WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

Back-to-school, bacon, and …

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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… the Boys of Summer.

The Summer is zipping by far too quickly. Between work, walking and writing (or trying to), lately I seem to be flying by the seat of my pants, and hopelessly behind in everything. I am reminded of that quote by Lewis Carroll in the tale “Alice in Wonderland” … the hurrier I go, the behinder I get!”

Mother Nature continues to tweak the weather – yesterday was beautiful and breezy, this morning was buggy and muggy.

The ads nowadays are all about back-to-school, plus all the facts and figures on what it costs to get your child ready to hit the books once Labor Day is over. This morning I heard a story about the new craze and must-have for school kids, and no, it is not the latest electronic device, but scented pencils. The most-popular pencils smell like bacon or donuts. Hmmm – what if the student was so busy dreaming about bacon and donuts that he forgot to pay attention to what the teacher was saying?

When I was a young tyke, I remember graduating from the really wide pencil that we’d grip in our chubby fingers while practicing cursive, to a bright yellow and very slim #2 pencil. Then we got older and thought we were pretty cool if we had one of those pens that had multi-colored ink in one barrel – at the click of a button you could have red, green or blue ink. We were easily amused, but easy to please back then, weren’t we?

I know the term “Boys of Summer” usually refers to baseball, but I’ve not seen any baseball practice by the Little League teams at Council Point Park this year. Perhaps they have another venue? So, I’ve decided the new Boys of Summer are a local soccer team because those kids have been running and kicking their hearts out every morning at the Park. They may be middle school, or even high school boys. Their coach totes along a big net bag full of soccer balls in one hand, and the other hand holds hula hoops. I’ve watched the coach place the hoops close together on the grass, then the boys take turns jumping back and forth between them – pretty fancy footwork by those Boys of Summer. I’ve not heard anyone yell “goal” yet though.

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After the boys run all over the soccer field, their coach makes them run laps around the Park. They often pass me up and last week I called out to them “future World Cup champs!”

This morning along the perimeter path, I saw a goldfinch flitting between the trees. I had my camera ready should he alight somewhere where I could take his picture. The birdsong from this wee soul was just incredible. He was so high up in one tree, but how those beautiful notes carried all the way to ground level. I tried to whistle back at him to lure him to a lower branch, but a noise startled this beautiful bird and he disappeared into the dense treetop. That was the first goldfinch this Summer and they used to be more plentiful, especially perched on a thistle and enjoying its seeds.

The past two days at the Park, I’ve become accustomed to scanning the not-so-friendly skies, before handing out peanuts to any of my squirrel friends. I am mindful that the Cooper’s hawk descended on Stubby out of nowhere. His swift, stealth-like movements took me by surprise and I’m glad my little peanut pal escaped those sharp claws.

Last night, while catching up on Facebook and perusing the local crime sites, I was dismayed to discover there are many hawks in and around our city. I live one mile away from Council Point Park, but this Park is right in the middle of the city and we are not rural at all. For years, it was just a 27-acre wooded area close to the Ecorse Creek, and in1994 it gained amenities like a perimeter walking path, a pavilion area for picnics, a playground and separate fields for baseball and soccer. On the Facebook crime site, Lincoln Park residents posted various pictures of hawks lurking around their backyard and told how the young hawks were learning hunting skills with mice, birds, bunnies and yes, … sadly, squirrels were among the victims. That sure was a surprise to me. You never know what is lurking out there when you are walking around. I thought it was bad enough running into those near-invisible and sticky spider webs that often cross your path in late August. They are spun overnight by gargantuan garden spiders which have grown fat feasting on everything that was caught in their gossamer traps.

Not only was I pounding the pavement with five miles under my belt from my morning walk, but I also have been pounding the keyboard all day. My boss completed the three-day hearing and I have been hunkered down working on a long, post-hearing Brief. Today he was in Florida on another hearing, and yes, that will yield follow-up work as well. Both these hearings are the culmination of a flurry of documents and preparation the past few months. My brain needs a breather so I was grateful to go to the Park and just BREATHE this morning and I look forward to going on a few jaunts this weekend as well.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Summer, walk, walking | 36 Comments

Shadow Dancing.

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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It was a toss-up whether to call today’s post “Shadow Dancing” or “Parker, Patience and the Predator” (you know how I love alliteration).

My favorite furry friend, a/k/a Parker, has made a triumphant return to Council Point Park. However, it is important to tell you that he is hanging out in the fringes of the Park these days, no doubt due to the fracas with the robin who attacked him a few weeks ago on the perimeter path.

After that, he went missing in action, perhaps even scared of his own shadow.

On our first, post-robin fracas encounter, Parker saw me rounding that last bend of Pagel Avenue, a street with a good share of twists and turns. Oh, I saw him racing over toward me, and then he stopped short of the tips of my walking shoes.

PARKER IN SHADOW.jpg

While pulling the Ziploc bag of peanuts out of the mesh bag hooked onto my fanny pack, I bent over to greet him, asking “where’ve you been sweetie?” He danced around at my feet, clearly happy to see me (or maybe the peanuts – I am a realist, after all).

I tossed out four peanuts near his front paws and he took two between his front teeth, then made a beeline across the street, before I even got a chance to whip the camera out of the case. “Please watch the cars and don’t bury those in someone’s lawn because they’ll get mad at me” I called out to him, then I continued on my journey to the Park.

The next day we went through a similar exercise, but this time he had stationed himself at the entrance of the Park. Once again, I was fumbling with the peanuts and couldn’t access the camera, so it was a missed photo op as he scurried off again.

But last Friday morning I was a little smarter and hung the Ziploc bag off my fanny pack, so that I could use the camera and dole out peanuts with my left hand.

NEW POSITION FOR BAG.jpg

On that sultry August morning, there he was, at the parking lot entrance, just like a sentry guarding that corner, lest any other squirrels come to grab his cache of nuts.

He followed me and I shooed him away from the parking lot. His eyes followed my every move. This time the camera was accessible and I was ready for him … or so I thought. Our shadows made an interesting picture as you can see in the picture at the top of this post.

PARKER AND MESH BAG

With the camera in my right hand, I dug into the bag with my left hand, ready to drop the peanuts and get a shot of him up close, when he zipped over for a closer visit than I expected (and would have liked). Patience was clearly not a virtue with Parker. He gave me about two seconds, then inched closer, first with front paws on my shoe, then sitting on his haunches on my foot and putting his front paws with those sharp claws pressed onto the front of my bare leg. I inched back a little, not wanting to make any sudden moves, and he backed off, so I raised the camera up again to catch him in another pose, but he would not be so easily deterred and started climbing up my leg again. Obviously, there was no peanuts-for-posing bartering to be done, so I gave up and just fed him.

Once again he took a pair of peanuts “to go” while scurrying across the parking lot, over the curb …

PARKER - ONE FOR ME ONE FOR FRIEND

… and clear to the middle of the field.

PARKER LIKE A CHIPMUNK.jpg

Next thing a furry tail popped up in the air and he was busy burying his goodies.

