A visit to Brookfield Zoo

(Remember - click on any photo to enlarge the image)


Zoo Entrance

We continued our excursions to Chicagoland's attractions by going to Brookfield Zoo on Saturday. It was a beautiful day, and a LOT of people figured the zoo was the place to be.

We have been members of the local zoo wherever we have lived. Brookfield, even though it is 30 miles away, is the closest to us now. Whenever there is a nice day and we don't have other plans - we go to the zoo. Its a great place to get a day's exercise while taking in the sites.

(Actually, my comment about going there on nice days is a misnomer. The BEST days are drizzly, cool, maybe some snow. It keeps the crowds down and you can have exhibits to yourself)

Saturday was a special day at the zoo. National Pig Day is March 1, and the zoo celebrates on the first Saturday after March 1. We have a standing joke in our house that I missed my National Day by one measly day (my birthday is March 2). I think I got the well earned reputation by being less-than neat and orderly around the house!

I also needed some more practice with my camera. So, I took a lot of pictures. Some of them actually came out OK. I hope you enjoy.



Our less than enthusiastic son at the National Pig Day sign. He was much less amused than we were.




Leopard




Bactrian Camels. These animals are HUGE!




free flying fruit bats in the Australia House. Tough to get a photo with low light and no flash, but I tried! Click on image to see a few bats



Chinese newt




Dwarf crocodile




Macaw closeup




African Wild Dogs




African Porcupine




Lion statues at the South Entrance

Blog List Update

I have never posted about the blogs I follow, or why I find them so intriguing. I recently decided my Blog List needed to be cleaned up, and also decided this post was appropriate.

First and foremost, I don't list everyone's blog on my list. I list blogs that I like reading and, for the most part, are written by bloggers I interact with, and who reciprocate. That doesn't mean a person needs to comment on every post I make - not by a long shot. I generally don't do that, and don't expect it in return. But it IS nice to know that the people you are following and, in some small way, promoting, know that you exist.

There are blogs I read regularly that are NOT listed on my blog list. Many are very good blogs but are not primarily Outdoor related. I'll probably segregate the blog categories in the future and add those to the appropriate area but, for now, it's about the Outdoors.

Probably my key to having a blog listed (other than being one I like to read) is having a somewhat steady flow of posts. Since I opt to use the setting showing the title of the post and the time it was posted, those who have months between posts generally get dropped (Of course, if you happen to be in Afghanistan under rocket attacks, you have a good excuse! Right Albert?) This is why it is so frustrating for me when I get the periodic "Writer's Block" - I don't like when others slow down on their posting, so I certainly need to hold myself to the same standards.

My original blog list was all fishing blogs, because that's where my primary interest lies. I've expanded into some more hunting blogs and general outdoor blogs - my blog universe has expanded, and the blog list reflects that.

All that being said, I'd like to point out a few of the new additions to my Blog List, and throw out a few general comments as well. Click on the blog title on the Blog List to be directed to the blog.


BASS PUNDIT - there is never a lapse in posts on this site! But what makes this an invaluable resource is the MASSIVE list of bass, tournament, and general fishing site links pasted alongside his columns. I don't think I could follow them all if I spent the rest of my life trying.


DARK ART CASTER - Mizlan takes us along on his forays in Malaysia to catch snakeheads. I LOVE this blog on many levels: he fishes and posts frequently, his quarry is a fish that is known to us in the US as a potentially devastating exotic that has been illegally introduced to some waters here (but is native in his land), and the places he fishes for, and catches, these snakeheads are, to me, mind boggling! They are drain ditches, bogs, swamps - nothing anyone would ever fish here. And he always posts pictures, too.

MUSINGS OF MURPHYFISH - John entertains us from Wales with his lovely writing style. I am a voracious reader, and this is one of my favorite blogs to read. I just love his style of prose. Follow John and the Bog Monster along on their forays - I'm pretty sure you'll become a regular reader, too.

OUTDOORS WITH BUTCH - a newly found gem for me. Butch posts frequently and is a keen observer of the more subtle things in life. He takes and posts nice pictures to accompany his writings. I really like this blog.

