I missed another walk this morning and tomorrow morning is looking a little iffy too. It always rains here when my boss is on vacation, and that is where he is – in the Upper Peninsula for five days. I am holding down the fort, and was left with plenty of work to do – I never seem to catch up these days.

I’ve had the news on in the background as I waded through that work. I decided that Detroit made its mark on the national news for most of the day, pushing the latest presidential titters or Tweets aside, and, even the wildfires’ status is at the bottom of the news stream. The haze from these wildfires has now reached Michigan and made our already-gray sky look hazier and grayer, although, as a result of the wildfires, we are promised some beautiful orangey-pink, and even magenta sunsets … that is, if the sun remembers to show up. Practically speaking, what are a few hazy skies in our state, when people have lost their lives, homes and possessions, and wildlife and natural beauty have suffered as well?

All eyes are on Detroit today and I mused that usually Detroit, Michigan is well known for its crime, (just Google the 1967 Detroit riot), or renowned for the mischievousness that used to occur on Devil’s Night. And, who can forget when the Tigers won the 1984 World Series and fans’ celebrations got way out of hand?

But, today the City of Detroit is darn proud of its moniker of “The Motor City” with the impending “Woodward Dream Cruise” and it also shines as people remember home-grown talent Aretha Franklin, who passed away from pancreatic cancer earlier today. The airwaves have been chock full of tributes to the Queen of Soul, and I heard quite a few things I never knew before about this legend. In the local news, as soon as Aretha Franklin’s death was announced, it bumped the Woodward Dream Cruise reporting to the bottom of the barrel of news stories for today.

You might recall back in June when I made a pit stop at Cruisin’ Downriver, the classic car cruise that passes through my city, I mentioned this event was just one of a parade of classic/vintage car cruises held by various localities all Summer, until the granddaddy of all cruises happens this weekend on Woodward Avenue. Its website proclaims the “Woodward Dream Cruise” as the world’s biggest car cruise: http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/

It is only fitting that Woodward Avenue should host such a grand affair because this was the first paved street in the nation. The cruisers have been out day and night since Monday, though they might have tucked their little gems away today while this rain has been pelting down.

When I was at the “Model A Rendezvous” last Saturday, I took some pictures of a 1955 Chevy Bel Air.

You can see it parked behind this Model A.

in the background

When I was done checking out the 86-to-90-year-old cars, I meandered over to this one. I especially like the hula girl and the sticker about White Castle burgers, a/k/a “sliders”.

side window hula

i crave white castle.jpg

Sometimes, I wish I’d been around for the fun 50s era to hang out with the likes of Richie Cunningham and his crowd from the “Happy Days” show. Maybe I’d be Richie’s main squeeze with a bouncy ponytail and I’d don a poodle skirt, a blouse with an “L” on the lapel and saddle shoes. It might have been more fun than my teen years, those turbulent times of the 60s and 70s.

Before the flood of Aretha tributes and reflections monopolized the news, there was some car trivia on WWJ this morning. I learned that to be called a “classic” vehicle, it must be at least 25 years old; a “vintage” vehicle must be 50 years old.

Well this Chevy Bel Air is beyond vintage.

front

back

side

Speaking of old, and since it is Throwback Thursday, just for good measure, I threw in a couple of black-and-white photos of me posing with the family car back in the day. Hmmm, I guess this girl could be labeled “vintage” too.

LAST PIC.jpg

P.S. – Detroit is also known for its Coney dogs, even if they don’t sell ‘em at Arnold’s Drive-In.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged classic cars, Detroit, vintage cars | 51 Comments

Remembrances …

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Linda Schaub

Marge sunrise

It was another sweltering morning, with heat and humidity to the hilt and temps which would soar to 90 degrees by late afternoon. I did my walk early, but still felt my shirt sticking to me as I trudged home, tiny rivulets of sweat rolling down my face. But, with over 400 more miles to meet my walking goal for 2018, I slogged on.