Now, I know I am partial to Parker for his loyalty and his antics, As squirrels go, I think he is pretty smart – savvy even. He likely remembers the long, cold and snowy Winter of 2017-2018 and the crummy Spring, and just how many mornings that none of the walkers who regularly feed the squirrels made it down to the Park. I remember those days as well Parker. The walking paths were not cleared, so we depended on the sun to melt that asphalt so we can walk. Parker is squirreling away every peanut he gets, preparing ahead, like a Boy Scout.

I’m just glad to have him back and greeting me on my morning jaunts to my favorite go-to nature spot.

It’s like old times again – once inside the Park, at least ten squirrels came running over to greet me. I meandered along, doling out nuts and saying my “good mornings” to the other walkers and the squirrels as well.

I might be sharin’ the love with Parker and other furry friends, but not all of them unabashedly come running over for peanuts. For example, I couldn’t coax this squirrel down from his tree because he was too busy enjoying his apple. In the Park, a few apple trees are starting to bear fruit, tiny apples, just the right size for a pair of front paws.

UP IN A TREE.jpg

This squirrel was tucked up in this tree, happily noshing on an apple. Look at the technique here – off comes the rosy red peel, faster than your mom could skin an apple when she was making an apple pie.

PEELING THE APPLE.jpg

Then he was chomping away at that apple – nope, he didn’t need no stinkin’ peanuts.

ENJOYING THIS APPLE

In fact, that squirrel chomping on its apple was reminiscent of an old black-and-white picture of me enjoying corn on the cob back in the day.

AAA CORN ON THE COB.jpg

As blissful and idyllic as this setting may seem, it was far from peaceful as my walk progressed.

When I finished the first loop, just as I neared the pavilion area, along came Stubby, flicking that shortened tail in the air and running toward me. I walked to the side of the path and laid down four peanuts then started to walk away. A woman, with a young boy by her side, was laughing as Stubby lunged for a peanut and she said “we were watching another squirrel following you back there – you didn’t see him and he finally caught up with you.” Smiling, I told her that happens all the time.

Suddenly our conversation was interrupted by a flash of brown and outstretched wings that appeared out of nowhere. A predator had descended upon our peaceful Park. The predator swooped down from the sky and was in pursuit of Stubby. I gasped in horror. In a split second Stubby took off as fast as his little legs could carry him. He dived underneath one of the picnic tables in the pavilion. Thwarted in his effort to snatch Stubby, the predator never missed a beat and turned its body around, and flapping those big wings, it went airborne, then flew to the chain-link fence, where he perched, his back toward me.

Hawk 08-08-18

The woman and I looked at each other – I said “I think it’s a hawk!” I was going by its coloring. I said “Thank goodness he didn’t get the squirrel; I’d have felt responsible for making that squirrel a sitting duck, but I want to take a picture of it.”

I was still a little shook up and managed to get one shot of it, albeit a little blurry, before it took off. I walked back the way I came, looking for the predator, while wishing I could warn each and every squirrel to watch their collective backs. Another walker saw me and he said “if you’re looking for the hawk, it flew over the Creek.”

I finished the entire first loop, for the second time, and passed by Stubby on my way out of the Park. He was still near the pavilion, munching the rest of the peanuts I’d given him, looking none the worse for the wear.

I wish I could say the same for me.

Note: Later I searched “hawk images” on All About Birds and found this predator – I believe it was a Cooper’s Hawk based on the black tip on its beak and the markings on its back: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/id

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Hawk, nature, Squirrels, Summer, walk, walking | 49 Comments

Ol’ Eagle Eyes.

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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Yesterday I wrote about Lake Erie Metropark with all its amenities, many that I’ve yet to discover. There are still nature trails to be walked. There will be return trips as Autumn approaches, to view the colors, and, if I’m lucky, perhaps even a deer, an owl or some migrating birds.

I thought I’d expand my horizons a little as to Lake Erie, so I booked myself on a two-hour river boat cruise entitled “Eagle’s Eye Nature Cruise” and its advertisement read as follows: “Take a naturalist’s tour of the lower Detroit River to discover the rich variety of plant and animal life living here in this area, now a part of the International Wildlife Refuge. The river is host to a wide variety of habitats, from submerged plant beds and shoals to coastal marshes. And yes, we know where the Bald Eagle nests are!”

That sounded fun and interesting to me. I saw my first bald eagle back in the tail end of January, when I went down to the Detroit River on a cold Winter day to watch the eagles who live on uninhabited Mud Island. The eagles live there year around, and, in the Winter they are more visible in the bare trees, especially if you watch them swooping down from the treetops to catch fish in the Detroit River. At that time, there were ice floes galore and several eagles were perched right on the ice floes. I stood in a pavilion with others, mostly nature-lovers like myself, but several photographers lined up, cameras on tripods, their long lenses trained on the tree and those elusive eagles. My camera only captured a brown dot on an ice floe so the photo was not impressive. I would, however, return a few weeks later, on an equally bitter cold day, with my binoculars in tow. Aah – a much better view of these regal birds!

A fellow blogger, after reading my post, suggested I check out Tofino Photography if I really wanted to see impressive eagle images: https://tofinophotography.wordpress.com and all I can say is wow! Wayne’s scenic sunsets, wildlife shots, and, especially his up-close eagle photos are just amazing.

So, I wondered if I could see what Wayne sees right here in Southeast Michigan?

Yesterday’s impromptu trip to Lake Erie Metropark was also to scope out the river boat and take a few photos of the marina before this trip. I originally intended to do those photos today, but when the weather forecast called for 94 degrees F with a “real feel” of 100 degrees F (34C/37C) this afternoon, I decided to forego that little jaunt before the trip. Not only was it hot, but we had high humidity and haze as well. Ugh!

I did stroll around the marina yesterday and checked out the pleasure boats and many sailboats.

Sailboats

After strolling around the marina, I chatted it up with a couple from Chelsea, Michigan, who were bemoaning a windless morning, but they were not going to let that stop their time on the water, opting to kayak instead of taking out their sailboat. They told me they often saw the “E/V Clinton” set out from the marina on its many Summer Discovery cruises.

I saw the “E/V Clinton” moored in the corner, so I took a photo of it from the dock:

Clinton whole pic

Then, since no one was around, I went up the gangplank and peered into the boat and got a close-up photo of the boat.

Later, while walking along the shoreline, I saw the “E/V Clinton” bobbing around in the water nearby. I took a picture of it and checked out its destination when I got online later … it was on a four-hour cruise called “The Big River Meander” which explored the Lower Detroit River.

Clinton on the water

It’s funny, how your perspective about climbing on a boat changes as you get older. When I was in my late twenties/early thirties I enjoyed traveling. I did it alone as my friends had other interests. I hooked up with a tour group or took a cruise. I was on cruises to the Bahamas, Greek Islands and a two-week Panama Canal cruise. Also there was an overnight ferry trip that crossed the Baltic sea from Finland to Russia. Many times the cruise ships could not dock at small islands so we went in by tender. Along with fellow passengers, I’d climb into a small boat, leaving the “mother ship” to arrive at the shoreline, where we’d disembark at our destination.

I was fearless, never giving a thought to what could happen, but maybe I should have, given the fact that I don’t now, nor have I ever known how to swim.

After booking this little river boat adventure online and getting my confirmation, I started to think about the trip some more, and, thoughts of the “Minnow” and the ill-fated “three-hour tour” mentioned in the theme song from the TV show “Gilligan’s Island”, kept cropping up in my mind. I shook my head at my silly thoughts.

