February 5, 2016 The Big Snake Recently I received an email from a Good-Natured reader who lives in Batavia. As I recall, we were corresponding about a seasonal topic–owls, I believe–but then she asked a summertime question that, even in the midst of winter, still seems to be on many people’s minds: What ever happened
Big Snake, Reptile, SnakeJanuary 29, 2016 Connect the Dots-Creating a Paradise for Coyotes When was the last time you played Connect the Dots? I remember Grandma Erickson giving me a book of those kid-friendly puzzles, and spending hours under her dining room table–the best place to play, when you’re four–trying to find the “1,” then the “2,” and
Animal, Coyote, MammalJanuary 22, 2016 Owls of Kane County Thursday night I heard something I haven’t heard in several weeks: The who-huh-who-whoo-whoo of our nocturnal neighbor, the great horned owl. Although they hooted and hollered their way through most of the late fall, their courtship period, lately I hadn’t heard much from the Bubos—my nickname for the
Bird, Fly, Kane County, OwlJanuary 15, 2016 Screech Owls Last week in this space we took a look at the life and times of Strix varia, the barred owl. Although still considered a rare species in Kane County, it seems to be increasing its range throughout our area. Thanks to those who responded to our request for sightings, we
Bird, Fly, Owl, Screen OwlJanuary 8, 2016 Barred owls likely are here to stay Who doesn’t love a nice surprise? A batch of homemade peppermint bark, fragrant and tasty, pops up on your desk. A five-dollar bill, wet but still perfectly good, wondrously appears inside the washing machine. A barred owl, uncommon in our area, shows up in a
Barred Owl, Bird, Fly, OwlJanuary 1, 2016 Looking ahead to a shiny new year Any way you look at it, the holidays are a shiny time of year. Twinkling decorations shimmer in yards and windows; nights—some of them, anyway—are clear and starry; and this past Christmas, for the first time in 38 years, we were treated to a full
Holidays, New Year, SeasonDecember 25, 2015 The Cedar Waxwings Crapulence. It’s a word you don’t hear very often but one that, especially at this festive time of year, is particularly appropriate. Crapulence means to become sick from overindulgence in food and drink. Over the years I’ve had my share of crapulent escapades, especially at functions with buffets. (Helloo
Bird, Cedar Waxwings, FlyHave you ever had one of those moments that was so unexpected, so incongruous, that you had a hard time believing it really happened? I did, just last weekend. You may remember those recent days, when temperatures topped out in the 60s. That in itself was notable—it was, after all, almost mid-December. But when the
Earthworms, Nightcrawlers, WormsYears ago, as a rookie staff writer at a restaurant magazine, I had the pleasure of working with a tremendously talented senior editor named Audrey. Her wit and skill had earned her a spot near the top of the publishing food chain, yet she made herself accessible to us young cubs. If I needed a
Hoarders, Nuts, Scatter, SquirrelHut two, three, four…hut, two, three four… That was the phrase that kept running through my mind the other day as I walked with my friend Lorayne and her friend Gayle. Now, don’t get me wrong. We hadn’t been recruited by a military group, nor were we even marching (which, admittedly, would be a rare
Huts, Lodges, Muskrats, Wetlands