Meanwhile at the ol’ swimming hole ...

All Winter, as we endured that 61-inch snowfall here in Southeast Michigan, I moaned and groaned about the endless shoveling that I did because of my “deal” with my next-door neighbor - I shovel both properties all Winter, then he mows both properties during the growing season. Unfortunately for me, his property is twice as big as mine, with more driveway, deck and pathways to shovel. I sure am grateful that my turn is over and now he taking care of the lawns until October or November, especially in lieu of all this rain. Jeff just mowed the day before the incessant rain, and today the grass blades are way past my ankles, and halfway to my knees. The lawn is looking thick and lush ... those weeds are looking pretty healthy too. The grass is starting to go to seed, as are the dandelions, with their wispy puffs adrift when I walked along on this still morn.

I was happy to step outside where it was sunny and surprisingly warm, since it was chilly in the house and I had put the heat back on. I headed down to the Park, and along the way the neighborhood was filled with a cacophony of loud noises ... lawn mowers groaned mightily as they munched up grass, weed whippers whirred and blowers blasted as lawn services hustled to attend to their customers’ properties, after the overlong spate of rainy weather. In record time, their powerful yard equipment had already begun to neaten up those homes. There must’ve been at least five of those lawn services enroute to the Park, and the noise was deafening.

But, once at the Park, the familiar feeling of peace and quiet was evident. I heard the woodpecker drumming a near-hollow tree and the red-winged blackbirds calling to one another from their respective trees. I think it was quiet enough to hear the tap, tap, tap of squirrel toenails scrambling down bark, or racing across the asphalt path for peanuts. I was willing to accommodate those furry friends, and had tucked an extra bag in my coat pocket, figuring that no other walkers had frequented the pathway since last week due to the rain, and the squirrels were probably starving. The bushes that bear black raspberries, and the apple trees in the Park are a long way from producing any fruit goodies for our pals and it was a pitiful sight to see a squirrel holding a dirty walnut in his mouth and another one chomping on a pinecone. “Poor babies” I called out ... “come and see Linda.”

While we humans were weary of all the wet weather, this is why ducks and geese are called waterfowl. All the rain and wet weather did not deter them from sliding into the local swimming hole. While it wasn’t warm or sunny enough for people to apply sunscreen before heading out and jumping into a pool, the geese and ducklings seemed content to plop into the Ecorse Creek for a quick dip.

I decided not to overdo the walking since I’d not been on the trail in days, so I just walked one loop, plus my round trip to the Park, so a little over three miles. I’ll do more steps tomorrow – it’s supposed to be another beautiful day.

It was a blissful morning and over way too soon.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

For happiness, how little suffices for happiness! … the least thing precisely, the gentlest thing, the lightest thing, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a whisper, an eye glance — little maketh up the best happiness. Be still. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

You can catch up on my blog posts before I started blogging at Patch in August 2013 by going here: http://lindaschaubblog.net/