But, then came the tragedy of the duck boat sinking on July 19^th in Branson, Missouri.

Well, that clinched it – I contacted them and asked for a refund, based on that incident where seventeen people lost their lives. Their policy was/is no refund unless they cancel a trip.

So I put on my big girl panties and just dealt with my sudden fears and went (despite the fact the weatherman said there might be a pop-up thunderstorm today).

The weather was horribly hot as I stepped aboard the boat. Captain Joe greeted everyone and was chivalrous as he lent a hand to help all the women board his vessel.

Here is Captain Joe.

CAPTAIN JOE

I sat in the back of the boat, a/k/a the stern, to get a bit of a breeze and be able to take pictures without the glare from the windows. Once the “E/V Clinton” had glided out of the marina, down the channel and out into Lake Erie, the narrator, Kevin, and his assistant, Rosemarie, began the instructive portion of the cruise.

We passed a group of about 100 mallards, all with the same dull-brown plumage. Kevin told us these ducks were moulting right now, so the drakes had lost their teal head feathers and colorful markings and had “eclipse” plumage in the interim. At this time we were told that the eagles might not be too visible as they, too, were moulting. That was too bad since the focus of the cruise was to see the eagles.

This river cruise is part of an educational series of cruises sponsored by Michigan State University and Sea Grant, so there were some “show-and-tell” items which were circulated to the group by Kevin and Rosemarie as we passed various points of interest.

Some of these show-and-tell items were either photographs, or real-life fish, birds or animals. We saw some of the popular fish from Lake Erie, including a 30-inch sturgeon …

STURGEON

… and the head of a muskie with quite a set of choppers.

MUSKIE

There was another ugly predator fish but I can’t remember its name.

A few times Captain Joe poked his head out of the pilot house to say too many of us were sitting on the right side as the boat was listing to the right … yikes!

I was enjoying the cruise, the narrator’s info and the visual aids, until we passed an island where there are a lot of sea birds called terns. Instead of a photo of a tern, a long plastic cylinder with a stuffed tern inside was passed along to the group. A taxidermist had impaled the dead tern onto a stick and that stick could be pulled out of the cylinder to inspect the tern. Well no, just no! I found that a little macabre. I shook my head “no thanks” and waved my hand to pass it along to someone else. I did likewise when they circulated a real mink that had been mounted on a board so we could see what critter was eating all the turtle eggs at one particular venue. I passed on touching the mink or seeing it up close. We also saw the shell of a large painted turtle when we passed an area where many turtles gather to lay their eggs (often only to be scavenged by mischievous minks). I passed on handling all these items, plus the fish mentioned above.

Apparently the lotuses that I was impressed with yesterday are not as gargantuan as they usually are due to our long Winter and cold Spring and an atmospheric event called a seiche. We saw a lotus pod and also a single dried leaf from one lotus.

There was a lot of big boat traffic on Lake Erie and the winds, at around 17 mph, made it seem a little choppy to me. Nothing to be worried about (despite my initial trepidation), but I decided not to head up to the bow, as they recommended we hang onto the railing up at the front of the boat and I could not take pictures and hang on as well.

We passed many types of boats … pontoons, large watercraft and some beautiful sailboats and many of their occupants waved as we passed.

PLEASURE BOAT

SAILBOAT

Toward the end of the boat trip, Captain Joe suddenly cut the motor and we were told we had arrived at Humbug Island, a haven for bald eagles. Here at Eagle Point, most of the eagles have nests in the tall trees at this natural habitat which is part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

HUMBUG ISLAND

Nearby Humbug Marsh also has eagles, so we were told to grab our binoculars and watch the treetops carefully. Since we were stopped, I moved closer to the bow to look for eagles, their nests, or maybe even eaglets. I was hopeful, but there was only one bald eagle that flew from one tree to another and was identified by his plumage color (mostly brown) as a juvenile (approximately three years old).

While we were stopped, there was another highlight. A camera was dropped from the back of the boat to take photos beneath the “E/V Clinton” so we could watch big screen TVs to see the underwater plant life, and, if we were lucky, a few fish might wander by. The camera showed no fish, but plenty of seaweed and wild celery floating around down there. This area of the Trenton Channel was the shallowest portion of Lake Erie, a mere nine to eleven feet. We stayed “parked” here for about 15 minutes, then headed back to the marina.

As we pulled away, I took a photo of Humbug Marsh. The twin candy-cane striped smoke stacks are often referred to as the “Trenton Stacks” and are part of the Trenton Channel Power Plant.

HUMBUG AND STACKS.jpg

The eagles might have been a no-show, but an osprey and a great blue heron glided by the boat while we were cruisin’ and there was one seagull who decided to sneak a peek inside the boat.

This seagull swooped down low enough that I could get a close-up of him. I asked if his name was Jonathan Livingston Seagull but he continued on his own journey and did not divulge this information to me.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cruise, Lake Erie, nature, walk, walking | 39 Comments

Lovely lotuses.

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Linda Schaub

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This morning I meandered around Lake Erie Metropark and its marshland area. You might recall my post four weeks ago today, when I described the three-mile long rocky shoreline, lotuses and marshland areas … and my sunburn. If that doesn’t jog your memory, perhaps you remember the wacky-looking heron with the cowlick, whose mouth was wide open like it was singing?

Lake Erie Metropark was not originally on today’s agenda. Earlier in the week, when the weather folks predicted a sunny Saturday, I intended to head to Hines Park, a venue where the park is closed to traffic every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which allows walkers and bicyclists to enjoy this massive park unencumbered by vehicles. But, Hines Park is prone to flooding and our torrential rains earlier this week closed the park for several days, so I tabled that idea. Elizabeth Park was my second option, but they have their annual Jazz on the River fest all weekend, and I figured the set-up for this event might take away from the ambiance of the park, so I crossed it off my list.

Having recently invested in a Huron-Clinton Metroparks pass, I decided I might as well make some use of it, so off I went, on day two of a four-day heat wave. It was already 71 degrees and 81% humidity when I left the house – whew! This park is a half-hour drive for me and when I arrived, there was still a touch of fog on the horizon. It was not as picture-perfect as last time, that’s for sure. The water was completely calm with a mere 5 mph breeze, so it was already hot and sticky by the water’s edge.

For this outing, I began my trek at the south end of the Park, and walked the entire shoreline back to the bridge that crosses into the marshland area, and then back. I scanned the water for any freighters, hoping to catch sight of one, but, at that time, there was just one lowly sailboat struggling to go anywhere on this windless morn.

boat in fog.jpg

The rocky shoreline was so scenic, despite the haze that permeated the park.

rocky shoreline in fog

rocky shoreline.jpg

I wanted to check out the water lotuses because Lake Erie Metropark is renowned for these tropical flowers that are considered rare for this state. They are the largest and most accessible lotus beds in Michigan. On my last trip here, I incorrectly referred to these pond flowers as “water lilies” and have since discovered they are “American lotuses” – I thought the terms were interchangeable, but the leaves of a water lily float on the water’s surface, as does the lily. The lotus flower rises above the leaves. These lotuses were in abundance, hundreds of them, and they were thriving in the moist tropical-like air, and, they looked a lot better than Yours Truly who was already wilted just two miles into her journey.

