April Fool

As usual, I've had all sorts of ideas for a "Great" new blog. But, as usual, I either forget these "Great" ideas or realize that they're not that "Great". Now, as I look out my window at the lovely winter scenery, I realize that there have been many "Great" ideas recently that, if nothing else, have made life rather interesting. For instance, right now the "Great" Global Warming idea doesn't look so hot! And the "Great" idea to store my snow blower away for the season, doesn't seem to "Great" either. So, maybe, for now, I'll just stick to a few ordinary thoughts and ideas. For starters, although I've had my suspicions, my Granddaughter Catherine finally came out this week. Yep she's admitted that she's a "Billiken" (or will be as of the Fall Semester at St. Louis U.) The accompanying pics pretty much support those suspicions. (that's Catherine on the right) Enough said.
Late last week JoAnne's Grandmaing genes really kicked in. This resulted in a quick trip "Up Nord" ta see the Grandkid Eddie, don't ya know. I normally enjoy the drive but after following a semi at around thirty miles an hour for, about, thirty miles, it wasn't shaping up to be a real joy ride. The reason for the delay was because of the two or more inches of "Slow" covering the road (that's a mixture of slush and snow). Just as I started to consider turning back, the semi pulled over to let me pass and the road conditions improved. On to "The Cities" where Grandma was rewarded with a welcome by a smiley little Eddie and Grandpa got paid for his driving chores with freshly baked, homemade scones. After a quick visit which involved Reid and Summer shopping, Grandma Jo spoiling Eddie and Grandpa eating scones, it was back on the road to the Sunny Southland. The River is pretty high right now, lapping up fairly close the the road's edge in places. Lakes appear where no lakes belong and the Eagles are busy raising their newly hatched kids. Actually, this time of year the Vultures move in as the Eagles proceed farther North. So, Eagle sightings are fewer and farther between. From a distance it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the Vultures and the Eagles. They're both large, black and have enormous wing spans. The sure fire way to pick out the Eagles is the giveaway white head and tail. Although, due to the cold weather, a lot of the Eagles were wearing little knit ski masks therefore making identification a lot more difficult. We did encounter one rather exciting incident, two Eagles engaged in a mating ritual. They completely ignored any sense of decency and went at it right there in broad daylight. My first reaction was to stop and take pictures but the fear of being caught by the DNR with "Birdporn" in my possession made me think twice. Besides I was anxious to get home in time to enjoy some good old fashioned Wisconsin Spring weather.
Meanwhile back to "Great" things. Last Friday I was privileged to take part in a project to "Feed My Starving Children" at the Fennimore Firehouse. This involved volunteers preparing and packing meal kits which are shipped around the world to feed kids that don't get fed very often. I'm proud to say that I was part of a group who in an hour and a half packed enough nutritious food packets to feed thirty three kids for a year. (For more information see www.fmsc.org )
A few other "Great" ideas include - not mentioning the Cubs, and writing down my "Great" ideas in the future. Another idea maybe "Great" maybe not - post a few pics from "Up Nord".

Could this be a future Billiken?

"Roomies"

Everyone but the dog got the joke.

" You're getting sleepy. When I snap my fingers, you say, 'Grandma' ".

"these two ardvarks walk into a bar................"

Here We Go Again

The invitation was tempting, the weather was fair, (not below freezing) the wind was blowing out and it was April Fools Day so why not accept the offer and head South to the Land of Lincoln and Wisconsin Democrats.
Early Friday morning I ventured out of the comfort and security of my little "Clock" place and was immediately greeted with the first of many April Fool jokes, SNOW! The weather guy on WGN Radio promised no snow in Chicago so off to meet the guy with the tickets, Derek. After a quick check of equipment, peanuts, KitKats, Jolly Ranchers, Hersey Miniatures, gloves and warm hats we hit the road for a wonderful day at the old ballyard. An uneventful car ride, a short hop on the El and squeezing in as the last two to make it onto the overloaded bus made for a fairly pleasant trip down. The car ride always provides an opportunity for the kid and I to solve most of the world problems while the El ride gives us a reason to pray a prayer of thanksgiving as we witness the Expressway traffic we left behind when we moved North. We arrived early which gave us a chance to take a lap around the outside of the stadium and check out the new statues and shops (bars) in the area. And once inside we seek out the "old timer" vendors who never seem to change, the familar groundskeepers who just slow down a little more each year while the new, younger ones eagerly scrap, rake, sweep and run around meaninglessly.

Ah but there was no joy in Wrigleyville that day, the mighty Cubbies struck out, grounded out, flew out popped out and just simply, lost out. At any rate it was still a great day and the return of Vienna Hot Dogs to Wrigley almost made it worth while. Young Sebastian is just learning the meaning of being a Cub fan. Here's his first reaction...