TAMI CURTIS - What's Up Bass Fishing blog. I have followed this blog for a while but only recently added it to my Blog Roll. I've shied away from most of the Bass tournament blogs because I feel they are repetitious and self serving. But Tami's is informative, and her video work is outstanding. She fishes full time on the bass circuits, and I think people will be hearing a lot more about, and from, her in the months and years to come.

XSTREEM FISHING FIJI - What's not to love about a blog that posts pictures of Giant Trevally taken on top water plugs, and it is always warm???

And, finally,

I DON'T WEAR PINK CAMO IN THE WOODS - I really like the enthusiasm Kari shows as she blogs her way toward bigger and better deer taken with her bow. Now, however, I'm enjoying watching the blog morph into a fishing blog! After her first musky this year, it'll be all about fishing!




I've also experienced a resurgence in my desire to do more trout fishing. For me, that means fly fishing, but I couldn't care less how others pursue their trout. The interesting thing is that the newly kindled flames have been fanned by the blogs themselves. I USED TO fly fish for trout all over the country. When I moved to IL, with no local trout, that passion sort of faded into the background. But when I started reading the trout blogs, the desire returned, and now I'm making plans for an Idaho trip this year, with a couple other possible short diversions throughout the year. My TROUT BLOGS that I follow diligently are:

DAHLQUIST FISHING BLOG

THE OUTDOORESS

FLY FISH CHICK

TROUTRAGEOUS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TROUT


Finally, I really need to thank the "old-timers". That moniker sounds a little strange when you stop and think that it's only been a year and a half that I've been on-line and writing this blog, but they all feel like old friends. Kenny at KENNY's GREAT OUTDOORS, Mel at BLOG CABIN ANGLER, Lizzy at FROM THE FISHERBABE, and Owl at WANDERING OWL OUTSIDE have become more than just blogs to read - they've become friends.

It's strange how things evolve. Thanks for reading.

Wolfy

Pheasant hunting in March

Yes, the general pheasant season has been closed for months. But the season is still open on licensed Hunt Clubs. We have a corporate membership at a local club, and I had a customer out on Thursday to enjoy a day in the field.

Let me start by saying this is NOT intended to be a post to open up the proverbial can of worms that exists between wild bird hunters and hunt club users. Hunting wild birds on public land is completely different, if for no other reason than the state imposed bag limits. Hunt clubs are more geared toward shooting rather than hunting. When you go out hunting on public land, you may or may not even see any legal game, let alone shoot any. On a Hunt Club environment, seeing birds is not in question; nor is getting shots. But a well run and well designed club offers a great day in the field, nonetheless.

And that is the point of this post. The club we belong to is run as well as any I have ever visited. We hunt alternating strips of standing corn and dense pine trees, with woodlots and creek bottoms interspersed throughout the property. Some birds flush wildly, some sit tight, and some run. It is a very satisfying day in the field. On this particular trip, we had some huns, too (Hungarian Partridge). These little buggers fly fast and low and are more challenging than the pheasants, at least for me. Kick in the conditions - 26 degrees with a stiff NW wind - and they can be a tough target.

As always, we had a lot of fun, walked a long way in the 4" - 6" of snow, and shot a lot of birds. I shot unusually well on this hunt, although I'm sure I'll come back to earth the next time out. I thought I would show a few pictures to show the way the club is set up. It really is a great place for bird hunting.




Good looking mixed habitat




Field edges




The intended quarry


(NOTE - on all the photos I post, you should be able to click on them to see a larger picture)

An old dog, learning new tricks

That old dog would be me. With an upcoming birthday, I'm beginning to actually feel old these days. Not to worry - it's probably just the never-ending winter.

The new trick I picked up recently comes from a new member of my Blog Roll - Outdoors with Butch. It involves editing your photos.