To get up close to the lotuses, I trekked along the shoreline, right up by the rocks. My feet were sopping wet from the dewy grass and I tried to get into some shady areas to avoid coming home looking like a lobster.

I took several pictures of the group of lotuses from afar so you can see how the lotus bed occupies a large portion of the park’s Lake Erie shoreline.

lotuses from afar.jpg

lotuses closer

By the time I was up close to these tropical beauties, I marveled how they had grown since I was here on July 7^th. The lotus leaves were large the last time, but today they were humungous.

Last time there were only buds and no blooms open. This is because the American Lotus blooms from mid-July to late August. Today many of the lotus blooms were open and reaching up toward the sky.

The rocky shoreline ends abruptly, so you then must follow a paved path. Bulrushes and other types of reeds, on either side of that path, are so dense, you cannot see through them. Soon, you find yourself at the wooden bridge that crosses over a marsh.

On one side of the bridge is another view of the lotuses and Sturgeon Bar Island.

lotuses from bridge

On the opposite side of the bridge, dozens of swallows swoop and dive from in and around the wooden walkway, through the reeds and over the water. There were bugs buzzing around and the swallows attempted to catch them in mid-air. If you look closely, you can see all the white bugs buzzing around the marsh.

bugs everywhere

I think those swallows had better luck catching bugs than I had capturing their images as they did their diving dance before me.

swallows diving

You can see all the algae in the marsh and these ducks were paddling through the muck and mire and thick seaweed – they almost blend right in, don’t they?

ducks blend in

There are a couple of wooden benches on this bridge; they looked inviting, but I knew if I sat down, I would not want to get up again, so I turned around to head back to my starting point at the other end of the park. Although it was only about 10:00 a.m., the sun was beating down mercilessly and those powerful rays bouncing off the water made it seem hotter. As a result of the heat and humidity, soon my trek began to turn into a trudge, and I stopped every so often to enjoy the shade of a large tree along the way.

The ducks were cool as a cucumber, as a group of them paddled along the water’s edge, oblivious to the heat, and occasionally stopping to dive head first into the water, or nibble on the reeds that grow along the shore. The others were keen on preening or having a little nap.

ducks maybe.jpg

I liked this duck with his special perch, set apart from the others.

duck on perch1.jpg

I finally made it to the car and flopped down onto the seat, dribbles of sweat running down my face and the back of my neck – ugh! I switched the A/C to 60 degrees to cool off and glanced at myself in the rear view mirror, where I saw wet and wispy tendrils clinging to my face which was reddish from the heat. I glanced at the pedometer – well almost six miles, in this stinkin’ heat – so no wonder I felt like a limp rag. Gradually, I cooled off and started the car, because it was time for one more place … Pointe Mouillee State Game Area.

point m sign

I knew this was a stone’s throw away from Lake Erie Metropark, so I headed down a narrow dirt and gravel-covered road, so narrow that only one car could cross at a time on the many bridges you traverse to arrive there. It seemed as if I drove forever, until I finally got to my destination, where it was deserted and really didn’t hold much appeal, this time of year anyway. But, I wanted to check Pointe Mouillee out as it is a primo spot for migratory waterfowl come Fall. They have a two-day “Waterfowl Festival” every September, so perhaps it will be a hoppin’ place then, but today it was quite desolate. I saw no birds except a few seagulls that had settled onto the surface of the water and a hungry sparrow that pecked at a wrapper – it was hopeful there was something inside that “Hershey’s Gold” package, but it was empty, so it flew off.

As I stood gazing at the Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant huffing and puffing away in the distance, a pleasure boat suddenly whizzed by. I wondered where it came from – out of nowhere it seemed.

Well, I was alone again, and walked over to the murky-looking water, with its seaweed and algae and hundreds more lotuses … a few in bloom, but not as large and beautiful as the specimens at Lake Erie Metropark. You can see just how large the leaves are in this photo.

lilypads and algae.jpg

Finally, hungry and thirsty, I was ready to head home, six miles on the pedometer and a blog post bubbling around in my brain.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Lake Erie, Lake Erie Metropark, nature, Summer, walk, walking, Water Lotus | 61 Comments

There are no gray days; only days without sunshine.

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Linda Schaub

bench unloved

Where did I see this phrase? On a bumper sticker? A tee-shirt? Maybe a teabag tag? I even Googled to see if it was a quote and found a factoid in the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” that proclaims Michigan as the 7^th cloudiest state in the U.S. The article said “no matter where you live in Michigan, you’re only likely to see between 65 and 75 clear days each year.”

Well, that was news to me, but I am ready to label this season a dud, since I don’t recall a Summer with such blah landscape and so-so, hum-drum skies. Most mornings when I’ve ventured out for a walk this Summer, the skies have been gray, the dark clouds sometimes, rather begrudgingly, will part to let a pale sun peek through, but the truly sunny days have sadly been lacking.

Last weekend was perfect in my book – sunshine galore. Today too. In fact, I hated to come back inside after my walk, and, when I returned from the Park, I even went over to Memorial Park, just a few blocks over to walk a few more laps there before coming into the house.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday it was so gloomy looking that I failed to notice how green the grass was after that four-inch rainfall we received Tuesday and Wednesday. Gone is the carpet of dead grass that crunched beneath my feet, which brown blades hadn’t shown any signs of life for weeks, after a nearly rainless July. As I trekked through the neighborhoods, I noticed other lawns were greener and showed some promise, unlike most of the flowers that look like they’d given up the ghost a few weeks ago already.

Sadly, those four inches of torrential rain still did not bring back “the greens of Summer” that Paul Simon touted in his song“Kodachrome” … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrRRhoS3KFk

I long for those bright Kodachrome colors we all remember from past Summers. But, three weeks of ever-present heat and no rain sure took its toll on the trees, because those drought-like conditions caused the bark to slough off tree trunks, then the wind scattered those feather-light pieces everywhere.

I’ve taken some photos of the dead leaves which litter the sidewalks and also the pathway at Council Point Park. There are not just a few, but enough to swirl into small piles when the wind whips them up.

leaves3

tall tree with leaves

tall tree leaves on ground.jpg

Look at this fern and how its leaves are already turning red.

red leaves

The Ecorse Creek was looking better today after all the rain – the water level was higher and the hard downpours eliminated all the algae, that green glow that had glommed onto the surface of the water.

Just a few days ago when I took this photo, at a glance, you couldn’t tell whether the green glaze on the murky brown water was pond algae or water lilies.

algae1

algae and pond lilies

Even the berry bushes and mulberry trees have stopped producing – either that, or the groundhog has feasted on berries nonstop and eaten them up.

At least a few wildflowers (or weeds, depending on your perspective) are growing along the path amongst the morning glories, like Queen Anne’s Lace and Chicory.

queen ann and chicory.jpg

This pale-looking thistle would have looked better with a vibrant goldfinch perched on top and pecking at it, or a delicate Tiger Swallowtail butterfly alighting on it, then supping nectar, both are images I’ve captured in the past.

I sure do miss those birds and butterflies that provide the Summer ambiance at my favorite nature nook. For now, to make Summer complete, we need an injection of color, to turn those pale colors into Kodachrome-worthy hues, and otherwise pep up the Park, which is looking a little sad these days as you see in the picture up top and throughout this post.

