Daily Walks in Michigan

Going for a walk in Michigan is certainly different when you are 3.2 miles away from a paved road. Not that there are any sidewalks (pavements even there)

At least I get the chance to walk the dogs.

Finn and Oscar in Stoneycreek Metro Park

Although it's more usual for me to walk them one at time, in turn, on separate days including Gabby, a Labrador.

On rare occasions in England I may see a deer, more often that not just as road kill. Here I can seen  them daily along Oakwood.

One of many viewed through the trees.

I still have to see one along the aptly named Deer Trail where I walk the dogs.

At home I record the types of bird I see each day and occasionally I'll see a heron circling the village. Here I just have to look outside to see whether - 

Harry's home 

Other birds are more difficult to see in the dense banks of trees. All I have managed to see reasonably clearly is this unknown in a tree in the back compound.

When it comes to insects the dogs were nosing this on the garage floor.

Fortunately there have been no flies this size on me.

Yesterday along the side of the Detroit river I was glad that I don't see buildings this size on my walks at home.

GM Renaissance Centre

Another thing that that is different here is that I can watch a Premier League match on TV - no subscription required - Burnley v Liverpool shortly.

Car Charging - Sepia Saturday

There was a time when a car would have been regarded as a newfangled contraption. I'm not sure that the prompt falls into that category.

At a time when we are told that the great motor city of Detroit is in trouble we may need reminding that not all newfangled ideas caught on.

Detroit Electric Car Charging - 1919

(By Cress-Dale Photo Co, Seattle - Library of Congress)

However manufacturers had been long sighted enough to have to have a highly valued electric car. This one with the delightful name of Grandma Ducks Car made it to the Brussels Autoworld Museum in 1916

(By Teesu Mantynen, Salo, Finland - CC BY-SA 2.0)

In this car both the bonnet and boot spaced were used to carry batteries used to propel the car. The Brougham body was typical of American cars which were appreciated in city use for being clean and quiet. They were highly valued for social events such as parties, galas and theatre visits.

We are right to ask whether the car industry has learned anything since.

Detroit cars made it all round the world and here's an early one I would have liked, but it was before my time.

A 1925 Gray Tourer (made in Detroit) in Brisbane, Australia

I know nothing about today's electric cars either in Detroit or in the UK. The local TV in North East England recently reported that 25% of charging points for electric cars in the area had never been used. And only last week there was a report that the Liberal Democrats were considering adopting a policy of banning petrol and diesel cars from 2041. Guess that's an idea that I shall never see - it would make me 104!

For other way out contraptions - newfangled or otherwise - drive over to Sepia-Saturday-189.

Shades of Grey - Thematic Photography

There are so many shades of grey that I thought I would call this post "Fifty Shades of Grey." However that title has been used already for a book of inferior quality and which, as far as I know, has no illustrations.

I have trouble judging whether something is grey or not, so you may find my photos vary in interpretation.

Barnacles on rocks at Padstow, Cornwall

However there is a definite bluish shade of grey in the feathers of this Wood Pigeon nesting in our garden hedge.

Wood Pigeon

How many shades of grey can you see in this picture taken in Oxford, Michigan.

Avenue of trees, Oxford

This wooden landing stage is definitely grey.

Landing stage

There is a bluish tinge to this grey gate. Does the cobweb qualify as light grey?

Cobweb

I've studied this picture on my daughter's lounge wall for years and still cannot decide what the colours are in it and on my photograph.

Detroit (I think)

Now there's just time for you to drive with me

Tractor mower

on a grey tractor to thematic-photographic-208-grey for more shades of grey.

American Motorists for Sepia Saturday.

I was quite disappointed to discover that a man called Horatio Nelson was not English. Dr Horatio Nelson Jackson was the first man to drive a car across America in 1903.

He named his Winton car the Vermont. He and his co-driver Sewall K Croker acquired a companion during their journey, a pit bull called Bud. The three became quite famous.

Bud in his goggles.

The journey is commemorated on this sign in Vermont:

Earlier this week I was researching dreams and came across a lady, Madame C J Walker who became America's first female self-made millionaire. She was the first in her family to be born free.

The picture must be before 1919 as that was the year Madame Walker died.

Detroit is supposedly the car capital of the world. I wonder whether Madame Walker's and Dr Jackson's cars were made on a production line like this for 1913.

 

As I've no English content this week I have decided to go back to Amy, the subject of my first Sepia Saturday post. At least I got a British car in this shot from the 1950s (just).

More cars at: Sepia Saturday 60