I've only recently started following Butch's site, but it is very apparent that he is a keen observer and photographer of the world around him. And he does something I plan to do in the coming months. He takes a photo, edits and crops the original, and saves the new photo as a separate picture while maintaining the unaltered original. I, on the other hand, take a photo, edit it, and save the changes, having only the new, edited version, and losing the original. Butch posts both the original photo and the edited, cropped version on his blog, showing both the before and after of the picture. I really like the way that looks on his blog, and plan to do the same on mine.

Thank you, Butch.

I occasionally do the same, but it's only by luck that I have both the before-and-after shots of my favorite picture.

The photo below is one of my favorites, and the one I'm speaking of. It was taken almost 2 years ago in Panama, and was absolute luck. My buddy was fighting a big black marlin, and I was holding up my digital and just snapping pictures in the general vicinity of the fish. I probably took 20 shots. Almost all were worthless. Then, toward the end of the string of photos, was a picture with the tail of the fish re-entering the water. Oh well - at least we got something. On the next picture, this was in the upper right hand corner of the photo. I cropped it and got a great photo. Well, it might not be great, but I like it!




The first photo, with just a hint of a marlin in it




The Lucky Picture




The final product


MORAL OF THE STORY: Take LOTS of pictures. Some will be memorable!

What in the world is this????

I saw this strange, unfamiliar "stuff" today on the way to work, and actually had my camera along. I took a picture, and proceeded to go to work.

It bothered me all day - what was this stuff??



When I got home, I saw more of it - in my front yard, no less. OMG - could it be ???


GRASS. Ugly, brown, beaten down by the weight of 2 months of snow, but grass nonetheless



Spring might ACTUALLY come this year!!

Shedd Aquarium

I just heard on the news that there is now snow on the ground in 49 states. We're all sick of it, as has been well documented in many blogs. So - what do you do when you want to fish, but winter won't let you? You go to LOOK AT fish! So we went to John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on Thursday.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Shedd, it is a very large Aquarium located right along Lake Michigan, on Museum Campus in Chicago. Museum Campus consists of Shedd, the Field Museum of Natural History, and Adler Planetarium. Right next door is Soldier Field.

We really enjoy going to the Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, and Brookfield Zoo when we get a chance. We ended up picking the nicest day in the last couple of weeks and I hope some of the pictures convey that. I took my new camera along to try to figure it out. So far, I like it. The issues I had were inherent to taking any pictures at the Shedd. You are asked to not use flash, so you are reliant on low light, have to shoot the pictures through glass and water, and deal with slow shutter speeds. Not a winning combination. But I tried!

A lot of the fish are reef fish whose name I didn't get, but they are intriguing. The Aquarium was not full on Thursday, and we could stay at the tanks as long as we wanted without getting jostled and pushed along. You can really observe the fishes habits this way.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.




Exterior of Shedd Aquarium, with the Chicago skyline behind.




Entrance to Shedd Aquarium




A school of little catfish




Jellyfish under a blue light




Stonefish




A neat little fish




Japanese spider crab




I think these are called Garden Eels




Seahorses




Green Iguana - much nicer photo quality when you don't have to shoot through glass




Even the light fixtures are aquatic themed!

Illinois Earthquake

Guess what? Illinois had an earthquake last night. Nothing like the tremors felt regularly on the West coast, but a seismic event nonetheless. 3.9 of the Richter scale. The epicenter was about 35 miles NNW of where I live. At 4:00 AM, I woke to a noticeably shaking house. Did something hit the house?? It felt like a train was rumbling by, just outside the house. But there are no tracks nearby.

We sustained no damage. Some of the people at work who live a little closer had some pictures fall off the walls.

It was sort of interesting since I had only experienced one other similar sized quake, and that was about 30 years ago. I do know one thing, though - I have no desire to experience a BIG quake.

OBS Challenge - getting people outside more often

Kristine issued a challenge to all the Outdoor Blogger Summit members to write a post on their blogs encouraging people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. At face value, this should be a simple Challenge, but, for me, it was not. Hopefully, I'll explain it better as you read on.