Anniversaries and angst.

On this morning’s newscast, they recalled the 15th anniversary of the big blackout on August 14, 2003. The power grid went down, leaving 50 million customers in the U.S., from Ohio to the East Coast, and even in southern Canada, without electricity for a day or two.

I was still working on site in 2003. My boss was on the first day of his annual week-long vacation in the Upper Peninsula. In those days, the cellphone signal was not as strong, so he called me before crossing the Mackinac Bridge to inquire about any messages, because once over the Big Mac Bridge, he would need a landline to return those calls. There were no messages so we hung up.

Mere moments later, I was processing mail at the postage meter and the machine made a whining noise and just died. So did the lights in our suite. While I am prepared for loss of power at home, with a cupboard filled with lanterns, a battery-operated radio, fan and blanket, plus extra batteries, I had none of those essentials in my desk at work. (Hmmm – all that Brownie, Girl Scout and Pioneer Girls training was for naught.) Plus, it was pitch dark in our office suite, because my boss has collected labor-related artwork and cartoons for decades; there is barely an empty space on his office walls that does not contain framed art, so he has always kept the blinds down to protect those items from sun damage. My own office had no window.

Even though it is a small suite, and you might walk the same path every day, thus you should know your way in the dark, that is easier said than done. I found some regular stamps for the mail, grabbed my tote bag from under my desk and left. Happily, I was able to get out of the suite as I didn’t have to wait for the door mechanism to recognize my image to allow me to depart. Sometimes in the past that was problematic as I am tall – the electronic eye sometimes trapped me in there and I’d walk back and forth a half-dozen times until I was able to open the door. I wanted out, as in “to escape” … after all, who knew what was really going on? Of course, my mind was racing as I jumped to conclusions – after all, 9/11 was only two years before, so an overtaxed electrical grid on a steamy hot August afternoon was the furthest thing from my mind.

Our building, Stroh River Place, has six floors and we regularly practiced emergency preparedness drills, and I was the contact person for our office, so I knew the evacuation plan and where to assemble in the street in the event of an emergency. Our suite, located on the 5^th floor, meant five flights of stairs to go down – were they double sets of stairs for each floor? I don’t even remember now, and I’ve not been in the office since April of ’09. But, yes, there was panic, as all the tenants grabbed their belongings and bolted, sweaty hands clinging to the stairwell railings as we collectively made our slow descent to ground level. There was pandemonium in the street as we milled about, wondering what happened.

Smartphones sure weren’t commonplace in 2003, but thanks to the quick-thinking owner of Andrews on the Corner, a restaurant across from the building, we discovered what happened. He got the scoop from running to his car and turning on the radio. Low tech works well sometimes! He grabbed a megaphone to tell the masses assembled in the street that a massive power outage had wiped out the electricity in some parts of the States and the extent of the damage was still not known. We lost power at home too but luckily it returned late overnight. At work we had no power restored for two days, and during this time, anyone with a pass to enter the Stroh River Place campus could access another tenant’s suite, since the power outage did not allow securing of same. I had scheduled Friday as a vacation day anyway and since we had power at home, life went on as normal, but I’ll always remember August 14^th as an angst-filled afternoon.

August 14^th is memorable for me for a few more reasons. For years, I always took a vacation day on August 14^th, or a day close to it. This calendar date was a day designated to celebrate a “second birthday” for my mom and I. This was because Mom’s birthday was on February 14^th and, because it was not always easy to get into a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, or, often it was cold and snowy, so we just fast forwarded our birthday celebration exactly six months. Sometimes we celebrated my April 14^th birthday then as well, because snow occasionally impacted my birthday lunch or dinner. So, whatever works for you … August 14^th became a good excuse to enjoy a vacation day and break up the Summer with something pleasant like shopping, a movie and a nice dinner. Since my mom’s death in 2010, August 14^th does not pass me by without a pang of remembrance of the significance of the day, a bittersweet annual reminder of our tradition.

