You never know who or what you may encounter on Lake Avenue

For some who walk Lake Avenue every day at the same time, they enjoy seeing the same people the same dogs, and the same wildlife: Typically, eagles and other familiar birds, deer and ….

Even more fun than seeing familiar faces, is encountering unexpected people and animals

A couple years ago, there was a brown bear in a tree at Lake Avenue and Clark, which stayed for about 24 hours and drew quite a crowd.

Contributed by Mike Keeler

Several times, I’ve seen someone with an alpaca or two walk down Second St. onto Lake Avenue – now that is something you don’t see every day!

And there is a guy who occasionally walks his parrot.

At Thanksgiving and Easter, I keep an eye out for a flock of nuns who come here to get some exercise after their holiday meal. I believe they come from St. Anne’s Chapel on Country Road E.

And some of the unusual visitors are seasonal:

Flyboarder Bruce Haglund lives near the VFW and puts on a show while practicing many times each summer.

My Dad, who is 92 years old and grew up on Cook Avenue and Fourth St., says he’s never seen Yellow-Headed Blackbirds anywhere but Lake Avenue near Second St. According to Birds of North America, no other North American bird has a yellow head and black body. It adds that they are attracted to cattail and tule marshes.

Tules are a type of giant sedge that is found in marshlands, according to Webster’s dictionary. The long round stems are dark green and grow from three to 10 feet tall, with a small cluster of brown flowers and seeds found at the tip of the stalk. The plant was used for food, as well as basket, clothes and raft making, by Native American people.

The Yellow-Headeds come to Lake Avenue in the spring and leave in the Fall.

Hibiscus Havens

In August and September, some walkers on Lake Avenue have commented on the large hibiscuses growing in my yard. My mother bought a few plants at Lebens in Hugo and soon (with the help of my talented gardener-father) their garden was covered with giant white and pink hibiscuses, whose blooms are as big as a pie plate.

My Dad was anxious for me to grow some here, so when my parents decided to move to assisted living, my neighbors and I harvested some of the giant hibiscuses from their home in Forest Lake and planted them throughout the neighborhood. They are perennials, so soon at least a half dozen homes around Second St. and Lake Avenue will be a “hibiscus havens”.

Concert on the porch

For the past seven years, our neighbors at 4671 have had a barbershop quartet concert on a Sunday in July or August. And the crowds continue to grow, spilling across the street onto the other side of Lake Avenue. For more information, please see www.VocalityQuartet.com

Whether you encounter the usual people and wildlife or a Lake Avenue surprise, it is always a pleasure to walk on such a beautiful and friendly trail.