Secret identities. Our popular culture is full of them. Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent takes off his glasses, dons a cape and then, faster than a speeding bullet, becomes super-strong Superman. Peter Parker, bitten by a radioactive spider, transforms into Spiderman, complete with web-slinging superpowers and acute Spidey Senses. […]
Walking up to Hickory Knolls, our wonderful nature center, I never cease to be struck by the abundance of beauty displayed by our native wildflowers. More than once this summer I’ve stopped to take pictures of the magnificent milkweeds, the stunning coneflowers, the St. John’s wort so irresistible to pollinators that it is positively swarming with bumblebees and honey bees. […]
Mmm…popcorn. I love the way it looks. I love the way it tastes. I love the way it smells, too. And golly, I’ve been smelling it a lot lately! But not for the reason you might think. Popcorn has been on my mind thanks to none other than Sporobolus heterolepis, a delightful native grass also known as prairie dropseed. […]
To paraphrase an old saying, “Behind every great male, there’s a great female.” Most folks I know would agree but, if you’d like more proof, all you have to do is head outside. Or, at the very least, open a window.
It’s cicada season in Illinois and, throughout the region, male annual cicadas-great ones all-are calling their timbals out. […]
The neighbor’s kids were out the other day, chattering excitedly as they soaked up some summer sun. It was snack time – seems like it’s always snack time with these guys – and the four of them jostled each other as they gathered together and waited expectantly for their treats to arrive. […]
Don’t you just love life’s little surprises? You reach in your coat pocket and find a forgotten $5 bill. Yay! You run into an old friend at the grocery store. Woo-hoo! You’re sipping your morning coffee, and a lizard runs under the couch. Wait, what?? As incredible as it sounds, that’s exactly what happened to my friend Laura […]
Mmmmm. Pie. Is there anything more delectably satisfying than a nice pie? My own preferences run toward a double-crust fruity variety, with the top five being strawberry-rhubarb, peach, boysenberry, cherry and blueberry. With that said, I’ve never said no to anything with pie […]
So the other day I went to Delnor Woods Park in St. Charles to take some photos of Joe Pye weed, a favorite summertime bloom. Its tall stems top 6 feet when conditions are good, and its pastel blooms always remind me of fireworks-quiet, gentle fireworks that last for weeks. What could be better? […]
“That’s not a chipmunk.” The astute visitor, wise beyond his 4 1/2 years, stubbornly stood by his resolution, while his companions (people who, I’m guessing, were Grandma and Grandpa) tried to gently dissuade him. “Honey, look, he’s eating seeds. Just like the chipmunks we have at our house,” Grandma said. […]
Well, they’re at it again. The boys up the street have started up with their rabble-rousing ways, raising a ruckus into the wee hours several nights this past week.While I’m no fan of noisy neighbors, I don’t mind the racket these fellows make. Over the years I’ve come to anticipate and even revel in its volume. […]