Sunrise, sunset.

Sadly, a year ago today I would add another memory to this calendar date. My good friend and neighbor, Marge Aubin, passed away suddenly on August 14^th. She had been ill with advanced COPD for some time, but was scheduled to return home after a week-long stay in the hospital for breathing treatments. I am including this link to the tribute post I wrote that day, since only a handful of people followed my blog back then. https://lindaschaubblog.net/2017/08/14/last-sunrise/

My posts were often peppered with Marge’s name, as they should have, because, if not for her, I would not be writing this post today. Marge encouraged me to start a blog to memorialize my daily walks after I’d e-mail or message her about things I saw while I was out walking. She kept saying “blog about it!” So, in February 2013, at her insistence, I started this blog. Since August of 2013 I have been blogging at Patch.com and also still appear on Heritage Newspapers’ blog rolI. I have Marge to thank for encouraging me to put my blog on those two places. Her friendship to my mom and me encompassed many years.

Last August 14^th I awoke and was thinking about the significance and poignancy of the day, but niggling in the back of my mind was the fact I’d never heard from Marge the day before when she was supposed to come home from the hospital. I sent her several Facebook messages and got no response. This was unusual as we’d often chatter on social media throughout the day. She had been looking forward to sitting out on her deck and enjoying fresh air after being cooped up for a week due to her latest COPD flare-up, so I thought she was simply unplugged and enjoying the fresh air. In the evening, I sent her my latest blog post, just as I usually did, so she could easily access it on her phone. It was a post comparing my great grandmother’s lacy doilies to the Queen Anne’s lace I saw at the Park on my daily walks. Marge loved posts about my family members from the past, so I knew she would have enjoyed this one. What I did not know was she was dire straits health wise on the 13^th, never returned home that day and passed away shortly after 5:00 a.m. on Monday, August 14^th.

For today’s post, I am using another one of Marge’s Bishop Park sunrise photos she sent to me. When she was feeling well, she went to this venue and watched the sun rise every morning. This above photo was taken at Bishop Park on September 29, 2013 at 7:45 a.m.

I recently learned that no two sunsets are the same because clouds are like snowflakes … no two are alike. I assume this is true for sunrises as well. Beauty from nature surrounds us and we are wise to drink it all in for as long as we are able to do so.

Sunrises were Marge’s zen. Everyone must have a zen … something that gets them through the day and through this thing we call life. My zen is walking and immersing myself in nature – what is yours?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beauty, nature, Sunrise, walk, walking, zen | 35 Comments

On the waterfront.

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Linda Schaub

HEADER

Before going to the vintage vehicle event, my early Saturday morning was spent strolling along the water’s edge. Surprisingly, there was not much action at Bishop Park, likely because it was so hazy when I first arrived.

The walkers and runners might have been missing, but the fisherman were already up and at ‘em, some out on their boats, …

fishing in boat

… and others with poles gently resting against the fence that frames the boardwalk where fishing is permitted. They silently sipped coffee, and, deep in thought, gazed out at the water. Usually, early on weekend mornings, the fishermen line up along the pier that juts out into the Detroit River, as it is a primo point to fish from, but there was only one lone fisherman casting out while a young girl stood by his side.

casting out

I took their photo when they glanced toward me and shouted that I was waiting for their next big fish so I could take another photo. The man said he was leaving soon because the fish just weren’t biting and other fisherman had already given up for the day.