Just think of all "The Next Years" he has to look forward to!

PhotoMagic

Recently a friend/photographer, who goes by the handle "evilbear" (have no idea why) posted an example of turning a rather nothing photo into a interesting image by using PhotoShop methods. In the mean time I've been sitting here trying to come up with a new Blog of my own. Evil's piece was just enough to get the coals of imagination glowing. Out on the edge of town there is a barn that is slowly crumbling away due to neglect and age. The ravages of Wisconsin's harsh winters, blistering summers and cheese breath has finally taken its toll on old "Barney". Over the past couple of years I watched "Barney" deteriorate a little more each month. I really wished there was something I could do to comfort this old guy. I'm guessing that "Barney" is probably somewhere around the same age as me and if I were to fall into such a sad state of repair, I would hope some one would come to my aid. Physically there isn't much I can do to fix up "Barney" but maybe I could restore some of his dignity photographically. I have spent considerable time researching the structure itself as well as the surrounding foliage, atmospheric pressure, ground water table and global warming. Armed with a brain full of useless information I set out to bring "Barney" back to life. I replaced as many planks as possible, got the trees to sprout new leafs, greened up the grass and weeds and even got rid of that old horse trailer. The road in the foreground was pretty distracting so I modified that to one lane. I had considered putting another coat of paint on him but I ran out of red paint when Jo and I went out on the town the other night. All in all I think "Barney" turned out fairly well but, I'm afraid if too many "Barney" owners see the results, I may be up to my manure spreader in requests for cosmetic barn surgery. Oh, yeah! Here's how "Barney" turned out!!!

Bird watching?

With a break in the late winter weather it seemed like a good time to leave my paperback friend from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Porter, and strike out on my own in search of local critters who are emerging from their winter hideouts. Preparations for these little excursions is quite a deal, charging batteries, finding blank video tapes (yeah, I'm going to try taking videos this year) and, the really big deal, filling up the Honda with fuel. I have paid less for a used car than what a tank of gas costs at today's prices. The warmer temperatures should have started to melt the ice on The River so I headed West to check out "Ole Muddy". I decided to cross The River in Prairie du Chien and head North on the Iowa/Minnesota side. Here and there a Hawk settled on a telephone pole would eye me as I drove by hoping that I might provide lunch by bumping off a squirrel or raccoon. The River wasn't nearly as thawed as I had hoped. There were Eagles around but not nearly the number that I had expected. The leaf-bare trees allowed for good views of nests (aeries) that stood ready for this year's family. Now and then, above the high bluffs, a pair or "Baldies" would perform their midair courting rituals. As I crossed back to the Wisconsin side, I slowed down to check an area that, when open water was present, it attracted hundreds of Eagles. Not today. Although there were a half dozen or so roosting in nearby trees seemingly waiting for the buffet to open for the season. All in all I saw a few Eagles including one who sat perched in a tree above me as I tried to shoot pictures of some swans and geese in a little creek that snaked its way through a swampy backwater area. I promptly became entertainment for the Eagle as he watched me fumble around grabbing for cameras while trying to quietly open the car door and twist myself into a position where I could get a clear shot of him. (I anticipated something like the photo at the beginning of this post) He managed to contain his laughter long enough to give me a "wing flip" and lift off to the safety of a heavily treed area. As I sheepishly slipped back into the driver's seat I looked around to make sure that only the geese and swans were witnesses to my exhibit of photojournalism at its best. Needless to say, I have neither a shot of the Eagle or the geese and swans. The Eagle hunt may have been a little disappointing but as I proceeded to the South, I discovered still another interesting species , the Flannel Shirted, Rubber Booted Fisherguy. Normally you find open water around dams and power plants. This attracts fish which, in turn, attracts eagles, gulls and other waterfowl AND . . . fishermen. This year is no different. I guess there's some sort of fishing season open now.

Not that interesting? Consider this, open water - dozens of guys in boats hoping to bring home dinner. Now let's go down the river a couple of hundred yards where we find another group of fishing guys sitting on plastic buckets staring down little holes in a sheet of slowly disappearing ice.