The news world is full of sobering statistics about the population in general, and our youth in particular, when it comes to our generally unhealthy living habits. Our children are growing up as veritable couch-slugs, addicted to video games, with deplorable diets. The adult population isn't much better, if at all. So, the obvious answer is to get outside, enjoy the beauty that is our natural environment, get the exercise that goes along with it, and live more healthy lives. All of what I've just said is true and, for the most part, inarguable.

I like to think that the blog articles I post (and this applies to ALL our posts) are, in some way, enticements for people to explore the natural world. When I read Wandering Owl's blogpost about walking in woods on a snowy day, reading the tracks in the snow, and spotting a streamside mink - I want to get out and do the same. Same with Murphyfish as he meanders through Wales with Lucy. Lizzy's preparation for her upcoming pike trip got me to go through some of my tackle and prepare for the coming year myself. When I actually get out of the house and get a chance to fish, I 'd like to think that my posts have the same effect on my readers. In some ways I liken our blogs in the same light I view the writings of Travel Writers - I'll read what they have to say about some locale, be it local or exotic, and dream of going there myself. Sometimes, I actually get there. I feel the same when I read all of your blog posts. We are ALL an enticement to get outdoors.

I DO love to take newcomers, be they kids or adults, fishing for the first time. I've written about it, and look forward to doing more of it in the coming months. I believe these experiences do have a positive effect on the people I take out fishing. For some, it might be the beginning a life long appreciation of the Outdoors.

When my son was active in Cub Scouts, I used to take the Den out to the ponds each year to fish and cook hot dogs. It was an annual highlight for a lot of the kids.

There are certainly areas that I could be much more active, and probably attract more people to the Outdoors. I do not volunteer or participate in the local clubs. My excuse is that I simply don't have the time (My job has me traveling almost every week, so the time at home is filled with all the requirements of the family) Still, if the priority was high enough, I'd make time to do more.

So - why is this Challenge such a problem for me?? To put it simply, I feel like what I do on the blog is simply preaching to the choir.

Who comes to view my (our) blog? Other like-minded Outdoorsman. People who already understand the benefits and beauty of being outside. People who may need an occasional boost to get outside (like me) but they inherently get it. My consternation comes from the fact that what I do - for the most part -is with like minded individuals. If I was really going to make a difference - have an effect on the people who DO NOT go outside, and have no inclination to do so - I would be recruiting from a completely different pool of people. Rather than being the featured speaker at a banquet with 150 fly fishermen - which I did last year - I would seek out venues that are attended by people curious about the outdoors, but who have no idea where to start. And, in order to do this, it takes a dedicated effort, and, I believe, more time. Something I'm sadly lacking in.

If our blogs are truly enticements to experience the wonders of the outdoors, then I need to make a real effort to expand my readership, into other areas of the blogsphere. I'm sure there are ways to do this, but I have no clue about how to go about it. Probably just trial and error, something I need to explore more in the coming year. Got ideas for me?? Send 'em my way!

So, while I LIVE for my time outdoors, and try to spread the word wherever I can, this particular challenge brings to light the fact that, if I'm really going to make a difference, I need to expand my audience. I need to go to THEM, rather than continue preaching to the proverbial choir.

This won't be a quick fix by any means, but it seems to have firmly latched onto a space in my brain. Hopefully I'll be able to do something this year to attract people to experience the Outdoors, people who would otherwise never had considered it. If I'm successful in my quest, I'll let everyone know. And I certainly welcome any suggestions from my readers. We all have a love of the outdoors, and I'm sure there are outstanding ideas out there waiting to be shared. Feel free to share them with me.

So, until I figure out how to reach the masses, I hope you continue to follow me on my journey through life. I have a plan to incorporate a lot more photography into my blog this year, possibly starting a second blog just for the photos. Not that I take good pictures - I just like photography with point-and-shoot cameras. We'll catch some fish along the way, see some new sites. Thanks for the continued companionship as I wander through the woods of life.

Wolfy

Flower pictures

Huh? How do pictures of flowers have anything to do with "Flowing Waters", or fishing in general?

