Wendy Park

Today was was wet and warm – strange at the turn of the year.  But the lake was still clotted with patches of ice and wind whipped fiercely off the water.  The empty marina was crowded with gulls.  They stood on the thin ice and screamed and picked fights with one another.

On the small beach, geese and ducks gathered.  They swam away from shore when we approached but quickly returned to the sand as we made our way up the grassy hill at the center of the park. A barge slowly slipped into the river.  Gulls whirled and soared and cried all around it.  Little silver fish littered the pier, dropped by the squawking birds.  Chuck did her best to taste them all!

In a tall tree overlooking the lake and coast guard station, a bald eagle was keeping watch.  I was so surprised to see one here on the lip of Cleveland’s industry. I love the way this park connects downtown to the lakefront and invites city dwellers to engage with grass and trees and water. It’s amazing that you don’t have to go deep into the Cuyahoga Valley to see wildlife; it’s thriving on every little patch of green.

I am so grateful for the adventures we enjoyed this past year. This was the year I picked up my camera and got comfortable with it on the trail. It was the year I launched Walking With Chuck to share my hikes with you. It was the year I was fortunate enough to travel cross country with my dog and my mom. Thank you 2022. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.

Boy was it cold this morning! 27 degrees down by the lake with a howling wind that cut right to the bone. A flotilla of gulls was just off shore near Wendy Park. Geese gathered close to the beach, coming ashore for a stroll now and then.

We walked down to the old coastguard station and watched the gulls along the river. They were smaller and more delicate than the ring-billed gulls we watched at Edgewater the other day. These were Bonaparte’s Gulls. They floated on the water like ducks, swimming with the mallards and cormorants. They lined the piers and loading docks.

We turned back. Just at the edge of the walkway at the edge of the beach, I spotted a big hawk sitting on a stump near the ground. I was excited to see one so close and from an unusual vantage point!

We looped back through the fields and Chuck was eager to run and play. She loves this weather! So, I stashed the camera in the car and we ran in circles until Chuck lost some steam. Then, we headed home for coffee and kibble.

Today we enjoyed an urban hike at Wendy Park.  It was fun to see wildlife juxtaposed with an industrial backdrop.

There is a small beach tangled with driftwood.  The water was calm today and ducks and geese, cormorants and gulls, and one curious swan fished and congregated at the water’s edge.

The historic coast guard station gleamed white at the end of its pier.  The lighthouse, too, shone white in the morning light.

To the south, Wendy Park bridge spans the train tracks and the Cuyahoga.  We followed it, enjoying views of barges and bridges.  We heard trains clacking along their tracks and dogs barking excitedly from a kennel nearby.  

Chuck was a bit nervous in this new environment, so we headed back to the park.  We looped down to the beach and watched the ducks balanced along a driftwood log – Gold Coast condos perched behind them on the cliffs.

It was early morning, but already we could smell hot dogs cooking.  Chuck and I agreed it was time to head home for breakfast.  We will definitely be back!