They're hoping to bring home dinner too! This scene replayed and replayed as I continued the rest of the way down The River. Open water - boats, frozen water - buckets. In some cases the boat guys were close enough to wash a wake across the bucket guy's domain. Interestingly I only saw this taking place on the Wisconsin side not on the Iowa/Minnesota side. I'm sure there's a tale to be told there but, I don't know what it is. Ironically after driving over two hundred miles, as I spotted the welcome sight of the Fennimore skyline I noticed a graceful image soaring overhead. I know the birds and animals have a way of communicating with each other but, do you suppose that the "Tree Eagle" had tweetered his cousin in Fennimore just to bug me. I'm not sure if it's related or not but, moments later a large white splat hit the windshield directly in front of me. Maybe with the price of gas, I might be better off sitting on my deck waiting for the Eagles to come looking for me. I even have a plastic bucket to sit on.

On a mission?

No posts for almost a month? Normally February is the dullest month of the year as Winter is gasping and spewing its last bit of "Crappy" weather, the landscape is slowly turning to mud and leftover black snow, the wildlife is in a state of transition preparing for the seasons ahead. My mind had moved into a dull, crappy mode as well when I received a call to action. With the help of the wife of a photographer friend in New York, I became involved in a number of adventures during the past month or so. I was introduced to an agent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who allowed me to accompany her on some interesting escapades . Being a lover of the outdoors and native wildlife, I eagerly followed agent Rachel Porter as she dealt with poachers and smugglers of exotic and endangered creatures. We spent time on a Blackfoot Indian (Native American) Reservation in Montana tracking Grizzly Bear poachers, we rubbed elbows with sleazy Parrot smugglers in the"Little Havana" section of Miami then hustled off to the Louisiana swamps to investigate the illegal "Gator" skin trade. Well its been a great, and very busy, month and I had the opportunity to visit places that I wouldn't normally see. I haven't experienced anything quite like this since I accompanied a English guy named Bond back in the sixties. Yeah, you got it., I spent most of the last month curled up, surrounded by my clock collection (now reaching about fifty in number) reading a series of books about a Fish and Wildlife Agent written by Jessica Spreat. This has really helped me pass the time as I await the birth of a new season to brighten up the local landscape. I fact that I sat down and actually read a book might not seem too significant except, if you know me, you know that reading books is far, far from the top of list of things I like to do. I must thank George for introducing me to Jessica (although I have never met George face to face we have talked on the phone and communicated electronically for over twenty years without ever meeting). And, I must thank Jessica for allowing me to witness some pretty chilling adventures. I should say that she allowed me to experience these adventures. I've heard and felt buzzing insects of the Louisiana swamps, I shivered from the icy wind of a Montana winter, melted in the heat of a Miami summer afternoon, dripped sweat in the searing sun of the Mojave Desert, and enjoyed the pleasant spray of the surf on Oahu's North Shore. All in the comfort of my cozy little clock room. I still have four or five more locations to explore with Rachel. That should easily bring me through the final winter blahs. Well I'm off to round up some more bad guys in California, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey (New Jersey???). After all this stimulation I should be ready to get out there and really do some bang up wildlife investigating this Spring and Summer. I must admit that, with the price of gas going up so ridiculously fast, I may have to be content doing my wildlife exploration right here in my clock place with some good books on the subject. For sure I'm going to, at least, need books with lots of pictures.

Glee-Full

I'm so full of glee that it's overflowing. Spent the better part of yesterday getting, what may be, my last dose of real live Glee. Grandkid Catherine, a high school senior, has been part of the performing choir (I think that's what you call a bunch of talented kids singing and dancing their way to pure glee) at Prospect High in the Chicago area. A large competition took place in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin close enough for us to drive over to watch her and her group perform. Although I have never watched the TV version of this Glee thing, I kinda get the idea. After hours upon hours of preparation, hundreds of kids sing and dance their collective little butts off hoping to beat the little butts off of the other thousand teams of hundreds of singing and dancing kids. (I should probably refer to them as young adults) Most of the action takes place in the gym/auditorium where spectators squirm around on the oak planked grandstand seats while friends, classmates and parents of the preforming group get to sit in folding chairs in front of the stage to scream and howl encouragement to the performers. After a short introduction on a barely audible loudspeaker the group springs to life. Upbeat vocals, solos and duets and triplets and quadtets, octets and pretty soon the entire seven hundred voices unite into one sweet gigatet. All the while all eight hundred of them are dancing (their butts off) wildly with choreography that would bring tears to Paula Abdul's little eyes. As if this isn't enough, during all this singing, dancing and smiling, the entire nine hundred kids change costumes without missing a beat. Pretty incredible huh? Considering that this repeats itself for each of the six or seven thousand choirs (that's what I'm told they're called) during the course of a day things run fairly smoothly. I'd like to share a few of my observations of the event. Every dance step, high note, low note, gesture and head toss was accompanied by screams, whistles, applause and hoots from well wishers scattered around the gym/auditorium. The loudest, or course, from the floor seats. Secondly, it was smart to stay in your selected seat during and in between performances or risk the possibility of being run down by singing and/or dancing "young adults" racing to or from their dressing rooms, place on the stage, place in the gym/auditorium to check out the competition, or the snack bar for some, much needed, energy producing substance. This accompanied by an equal amount of parents, relatives, sisters, brothers, friends and some guy that got accidentally stopped in to ask directions to Culvers, makes the "Running With the Bulls" child's play. All and all it was a very entertaining and enjoyable afternoon even though I didn't run into Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jane Lynch or Lea Michele, I think I saw the actual people that their characters were modeled after. I can't close this Gleeful review without reporting a few of the real highlights of the event. (Other than the outstanding performance by my very own granddaughter Catherine) Highlight #1 - during one of the costume changes one of the male performers didn't grab a hat so he continued the dance number going through all the same gestures as the hatted guys only hatless. (and he did an almost convincing job of it) #2 - Similar situation only this time a girl missed her apron and dish towel for a rousing rendition of Nine to Five. (once again carried off like a real trouper) And at #3 - The costume malfunction that we all (well me) wait to happen. A strenuous dance move, a broken strap and - well it wasn't a complete bust but . . . the show must go on and go on it did for what probably seemed like two hours for the young lady involved. Once again true professionalism prevailed and most important of all, no animals were injured in the production of this event. (Just in - the exposer has landed a lucrative contract from Victoria's Secret) Sadly, I didn't take any photos of the event because the flash might distract some of the judges, spectators or snack bar attendants. But, here is a rear view of Catherine's group and a shot of her at the awards presentation.