Perhaps I just need to don some rose-colored glasses.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Summer, walk, walking | 25 Comments

Ignorance is bliss sometimes.

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Linda Schaub

I’ll preface this post by saying, unlike this young girl, I won’t be outside with my watering can anytime soon.

Here in Michigan, the weather pattern has had no rhyme or reason in 2018. I’m happy as long as I can get out for my daily walk, but since the beginning of the year, foul weather has been my nemesis.

I am what you call a “weather worrier” and not just because I don’t like being surprised by a sudden drenching downpour, but I also worry about severe weather. I follow several online weather sites and listen to a variety of radio meteorologists daily.

Yesterday, I walked in the morning, then had a busy workday, putting the finishing touches on all the documents needed for today’s hearing. When I finally got to the computer for some “me time”, it seemed as if the torrential rain had been nonstop all afternoon and into the evening. I clicked through the rounds of the social media sites I frequent, the weather sites being first and foremost. The meteorologists all predicted more rain overnight, some gusty winds and intermittent thunder, but no severe weather. My eyelids started fluttering, heavy from my five-mile walk, a long day of screen time and the incessant rain pounding on the roof. A sudden long rumble of thunder roared across the sky and jolted me back to life, so “time to shut down” I thought, so I trotted off to bed.

I enjoy drifting off to sleep, or awakening, to the sound of the pitter patter of the early morning rain on the patio roof . I think it is peaceful. In Summer, during an early morning rain, or Winter, when freezing rain pelts mercilessly against anything in its path, the sparrows line up along the brick ledge outside the bedroom windows. Birdie mumblings will usually wake me up, as my fine-feathered friends are all tucked together, peeping softly as they seek refuge from the elements.

This morning, the alarm went off, and, as I walked down the hall and to the kitchen, I switched on the lights, whispering a silent “thank you” that the power had not gone out. The early news reported flooding and power outages galore throughout Southeast Michigan. Again, I felt lucky to remain unscathed from this latest bout of bad weather. There were reports of three inches of rain at nearby Metro Airport. Yikes! Once it was light, I peered outside – everything looked fine but it was gray and gloomy looking, as if more rain threatened. I decided a walk in the neighborhood might be better than heading down to the Park where the leaf-soaked trees would be dripping onto my head as I passed underneath them, and likely the squirrels would stay in their nests and not venture down to ground level.

When I finally plunked down in front of my computer and checked my e-mail, my inbox said I had 22 messages – what in the world?! One in particular leapt out at me, a message from the emergency alert center in my City:

Tornado Warning

I promptly forwarded that message to my friend Ann Marie who lives in Southgate and said “I didn’t know about this!”

A slew of other weather-related messages seemed almost as ominous:

Comcast inbox

So, it looks like I went to bed thinking that overnight would be a little more rain, thunder and some gusty winds, certainly not a tornado! And how many people were checking their voicemail at 12:49 a.m. to discover a tornado was imminent (by 1:15 a.m.)? Hopefully our City’s emergency sirens, which are tested the first Saturday of each month, would have erupted into the still night were a tornado imminent. I heard nothing.

I had to gulp hard as I took all this info in, and, even more, when I discovered a tornado had indeed touched down in Taylor, on Pardee Road, just a stone’s throw away from Heritage Park which I visited last weekend. Reading the account of the tornado’s path, and, seeing the pictures of the aftermath of this tornado that touched down only 6.1 miles from my home, gave me a sinking feeling right in the pit of my stomach. Mother Nature’s wrath has already inflicted a meteorite and an earthquake here in 2018; I am glad this is the last month for tornado season.

Our grand total was 3.57 inches of rain in a 24-hour time period – like I said, the watering can and hose can have a rest for a while.

[Photo credit of “A Girl With A Watering Can” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from Marilyn Reid on Pixabay]

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Summer, Summer Weather, Tornadoes | 40 Comments

What would we do without blooms and butterflies?

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Linda Schaub

maybe header1

I hope we will never be without flowers or butterflies, though I will tell you that this Summer has been devoid of these delicate creatures hovering and flitting about. I’ve seen a couple of Cabbage Whites and that is all. It could be because it’s been such a gray Summer. I rejoiced as not only was it clear, dry and cooler this weekend, but the sun was also out.

Today I planned to return to scenic Elizabeth Park, but then decided, since it was cooler, I’d visit my favorite nature nook and maximize my walking miles instead. With the end of July in sight, this leaves me five months to walk almost five hundred miles – gulp. Of course I must factor in November and December’s often-wintry weather into that equation. I did well today – I walked nearly six miles, and, with yesterday’s total, I added ten miles to my tally this weekend.

Walking through the neighborhoods enroute to Council Point Park was quiet and peaceful. No cars rolled down the street and all I heard was the songbirds twittering, the squirrels chattering and the rhythmic sound of my shoes as they hit the sidewalk while wending my way down to River Drive. It was just 65 degrees, so most homeowners had opened their front doors and/or windows, to give the A/C a break and let the cool, fresh air circulate throughout their homes. Occasionally, the smell of bacon frying or even toast, wafted through the still air, and I sniffed appreciatively as I walked along.

At the Park, there was a handful of walkers, and I started on the trail, only to be met with a trio of squirrels. Well, just like old times! I rounded the bend of the first loop to find a pair of my furry pals scurrying over to see me. I was happy to indulge them in peanuts and noted it was all older squirrels, not a youngster in the pack.

I was pleased to see a young couple walking on the path with two children, while introducing them to Nature’s gifts. The kids, probably about four or five years old respectively, were enjoying themselves as their parents (presumably) pointed out the turtles sunning themselves on a log, then they watched as some fish splashed in the water. The kids giggled when a bullfrog made himself known in the background. They watched me feeding the squirrels, so I had my back-up bag of peanuts and gave it to the kids and said “don’t hand feed them, just toss them out gently.” Their parents thanked me and just then a squirrel came running over, and he noticed two different Ziploc bags – theirs and mine. His head swiveled first to the little boy, then to me, so again I said “just throw some peanuts on the pathway and he’ll come to see you.” The kids weren’t afraid in the least and there were a few squeals of laughter as the squirrel scurried off, clasping two peanuts between his front teeth.

I took no pictures at Council Point Park today, and Parker is still missing in action. Ever since the rogue robin picked on Parker and that fracas of fur and feathers ensued, I’ve not seen my favorite peanut pal. Hopefully he’ll turn up soon.

Today’s post continues yesterday’s trek. Heritage Park has beautiful Coan Lake where the mallards’ reflections cause one to ooh and aah, and historical buildings, like the mill, little red schoolhouse, and even the covered bridge, take you way back in time. This Park has a picnic area and a huge family reunion was taking place under one pavilion as I trekked by on the circular path. It has a woodsy area where you can veer off and disappear from civilization in a heartbeat and you come out on the other side, feeling like you’ve vacationed deep in the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Heritage Park also has vast fields where soccer and baseball games are played; in fact, Heritage Park hosts the annual Junior League World Series next month, where teams arrive from all over the world to compete in Junior League baseball from August 11^th through the 19^th.

