The snow swirled down in big, heavy flakes-like the kind you see in a snow globe, only real. As I walked through the Hickory Knolls Natural Area, I couldn’t help but become immersed in the tranquility of nature in winter. A stroll in the woods is one of the best ways I know to clear my head, and that particular day I surrendered to the free association of words that lilted through my tired brain. […]
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Although the word “hairy” isn’t itself inherently bad, it’s often used to describe something that is less than ideal. A hairy situation typically is one that’s turned treacherous. A hairy problem can be tricky to solve. And a hairy sink…well that’s just gross. A hairy woodpecker, on the other hand, is darn cool.[…]
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When was the last time you looked-I mean realllllly looked-at the shape and size of a tree bud? Or paused to observe whether the tree’s branches were alternate or opposite? When you look at a prairie, do you wonder what’s going on in the soil below? Are you curious how the plants survive-thrive, even-following a prescribed burn? […]
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really thought of the TriCities, or even the greater Chicagoland region, as a hotbed for cave dwellers. But what do I know? Turns out I’ve actually seen three this year, so far. Each time the encounters were brief, so much so that I questioned whether I’d actually seen anything at all. […]
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We’ve all been there at one time or another: That awkward moment when you realize you’ve accidentally woken someone. Perhaps it was a phone call at an inopportune time. Or an unintended bump during an airline flight. Or, maybe, you hit them with a shovel. […]
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Not long ago Hickory Knolls had the good fortune to host several hundred seventh graders from Thompson Middle School in St. Charles. Their objective was team-building, which they accomplished through a series of outdoor activities situated in the athletic fields of James O. Breen Park and throughout the Hickory Knolls Natural Area. […]
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You’ve gotta admit, monarchs are the current darlings of the butterfly world. Markings that are easy to recognize, combined with a 2014 petition for endanger species status and a famous 3,000-mile southerly migration, mean this insect is on everyone’s radar these days. […]
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Ah, 1978. Things were sure were different then. Jimmy Carter was president. I remember this because I drew his portrait, and all those pearly white teeth, for an assignment in art class at Wheaton North High School. Gas was 59.9 cents a gallon. […]
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When it comes to conversation, and newspaper columns, we all know that certain topics are sure to cause a stir. Politics is one, religion another. And then there is the subject of rodents. These furry, gnawing critters, famous for their ever-growing incisors and often impressive reproductive rates, never fail to provoke a response. Folks either love ’em, or hate ’em. […]
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