Catherine is the girl, front row left, facing the guy with his back to us.
Isn't she pretty?

Some of the thousands of Young Adults waiting for the award announcements. Catherine is the short girl in the center of the back row next to the tall guy with the white tie. I think she even looks better in this shot.

The winning group celebrates with the traditional GatorAde pour!
I didn't think that they were that great!

Waiting For The Blizzard

As I watch the snow start to fall outside my window waiting for the predicted "Blizzard of the Century", I recall a day about 44 years ago. A day like any other day at that time of my life. The weather had hit a record high temperature for January in Chicago only a day or two ago and, as usual I was up against an end of the month deadline. I worked for a fairly popular magazine and had an office on the tenth floor of what used to be the Palmolive Building at the corner of Walton and Michigan. No need to panic about the deadline at 10am the next day, so, a little relaxation was in order. Fortunately our building was completely outfitted with a fine cocktail lounge on the ground floor. Three or four or five hours of refreshments with friends and I headed for the elevator ready to hit the old drawing board. After a couple of hours of napping it was down to work pouring over envelop after envelop of transparencies, shooting photostats, drawing, cutting and pasting pictures. As the final pages took shape, daylight started peeping through the blinds. It was almost nine in the morning when I realized that no one was showing up for work. Honestly I hadn't looked outside since noon the previous day and had no idea what was happening out there. Soon the phones started ringing. I answered the one on our secretary's desk only to be informed by the caller that he couldn't make it in because of the weather. What a wimp! Then I looked out of the window and much to my surprise people were walking down the middle of Michigan avenue while the vehicles that were visible were at a standstill. It looked a lot like a scene from Dr, Zhivago. A quick shave, hair comb and tooth brushing in the photo studio dressing room and I was ready to deliver the all important pages for approval. I stood for a moment on Michigan Avenue just taking in this once in a lifetime sight (or so I thought). I headed North to the "Boss's Pad", a route that took me past numerous Rush Street watering holes which were already packed with folks that "couldn't get to work because of the weather". Refusing invitation after invitation I continued to the "Mansion", dropped off my layouts and continued on home. Home at the time was up in the Broadway and Diversey area (about twenty blocks from work). I'm not sure how long the walk took because I was entertained the entire trek by the people. People walking, people skiing, people pulling sleds, people shoveling and people digging out cars. I don't recall any people complaining or being nasty. There was almost a sense of celebration going on. I arrived home cold and tired but a couple of hours sleep, a shower, dry clothes and I was off to accept a few of those drink invites.
My son, Derek, sent me a link to some pics of the event. Here are a few that are exactly what I saw that day.

The scene outside my window at Michigan and Walton.

Skier coming off the Michigan Avenue Bridge. I think he outran the plows.

Brave souls "making to the office".
I don't think that anyone got extra "Brownie Points" for their effort.

The Outer Drive wasn't a real good route choice.

Detouring through the Park wasn't a good option either.

Well, the snow is picking up a little here. So, let's see if I can get material for another "Snowbound" story to relate in the future. (probably not 44 years from now though)