Tucked in the far corner of Heritage Park, next to the Petting Farm, is the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Outside sign

Its many flowers and plants are maintained by a local garden club and those beautiful specimens may be found in the domed Conservatory, the Terrace, Knot Gardens and the Grand Lawn areas. In the Summer they have weekly music fests where people come by to enjoy the blooms and beats by local bands, as well as light fare which is catered in.

Front entrance.jpg

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, in the many times I’ve been to Heritage Park, it is always on a weekend and there is usually a private event scheduled, so you can’t access the Conservatory and grounds, just the terrace area out front.

Whole thing from afar - header

But, I lucked out this time because I was able to walk in and enjoy all that this venue has to offer. Toward the end of my stay, they were arranging for a private party and setting out chairs, so the timing of my visit was impeccable!

chairs

private event.jpg

It was hard to choose which photos to use of my favorite blooms, as there were so many, but here is my pick of some of the beautiful flowers in the Conservatory.

pink

yellow blossom

purple dinner plate dahlia

yellow hibiscus

salmon

In the Conservatory, the floor consists of paver bricks inscribed with the names of donors and in memory of loved ones.

memory walk bricks.jpg

I liked this cacti dish garden too.

dish garden.jpg

I had hoped the warm sun would bring out more butterflies, but I was lucky to see one Tiger Swallowtail that spent a lot of time in these purple flowers in the terrace area.

I believe this is a Red Admiral that blended right into the leaves and stems here …

blends into the leaves

… and, just as I walked away it spread it wings to add a little more color to the plant.

red admiral

Most of the flowers and plants had name tags on them. These flowers are called “Bear’s Britches”:

bears britches

Many flowers and plants I recognized like these “Snowballs”:

It was an enjoyable way to spend an hour and appreciate Mother Nature’s beauty, a stark contrast to the previous hour spent meandering around the barnyard and checking out the critters at the petting farm. 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blooms, Butterflies, Flowers, nature, Summer, walk, walking | 54 Comments

Christmas in July?

Posted on July 28, 2018 by Linda Schaub

heritage park sign

Since mid-April, I’ve been miffed at our weekend weather, all those soggy Saturdays and Sundays, or weather that resembled a steam bath. But, this weekend we lucked out as we have been blessed with coolish temps, low humidity and sun!

I decided this picture-perfect weather called for a scenic venue for today’s walk, so I headed to Taylor’s Heritage Park. I must confess, that it was not just that walking path and historical village that lured me there today – it was an event at the Park’s Petting Farm. Yes, I know I am a little long in the tooth to be visiting a petting farm, even though I enjoyed doing such a visit many decades ago.

However, each time I go to Heritage Park, I hesitate near the entrance while thinking “am I too old to go in here; will I look foolish?” But, when the petting farm advertised an event called “Christmas in July” featuring a beachwear-clad Santa sitting next to his main squeeze Mrs. Claus and a few reindeer … well, I was “in” and figured I might get even some photos to use on this year’s Christmas cards.

The event didn’t start until 11:00 a.m. so I left an hour later than usual. I figured I’d feed the ducks, meander through the village, do a couple of laps around the entire Park, then head over to the farm.

Well, what a difference an hour makes …

The early bird walkers and bicyclists were likely done with their exercise regimen by the time I arrived. The first thing I noticed as I walked toward the village area, was a woman with an easel, umbrella and stool near the parking lot across from Maggie’s Sweet Shop. The house is a candy and ice-cream store and also conducts music lessons. Around the perimeter of the house are several old-fashioned perennial gardens created and maintained by the Taylor Garden Club.

painter 1 sweet shop house.jpg

The artist had a canvas on the easel which already had an outline of the back of this house.

painter 1 beginning.jpg

She also had a sketchbook with a completed watercolor of the sweet shop which she glanced at while working on the painting.

painter 1 watercolor

I approached her and asked if I may watch as she painted and also take some photos. She seemed a little reluctant at first, stating that the sun would soon be in her line of sight, so she had to work quickly. I responded “okay – no problem” and started to walk away. She relented, so I honed in on a few shots then scooted out of her way. As I walked past Maggie’s Sweet Shop, the door was open and someone was learning how to play the oboe.

I walked through the village and even visited the Goodwill Garden. I was surprised to discover there was a wooden gate barring access to the area.

community garden.jpg

It was not locked, nor was there a sign to “keep out” but I didn’t want to trespass, so I took some pictures over the fence. Last year I did a post detailing how many people have plots of fruits and vegetables in this community garden and that produce is donated to local food banks and other charitable organizations.

sign at garden.jpg

I peeked over the fence at the gardens bathed in warm sunshine, and was quite surprised that not a single person was tending to their plot … not even hoeing, harvesting, or watering their gardens.

gardens

While walking along the mulch path back to the village, there was a passel of pooches crossing my path. From a distance, I thought they were guide dogs in training, but they wore no harnesses, and then I spotted a Pit bull and an Akita in the group, so I realized my initial guess was wrong.

Suddenly I heard a loud voice call out “heel your dogs!”

dogs heel.jpg

Then came the command “tell your dogs to sit!” In short order, most of those pooches plunked their butts down on the asphalt simultaneously.

dogs sitting.jpg

I cornered a young woman from the group to inquire about the dogs and was told it was an intermediate obedience class. Well, that was a first to see at Heritage Park. The group went all through the village area, and, even at a distance, I watched those dogs either walk quietly alongside their master or mistress, or sit on command.

In the main village area, I paused to chat with still another artist. It seemed unusual to see two artists in one morning. I’ve seen plenty of photographers around this Park, but never any artists. This time it was a garden of colorful flowers that was being recreated by a woman who sat on a stool, and, while balancing her sketchbook on her knees, she dabbed her brush in the array of small pots of paint.

painter 2 bigger.jpg

Here is the patch of flowers …

painter2 flowers.jpg

… and here is a close-up of her painting thus far.

painter 2 with pic.jpg

Like before, I asked if I might take a photograph of her and her work and she was more than happy to accommodate me. We chatted about my blog and walking and the weather.

As I headed to the walking path that encircles Heritage Park I had to pass the first artist again, so I stopped and glanced over at her painting. It was half completed as you see below.

painter 1 half done

The petting farm is at the other side of Heritage Park, so that was a trek in itself. I wandered around the back and side of the farm while I awaited the 11:00 a.m. admission time for the event.

barn

There was only a handful of people, all with kids in tow, when I arrived. As I mentioned above, I just swallowed my pride showing up at an event geared for kids, and told myself “okay, just blend in, even if you are five feet nine inches tall … just blend in with the crowd as you’re here for some entertainment and a few photos for today’s blog post.”

Christmas music was blaring from many speakers. The barnyard had doors from the barn to allow the animals to access their individual pens outside. Most of the critters were out and about and eating, so it sure was hard to coax a smile out of them with their head bent to the ground or nose deep in the hay trough. Maybe I had to grab a handful of hay and thrust it at them? Uh … maybe not. I decided to wait until they got closer and hoped that they brought a little personality, (but no horseflies), along to the edge of the white wooden fence where I stood. There were many trees around the pens, so while the canopy of leaves afforded the animals some welcome shade, it didn’t help much for the photos, so these are the best of the bunch.

