My husband’s work day was winding down, and I was feeling a bit…pent up. So I sent a message to my husband via Facebook Messenger (yes he was sitting upstairs and I could’ve just talked to him, but sometimes I don’t feel like hollering up the stairs):

Let’s hop in the car and drive somewhere. Maybe drive to island park or something. When you’re done with work.

His response?

ok

If only all of our discussions could be this simple! So we got into the car…and drove to Island Park in Ann Arbor, MI. There are soccer fields there, walking trails and a public pool, which is not yet open (though I hear public pools will be able to open again soon).  It’s also a good boat watching spot for people using kayaks/canoes giant inflatable swans, etc.

I was just a wee lass when I visited this park for the first time! I don’t have my hands on the actual photo, but there is an old snapshot of me and my older brother sitting in the Huron River at Island Park when I was about 2 – and he was about 5. We were probably in town to visit my dad’s high school friend Jon.

When I got older, Island Park became a place where I would play Ultimate Frisbee for a few years, play outdoor soccer for a couple of years and a place to occasionally visit to use the pool, etc.

Mosquitoes were fierce! I probably got about a dozen bites during the course of the 10 minute walk. Which always makes me think of a funny quote from the movie Dodgeball:

Next time bring the Off!

We were just a bit too late to see baby geese at their peak of cuteness, when they have mostly  yellow feathers, but the little darlings were still sorta cute anyway!

As we were walking back toward our car, I asked my husband to “take a picture of me as proof I actually got my ass out of the house”:

We were almost back at the car, when he pointed out a squirrel for me. It was on its hind legs and being super cute, but wasn’t having the whole being photographed thing. Not to matter, there was a much, much bigger squirrel across the road for me to snap!:

Groundhogs are technically squirrels! The largest members of the squirrel family, or something like that… I had maximum zoom used here! This critter would definitely not let me get this close. Not as bold as the raccoon who visited our deck last night!!! My husband used his bo staff and chased it off, waged scent warfare by spraying things with hot pepper/water, peppermint and bacillus (some tricks he has up his gardening sleeve) and we blocked the entrance to our deck with patio furniture.