Fishing is not allowed on some parts of the boardwalk as you see on this sign.

no fishing sign

I was hoping to get a few good seagull shots since the sometimes pesky gulls are always quick to show up if you try to feed the ducks. This gull chose to rest on the railing and not go airborne, and originally had both feet planted on the top board.

seagull 2 feet

As I approached him, he decided to assume a stork-like pose for some reason. I took a picture lest he decide to bolt for parts unknown.

seagull pretending he is a stork.jpg

But, he stayed in that pose, motionless, for the longest time, never moving as much as a muscle, even though I kept getting closer and closer to him.

seagull on 1 foot

Soon, I stopped in my tracks when the first shell passed the pier and came into my view.

one shell

The Ecorse Rowing Club was practicing, so I decided to watch them. The first shell went by and soon another hurried up and joined them.

two shells waiting on coach.jpg

I discovered that the motor boat traveling alongside the pair of shells was not just another boater, but the coach, as he was loudly calling out instructions to each crew. The shell’s large oars swept the water, carrying them forward rather quickly.

two shells and pier.jpg

Soon a third shell of rowers passed the fishing pier and another motorboat accompanied them. I watched all three shells and their coaches as they faded into the distance. I knew I had to make tracks as well to make it on time to the Model A Rendezvous, and I hoped the train was not passing through on the tracks as I drove home.

Just as I was ready to leave, the sky finally brightened, with just a hint of blue. A whole mess of ducks suddenly streamed from under the boardwalk’s wooden railing, so out came the camera again. The ducks looked peaceful as they paddled in the water and one duck looked a little raggedy after diving deep for his breakfast.

2 ducks

baby1

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Boardwalk, ducks, River, rowing team, seagulls, Summer, Waterfront | 39 Comments

I brought my A-game to today’s excursion.

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Linda Schaub

HEADER1

My morning agenda was to visit three parks, with the third being Youth Center Park here in the City. It was also the site for an event entitled the “Model A Rendezvous” which was to commemorate the 90^th anniversary of Henry Ford’s Model A vehicles.

First, I was at Bishop Park to walk the boardwalk and get some steps in, then stopped at Council Point Park for the sole purpose of seeking out Parker and giving him some peanuts, then I headed to the vintage car event … so, three parks by 9:45 a.m.

The long-awaited vintage vehicle event was originally scheduled for June 9^th but cancelled due to rain. Henry Ford’s Model A vehicles rolled off the assembly line between 1928 to 1932. I wonder if there was as much fanfare back then as there was this past Wednesday when Ford Motor Company celebrated a milestone, as its ten millionth Mustang rolled off the assembly line at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. The paint job on this 2019 six-speed manual convertible, was the identical Wimbledon White as the first Mustang 64 years ago. It was a big media event and Mustang automobiles from the last six decades gathered in the plant’s parking lot to form a 10,000,000 figure to commemorate the event.

I wanted to arrive early to beat the crowd to check out the cars and take some photos. The weather was perfect, bright and sunny, though many of the vehicles were parked in the shade. There were about fifteen Model A vehicles at this event when I arrived, but, as I was leaving a few more Model A cars and trucks were moseying into the event area.

I visited each of the vehicles on display.

Two Black Cars1.jpg

Many, if not all, were part of the Model A Restorers Club.

Model A Restorers Club

I paused the longest when I stopped to chat with two different owners of these fabulous vintage Model A vehicles, as they were kind enough to give me a history lesson, and let me check out the interior and exterior up close as they proudly showed off their vehicles.

The first person I spoke to was Greg, and he has owned this 1929 Model A car for five years.

Greg with car

It was gleaming black and I could see my reflection in the glossy paint job. I especially liked these snazzy wheels.

Snazzy wheels

Greg showed me a few features for his car, including a specially made grille which helps protect the front of the car, and there were headlamps and small lights which he turned on, as well as tooting the horn, which sounded that tinny, high-pitched noise like you hear in the old movies.

The front windshield was unique in that the glass tilted outward and Greg said it provides somewhat of a breeze on a hot day as the air will coming rushing in toward your feet when you’re clipping along. As I was taking it all in, a youngster came by, saw the door open and asked if he could sit on the seat. Greg accommodated him, saying “as long as you don’t drive the car away” … that got a few grins from the boy and a man standing nearby, most likely his father, who captured this “Kodak moment” on his cellphone as the little boy gripped the steering wheel and his face lit up with a big smile.