The cow’s name is Gracie and she looked very bony (does this girl have a pair of hips on her, or what?) This was one bored-looking bovine who gave me the once-over as she slowly chewed her cud.

cow gracie

The pig was waddling around the barnyard giving an occasional grunt or snort.

There are two alpacas, Rudy and Perry, but only one was out in the daylight today. It wasn’t wearing a nametag though.

alpaca rudy or perry.jpg

Well, the goats were being goats – they were chowing down most of the time. Hey, these goats were quiet and didn’t make any screaming or howling noises like those goat videos you see on the internet. Perhaps those goat videos are fake news?

goats

Another goat checked me out between the fence slats.

goat maybe

Now this is what I call synchronized eating.

goats - synchronized eating

sheep

There were no photo ops with the pony – all he did was eat, just like the sheep.

After I walked around the barnyard area, I went to the wooden bridge over the pond where there were plenty of Koi fish darting among the water lilies and some other yellow pond flowers. But these were coy Koi fish. Every time I approached them from the wooden bridge, they hid under the pond lilies. I guess they were coy AND camera shy.

koi

The Pekin duck and Hybrid Mallard were delightful in their child-sized pool.

The farm had started to fill up by now and I wanted to ensure I made the rounds to see the stars of the show, Santa and Mrs. Claus and their reindeer. I saw the big guy and his main squeeze, but I was told the reindeer were not arriving for a few hours because their caretakers thought the warm temps might be too much for them as the day dragged on (the event ran until 4:00 p.m.). Well, that was a bummer for sure but I did get a shot of the Clauses.

santa

There were a couple of trains that took kids and their parents around the entire farm area, but I didn’t climb aboard, preferring to add some miles on my feet instead.

train

I left the Farm and walked to the Taylor Botanical Gardens which is next door. Every time I’ve stopped there in the past, there was a private event and I couldn’t get into the garden area. Today, I had free access and enjoyed myself immensely. The botanical gardens had every type of flower imaginable and because it was sunny and warm, the butterflies were out and about, so I was able to get some photos of both butterflies and blooms which I’ll share in a follow-up blog post.

All that trekking around today yielded about 4 ½ miles – not bad since I stopped so many times to chat it up and take photos.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Farm, Farm Animals, Park, Summer, walk, walking | 48 Comments

Tuesday Musings.

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Linda Schaub

A fly – oh my!

Yesterday I finally got around to wearing my new glasses and the difference in the prescription was amazing! As I wended my way down Pagel Avenue to Council Point Park, I mused that I would be telling the Park’s furry and feathered critters “the better to see you with my dear” … that is, if I saw any there. As I mentioned recently, it has been like Dullsville with the usual Park inhabitants rather scarce.

I walked the first loop of the perimeter path, without having any reason to whip out the camera, nor retrieve the Ziploc bag of fresh peanuts that is tucked into the mesh bag that swings merrily from my fanny pack . I didn’t even pass a single walker.

But, all that changed when I got to the second loop, usually the less-interesting part of my walk. There are no dense bushes or trees, no reeds or swamp grass, very few birds, and the inline skating rink and vast fields take up most of that part of the Park.

Then I saw the most magnificent-looking and fairly large rabbit. He was grooming himself by the side of the path, so I pulled out the camera.

Tall bunny bending backward.jpg

I saw a flash of white powder puff tail, but mostly I noticed his ears which looked almost translucent as the sun’s rays shone through them.

Translucent ears

I crept up closer and he was busy munching on the grass, and didn’t pay any attention to me. I noticed a horsefly had settled onto his face, but he seemed unfazed by that big fly.

Looking Square at me.jpg

With the camera trained on this rabbit, I wasn’t watching the other side of the walking loop. When the rabbit finished his breakfast, on huge haunches he headed toward the bushes, as I tried once again, unsuccessfully, to photograph that fuzzy white tail.

Instantly, I was distracted by the horsefly that remained after the rabbit’s departure, as it went straight for my bare calves. I didn’t have anything to swat it with, and not wanting to use the palm of my hand, I stood there, stork like, trying to use my other leg to brush off that annoying fly. I got back on the path, thinking I’d leave the fly behind in the dust, when I saw a squirrel come racing toward me, crossing the grassy “donut” that separates the two sides of the pathway. “Could it be Parker?” is what I asked myself, as he kept running, just like Lassie the collie who’d come to greet Timmy when he got off the school bus, in one of my favorite childhood shows.

He stopped short of my feet and began circling and pacing around me.

Finally, he came over to investigate my shoe; that clinched it – it had to be Parker!

Parker on the shoe

Next, he was prancing around my feet while eying the mesh bag – pretty savvy, as he remembered the many times I’d retrieve the Ziploc bag and wiggle it at him, if he was not already hustling over to greet me.

Well, Parker’s arrival truly made my day!

To my newer followers, Parker was a squirrel whose antics I often wrote about on my many trips to Council Point Park. He would either nuzzle the toe of my boot or shoe, or stand on his haunches to try to reach the peanut bag. Often, he’d follow along behind me, much to the amusement of the other walkers. I called him “my shadow” in this post earlier this year https://lindaschaubblog.net/2018/03/05/me-and-my-shadow-2/

Of course I know I shouldn’t play favorites but he got more peanuts than the others, and when I took “Nutter Butters” … well, I’d slip him a few more on the side. He got M&Ms last year and the occasional apple or tangerine.

Yes, he has my heart.

I’ve missed him these last few months. I told Parker he must wait for his treat until I got a few pictures of him to share on my blog. He soon grew tired of the impromptu photo session and strayed from my feet. I put the camera away in the case and fumbled to get out some peanuts to toss them on the path.

In that split-second, a robin was flying very low and blitzed past Parker. I say “blitzed” because he came at him with such force, causing Parker to reel a little and he was off balance, then looked a little stunned. I, too, was stunned and had my doubts that the robin was merely flying low to get a worm from the ground as its feet never hit the grass and it flew away. Before I could put out any peanuts, Parker sped right past me and scaled a small tree in a nanosecond.

I dragged out the camera again.

Up a tree

There he remained, looking a little shook up. You’ll note his paw on his chest … was his heart beating erratically from this strange encounter?

Stop my beating heart

I stayed with Parker about five minutes, talking to him softly, and finally lured him down to ground level with a handful of peanuts. He crept down the tree slowly and as he ambled toward me, if that robin didn’t swoop down and head butt him again. So, it was no accident! The camera was in the pouch as I can only deal with one thing at a time – it’s either peanuts or pictures. I retrieved the camera once again, as Parker scurried into the bushes.

Into the bushes.jpg

I thought I’d stay to see if he returned, but the pesky fly was back, biting around my ankles and backs of my knees– what in the world? I gave up and tried swatting it with the back of my hand, to no avail.

Just then, Maria, another walker at the Park, came by and signaled to me to look into the deep tunnel, the burrow where the groundhog and his family live. She whispered “look, the baby is peeking out the hole at you – get a picture!” I moved over for a closer look and if the fly didn’t bite again, so intensely this time that I jiggled my leg to turn it loose. This spooked the baby groundhog who disappeared backwards into this cavernous hole.

I tried coaxing it to the top with peanuts (what else). I tossed a few into that gaping black hole, but he (or she) is not a peanut fan and remained below ground. Maria showed me a video she had just taken on her phone of this cute little fellow while I was flailing around with the fly. That horsefly followed me around the Park the balance of my walk, and I lost him somewhere as I exited the Park.

