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. […]
Good Natured
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.[…]
Good Natured
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? […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured
Think your lawn or garden doesn’t have a resident population of insectivores? Have we got shrews for you! Shrews aren’t the sort of wildlife that would normally grab your attention. Though fierce predators, they don’t eat pets like our area’s famous, or infamous, coyotes do. […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured
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. […]
Good Natured