Kid in Driver's Seat.jpg

I was going to check out more of Greg’s car, but a small crowd had gathered after the youngster took the wheel, so I ventured to the next car over.

Parked next to Greg was Lee, who owns this 1931 Model A pickup truck which he bought in 1961.

He told me the first outing in it with his wife, the passenger door opened on its own and Linda said that was the last time she’d ride with him. Neither of these gentlemen brought their wives to today’s event, and coincidentally both wives are named “Linda”.

Lee bought the vehicle “as is” and it has not been restored in any way as long as he has owned it, thus the paint job is a little dull, but imagine this … that paint job is 87 years old! The top of the car is actually sheet metal and you can see how it is bolted together. There is a narrow gap on the passenger side. I said “maybe that is why Linda nearly fell out.” He smiled.

The hood was raised up so the engine was visible and Lee told me you can see gas and oil traveling through when it is turned on.

Under the Hood.jpg

The pickup bed had a spare tire in it. He showed me the tail lights, not part of the original equipment, but a necessity when traveling around in this vehicle – and he does travel around in it. I asked if it is in a garage that is humidity controlled and he said it was not. You can see the old Ford logo imprinted on the rear portion of the truck and his vanity plate as well.

Rear of Truck.jpg

License Plate

Next, Lee opened the door so I could inspect inside the car. Right away I noticed a bright-red fire extinguisher on the passenger side, and remarked that with everything black or dark colored, the bright red fire extinguisher looked out of place. He said you must have one since the gas tank is in the front of the car. Good point!!

The seats seemed smaller and I said “you couldn’t have long legs and travel a distance in here.” I noticed there were no seat belts, so I asked if it wasn’t necessary to “buckle up” per the law. He told me that if a vehicle did not come with standard equipment like seat belts or turn signals, then the law does not require you to have them. He did confess that he might get seat belts one day though. Since there are no turn signals, he uses arm gestures just like motorcyclists or bicyclists use.

I was fascinated with the front dashboard and instrument panel cluster … well, there were not many doodads there, so it was not cluttered, that’s for sure. I bent in closer to see the odometer and speedometer and Lee said he thought it had about 73,000 miles on it (that is, if it had not already rolled over before he got the car).

Instrument Panel.jpg

Next, he reached up and rapped on the inside part of the roof and said “notice how it is made of wood? That is because the roof under the sheet metal is actually wood from a packing crate and up close on one of the boards, you can see the wood is stamped “Sears Roebuck & Company” on it.”

Lee plans to go to the vintage car event at The Henry Ford on September 8^th and 9^th and Greg told me I should check it out because you can find every type of old vehicle at that event and “you’d come home with even more pictures than you took today.” So, I checked it out and Greg is right – what a collection of vintage vehicles. The link is here if you’d care to view it: https://www.thehenryford.org/current-events/calendar/old-car-festival/

After I got home and uploaded these pictures I noticed Lee’s vintage Ford shirt he was wearing – how did I miss that while chatting with him? I guess I was so engrossed in looking at the vehicles and learning their history, I didn’t notice. Very cool Lee!

I took some photos of the other vehicles at this event, including close-ups of some of these features from cars of yesteryear.

Check out the rumble seat – maybe not your smoothest ride.

Black car with rumble seat.jpg

This is a produce truck with its scale.

Produce Truck.jpg

How about this delivery truck?

My Land Delivery

This vehicle featured a wooden box which was open to display its roadside emergency kit, which included a bicycle pump.

Car with Bicycle Pump.jpg

I also liked the fuzzy dice and a sign about “Henry’s Lady”.

fuzzy dice.jpg

Henry's Lady

It was a fun event and I enjoyed myself. As I headed home in my nine-year old car I glanced at the odometer with its whopping 5,254 miles on it. I only got about four miles walked today, but it sure was fun to travel back in time.