This morning I looked for the groundhog and its “pup” but all I saw was the empty tunnel, and it seemed that the pesky fly, the dive-bombing robin and that sweet squirrel were likewise MIA and nowhere to be found.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged nature, Park, Rabbit, Squirrel, walk, walking | 55 Comments

Rovin’ and ‘Ritin’ …

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Linda Schaub

MAYBE HEADER

It seems I’ve done neither of the above much lately.

Oh, I did that post the other day about my boss and his trip on the high seas, which was an occasion to tout that I had surpassed the halfway mark to my eventual goal. I am still striving to stride toward that goal, though Mother Nature made it tough to do so this weekend.

Friday was designated as an errand day, much as I hate to waste my walking time for such mundane stuff, but one must eat and thus a visit to the grocery store was in order. Then there was the tax bill to be paid, plus a few other miscellaneous and sundry tasks requiring the car. The pedometer told me that I racked up almost two miles and two miles was better than nothing, but it was not fodder for a Friday post.

Saturday it rained all day.

This morning I didn’t fare much better, but, unlike yesterday, at least I made it outside. I listened to the weatherman and checked out “The Weather Channel” online and it was all good, so I hustled myself to get going before the rain’s expected arrival in the 9:00 o’clock hour.

But once outside, the sky was dark and ugly, it was just 65 degrees and quite blustery. I took the car to give it a spin, and, while driving to Council Point Park, the first little “spits” began. A few raindrops dotting the windshield here and there … okay, maybe I could live with that, except I didn’t bring an umbrella as I believed I’d be home before the rain’s ETA. I even went so far as pulling into the parking lot at Council Point Park, but then the spits became splats and I muttered a few words, pulled back out and headed for home.

It isn’t like I would be twiddling my thumbs in boredom here at the house, because I often put blinders on to the dust bunnies and clutter that persists. Between working, walking and blogging, it leaves scant time for little more than eating and sleeping. Housework always gets put on the back burner.

My other dilemma, besides the rain intruding on my weekend walks and the chance to visit different venues and take more photos, is that Council Point Park has been very boring lately. I wrote about the squirrels last week – the young‘uns are skittish and the “regulars” seems to be missing in action most days. Occasionally, I drag out my Ziploc bag of peanuts and my camera is at the ready, but those occasions have become few and far between.

The Park robins, having reared their young, have abandoned their nests and are now at large in the Park.

The geese and goslings are long gone and won’t return until Fall, once their flying feathers have all grown in. By then, the goslings will look (and act) like their parents, so any photos shall be just ho-hum.

So, I’m sharing a few photos from my morning jaunts over the past few weeks.

First, a dirty old pear was what this chubby squirrel was chomping on as I passed by. I don’t know that I’d scramble down from a tall tree for this morsel when my friend Linda is offering up peanuts … but then, I don’t think like a squirrel.

CHUBBY CHEEKS

This peanut pal was acting a little squirrelly, dancing around in the middle of the pathway. It is the same squirrel I featured the other day, but this time in a standing pose. Perhaps he had been out in the sun too long?

SQUIRREL DANCING

In trying to establish a rapport with the young squirrels, I toss out some peanuts whenever I see them, even though I’m usually rewarded with a deer-in-the-headlights look for my efforts. But, I know they will come around eventually. The peanuts don’t go to waste because the cardinals and red-winged blackbirds try to remedy the squirrels’ snubbing of treats, by flying down to snatch a peanut for themselves. Here’s a photo of a cardinal who flew down to the asphalt pathway BEFORE a peanut landed there. Imagine his surprise, he who lives by the motto “the early bird catches the worm” – I made it worth his while for his incredible swooping efforts.

CARDINAL ON PATH.jpg

This inquisitive bunny caught my eye one morning. I inched closer to him and he did not bolt, but posed nicely. I wondered what the heck was on the back of his ear, and zoomed in for a closer look, thinking I could tell better when I got home and uploaded the photos. I’m no further ahead, but it looks like a snail?

BUNNY1

Here’s the heron who humored me this time by posing for a photo. He is in the same place every morning, scoping out the murky water for his breakfast. I peek through the bushes as I near the cement landing, so I know whether or not to have the camera ready. Aha!! Gotcha … this time anyway. Usually, just as soon as I appear in his peripheral vision, he takes off, pulling his feet up from the cement landing, flapping those huge wings, his hurried flight accompanied by a prolonged croaking noise as he heads down the narrow passageway of the Ecorse Creek.

HERON ON CEMENT LANDING

These might be the tiniest inhabitANTs at the Park, but at least they weren’t at someone’s picnic. I had my share of ants this year, first the wiggly ones at the kitchen sink, then the winged ones flying around my face seeking a mate, which siege lasted 24 hours, then they mysteriously disappeared (thank goodness).

ANTS IN PATH

The grass at the Park is filled with morning glories as far as the eye can see.

MORNING GLORIES EVERYWHERE.jpg

The bunnies love munching on the morning glories.

One morning I came across a woman who was picking something that grew along the pathway. From a distance I squinted to see what she was taking. I knew it wasn’t berries at that location, so I snapped her picture from afar.

WOMAN PICKING LEAVES.jpg

As I neared her, to satisfy my curiosity, I asked why she was plucking leaves off a plant. She told me it was milkweed and she was harvesting the leaves for her Monarch caterpillars she had at home, because, even though she grows milkweed, (the host plant for Monarchs), she needed many more milkweed leaves for all her baby Monarch caterpillars. Her reply initiated a whole conversation as I relayed my story of when I bought a milkweed plant from the Wyandotte Street Art Fair, complete with a half-dozen Monarch baby caterpillars and mosquito netting wrapped around the plant and pot. I thought it would be fun to release these butterflies when they emerged from their cocoon. But, in record time, the six baby caterpillars ate all the milkweed leaves and I had to find more leaves to feed them pronto, so I gave the “kit” away to a butterfly enthusiast in Allen Park who raised Monarchs and released them from her backyard. Just like me, this young woman had run out of “baby food” and was there picking leaves for the growing caterpillars. As she reached into the leaves, she was triumphant over the discovery of a tiny Monarch caterpillar and showed it to me. I should have taken a photo of it, but we were busy talking and I didn’t want to be rude. (It was bad enough I asked why she was picking leaves off the plant … the plant didn’t belong to me!)

Here is a photo of the milkweed plant.

MILKWEED ON PATHWAY

This young woman also raises Black Swallowtail butterflies and their host plant is Queen Anne’s Lace, so she has plenty of this lacy-looking wildflower (pictured below) growing in her backyard.

QUEEN ANNES LACE

The rain was pesky in that it interrupted my walking plans, but truly it was needed. We were in almost drought-like conditions before this weekend’s rain. My lawn was not just brown, but crispy. The Park pathway is strewn with leaves, mostly yellow and brown, crinkly and curled up, just like it was the end of September rather than mid-July.

LEAVES ON PATHWAY.jpg

Our weather is not so stellar this coming week, with fits and starts of rain and thunderstorms intermingled with heat and humidity. Once again, I will scratch my head and say “and I waited all Winter and most of Spring for this?”