Happy Halloween (A Detroit Halloween!)

Hope you have a SPOOKTACULAR DAY!!! Nya-haha ha!

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Lower Huron Metropark

I walked today at the Lower Huron Metropark, which was all decked out in its fall finery. It may be slightly "past peak" out there, but it was still very nice.

I've had out of town company for almost a week and have been too busy running around playing to be home posting. It will take a while to get caught up!

Walking at the Lower Huron Metropark I

Monday, October 25, 2010

Ever wonder whether a park is walkable and if there are sufficient walking opportunities to make a trip worthwhile? The Lower Huron Metropark is definitely worth the drive from the city for a walk,... Read more »

The Fishing trails at Blue Heron Lagoon (Belle Isle)

We had fun wandering around on the fishing trails out on the peninsula beyond the isthmus at Blue Heron Lagoon. I may post some of the other pictures I took there if I remember when we get back. We are headed for Maine tomorrow morning and I know for sure that I will be unable to gt online much of the time I'm gone, as there is no internet access where I am going. Don't forget me,t hough, I'll be back sometime in about a week. (I also won't be able to comment while I'm gone--so bear with me.)

This, by the way, is right near the heart of Detroit. IN the city. (Assuming you call a city park part of the city.)

Seven Lakes State Park revisted, late November

BB and I went to Seven Lakes State Park, just North of Detroit. It was barren of leaves, flowers, and very quiet. The only thing we saw were lots of hunter orange crawling through the woods.

We were there not long ago and the changes are startling. These are from the last trip:



To see more Seven Lakes State park pix, click here.

BB is having surgery today, and I will be with him at the hospital, so I will not be commenting, probably.

More Transitions

Now we are seeing three seasons, winter, fall and summer. Winter in the Santas, fall in the colored leaves (at St. Paul's Church, along Lakeshore!) and summer in the fact that we still have flowers blooming OUTSIDE--but probably not for much longer!

More contrasts (dismal, hope clings)

I took this picture this week, at Lakeshore (Lake St Clair.) Pretty dismal!

BUT there are still flowers in bloom outside--not just chrysanthemums, but clematis, roses, pansies, etc.



This is a detail from an art piece I did yesterday (by Detroit Artist Mary Taitt, LOL!), with markers, in Ander's Moleskine Sketchbook. If you would like to see the whole piece and learn more about it, click here.

Transitions

Our local garden store is ambivalent about the season. Is it late summer, fall or winter? Which holiday are we celebrating? What you can't see here are all the pumpkins and gourds.

Wild Nashua Creek

Nashua Creek and the surrounding woods are at points very wild and almost impenetrable. You would not know that you were in a large urban area--if you were wearing ear plugs. You can hear the city even when you can't see it.

Nashua Creek in November

Nashua Creek runs not only through Belle Isle, but also through the old deserted Belle Isle Zoo. This photo was taken just outside the zoo, The trees around the creek were too grown up inside the zoo to get a get a clear shot from there. Here is a link to a map segment from a recent post that shows the route of Nashua Creek, if you missed it earlier.

At the Belle Isle Zoo Again

We went near sunset. Many of the leaves have fallen, but some still remain. I would have liked to have explored more, but we would have been visible to the nearby road had we gone any further. We were not vandalizing, just looking and taking pictures, but we wouldn't anyone to think we were responsible for all the destruction there.

1)BB observes the old zoo from underneath the elevated walkways.
2)inside the lady's room
3)inside the office/entryway
4)a leaf in the courtyard.

Enjoy your week!

The Grosse Pointe Farms Sewage Treatment Facility

All the municipal buildings around here, even the sewage treatment plants, are attractively designed. This building is a short walk from my house. (But I'm far enough away that I rarely smell it, LOL). I took it hand-held with the little point 'n' shoot.

Nashua Creek from Vista Way Bridge on Belle Isle

Here are two views of Nashua Creek from Vista Way Bridge on Belle Isle. The first was taken about ten seconds before the second. I also ortonized it slightly after the fact. To take the second one, I rotated my body about ten degrees. This is for VP who praised the pristine scene. In the second one, you can see the garbage I edited out with the way I chose to stand. (There is a LOT of garbage on Belle Isle!)

Also, these pictures were taken from the same spot as these, and if you click on this link you will see how much the scene has changed in color in a about a week's time, or just over that.

In the last picture, the map of The Nashua Creek trail, We parked at the red star with the purple square and walked the white trail to the zoo and through the zoo and back to the white trail to Vista way and back the edge of Nashua Creek on the White trail to the car. The photos were taken from the red star with the orange square. Click here to see Allen Chartier's map of Belle Isle from which this came. The woods in the center of Belle Isle hold the trails.

Balduck Park

It's nearly the peak of fall color, but starting to go by in some spots, as the leaves have been falling like mad. I walk by here nearly every day. It is right in Detroit. The park has baseball diamonds, a man-made sledding hill, a picnic area and the woods. Guess where I like to go.

The sign for the Aspen Trail is on the fence and there is no trail entrance nearby and no aspens, but there is a woodland trail. And lots of color right now!

Just leaves

All around, signs of fall. I need to do some city sidewalk scenes with all the fallen leaves before too many of them get raked up.

Right Outside my door

Autumn Color in Detroit. (An untouched, unenhanced image.)

Scarecrown Time

Scarecrows are popping up all over town, mos associated with some business. I like the ones with no sign best.

Today is BB's Birthday, and he'll soon find out, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me!!"

Seven Lakes State Park revisted

Just a few more pix from Seven Lakes State Park. That will be all until our next visit. Sorry about the white sky! I'd have stormy or blue if I were in charge.

Seven Lakes State Park: the first beginning of Fall

It was out first visit ever to Seven Lakes State Park, just north of Detroit, but I certainly hope it will NOT be our last. We loved the hiking trails, which traced the edges of the lakes and climbed up narrow isthmuses between them, over hill and dale with lovely vistas at ever turn. A must visit for those who like to walk in lovely woodland settings. We also enjoyed a display of the first real fall color.

Season overlap

The pine cones are out at Village Market for Christmas, the trees have lost all their leaves, the hollies have their nice red berries, and there is snow on the chrysanthemums! (This is a house in our neighborhood, not our house.)

Cranbrook

The canoes are up and chained for the winter and the last fall leaves have fallen. The trees are essentially bare, with a (very) few exceptions.