Well, in a roundabout way, they do. My wife and I have always had pretty extensive flower beds and gardens - mostly perennials. She's always loved gardening, and I followed along after we got married. The way I figure it, the garden is still an important part of the ecosystem, so it's really only a step or two away from the aquatic ecosystem I love so much. We plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as multitude of other birds.

Today, when I was moaning about not having anything fresh to post on my blog, she said "Why don't you put up some of the garden pictures you took? They're colorful and will remind everyone that spring WILL come, eventually." We all know that, in the long run, it's better to follow our advice from our wives. So, here are some pics from our garden. Hope you like them.




Columbine, hostas, and the stone rabbit






Vibrant lillies





Overflowing planter



Flowering tree in the front yard




a Hummingbird moth on the butterfly bush




Monarch butterfly




One of the resident toads

Frosty morning in Illinois

I woke up this morning and wondered if I slept for a few days, instead of overnight. When we watched the weather report last night before turning in, it was pretty distinctly calling for a high pressure system to sit over Illinois for the better part of the next week, with little chance of the winter extremes. Yet, when I looked outside, it looked like we had a pretty nice snowfall.

Now, I don't believe the weathermen anymore than the next person, but the maps showed no real clouds, so I was immediately intrigued. After a shower to wake me up, I looked out and figured it out:

Hoarfrost.

It has been pretty mild over the past couple of days - right around 32 degrees. The ground is still snow covered. So, overnight the temps remained steady, and the moisture came from the snow on the ground - fog, if you will. But it was just cold enough to freeze the water vapor on the branches and leaves, and there was a VERY slight breeze, so one side of the trees got more of the accumulating frost than the other.

At least that's my layman's version of how it happened. If you are a meteorologist, or just a weather junkie, feel free to correct me!

Anyway, it looks really nice on the trees, and I tried to take a few pictures. My camera is mediocre at best (a new 13 MP camera is en route, but hasn't arrived yet), so the shots are the best I can do.

Hope you enjoy them.





Pine Tree






Birch tree






Closeup of a frosty pine






Ice crystals on a branch






Icy grass

Figuring Out Winter

I think I've done it - figured out the "Winter Yucks". Well, not really, but I do have a thought as to why it seems like FOREVER from October to March.

My real job - actually working - is VERY hectic in December and January. I am on a 2 week straight road trip right now. That means, when I DO get home , the "Honey Do" list has grown again, leaving precious little, if any, time for outdoor pursuits. In addition to the complete lack of time, winter adventures for me take a little more planning and generally a bigger chunk of time than do the spring, summer , and fall pursuits. As I've detailed numerous times in this blog, lunchtimes getaways to the ponds can do me a world of good. Can't do any ice fishing over lunch, though. So, I end up using these months to plan Summer trips, and remember days past. And acquire new toys for the coming year.

I've got a few trips in the offing for Summer - one for smallmouth bass in Quebec and a possible return to Athabasca in Fall. There is rumor of a Venice LA trip in Spring, but nothing close to definite yet.

So, until I have something decent to post , I'll make do with these type posts, and I'll always through in a few pictures from the past. they help me get through the winter - hopefully they'll do the same for you.




Rocky Mountain National Park trout stream





One of my favorite Utah trout Streams





A small Willamette River Sturgeon - no fly gear on this boat!

Getting through the Winter

I'm starting my 2010 posts with a look back. It's something I do quite a bit in the winter, when I'm stuck indoors, and the spring seems like it will never actually get here. I spend a lot of time looking over pictures of fish and trips from the past years. I was doing that today, and thought it would make a decent first post of the year.

The photos that follow are all from Athabasca this past August, and none are actually fish. Just pictures from the area. I hope you enjoy them.

And, Happy New Year.




A mayfly from Richards Lake






The "Tackle Box" on the inside of the boat - a rope!







A bad looking moose







The best shore lunch spot in the world







A full moon rises over the bay







The shadow of the float plane on the trees below as we left Richards Lake







Mushrooms at shorelunch







How does ANYTHING grow here?








More lunchtime mushrooms







Berries and Lichens







A weather beaten tree on a shorelunch island