Lots of fishermen: a baker’s dozen of blue herons doing their goofy, loping head forward walk in the shallows, a family of mallards, a tern diving [...]]]> When the temperature hits 90° plus, it’s time to ditch the spray skirt.  Head out early, keep to the shadows, and paddle out in the Skokie Lagoons on a hot July day.

Lots of fishermen: a baker’s dozen of blue herons doing their goofy, loping head forward walk in the shallows, a family of mallards, a tern diving for a snack.  A pair of belted kingfishers played tag before starting their fishing expedition.

The cormorants perched high in their leafless tree.  A flock of Canada geese plumped and preened, the surface of the water covered with floating feathers.  One goose stood alone on a log, his head tucked on his back while he slept.  He’d probably be comfortable sleeping on an airplane, too.

No turtles were out sunning–perhaps it was too warm for them.

After two hours, I finally turned back, lamenting the fact that I hadn’t seen my favorite night heron this year at all, nor a green heron.  Miraculously, at that moment a green heron appeared at the water’s edge, biding his time as dragonflies flitting about his head.  It was a wonderful show, the heron walking up and down a log, onto rocks, and finally a quick peck in the water for his breakfast snack. 

Skirtless July day: sweet.

Chicago, IL–It’s tulip time on the Magnificent Mile.  Hundreds of bulbs have already burst into bloom, and views are free.  Beginning May 7, a gorgeous floral carpet of more than 6,000 live tulips and other flowers will climb the stairs from the John Hancock Center [...]]]>

Tulips bloom on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Photo by Laurie Borman

Chicago, IL–It’s tulip time on the Magnificent Mile.  Hundreds of bulbs have already burst into bloom, and views are free.  Beginning May 7, a gorgeous floral carpet of more than 6,000 live tulips and other flowers will climb the stairs from the John Hancock Center Plaza up to North Michigan Ave.. There’s even a stunning pink and yellow tulip named after Mayor Daley’s wife, Tulippa Maggie Daley.  And if all this tulip mania inspires you to buy some for yourself, step up to the vendors at the John Hancock Center flower market, where cut flowers and bulbs will be sold, from Thursday, May 7 through Mother’s Day weekend.  Ah, spring.

Highwood/Highland Park, IL–Bring your binoculars! The birds are back at Ft. Sheridan Forest Preseve in Lake County, IL.  Now is the time to see many species.  The warm weather  brings out red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, robins, crows, of course.  But bare trees mean you can also easily see the red-headed [...]]]>

Birds at Ft. Sheridan. Photo by Laurie Borman

Highwood/Highland Park, IL–Bring your binoculars! The birds are back at Ft. Sheridan Forest Preseve in Lake County, IL.  Now is the time to see many species.  The warm weather  brings out red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, robins, crows, of course.  But bare trees mean you can also easily see the red-headed woodpeckers and broad-winged hawks.  Listen to the sweet sounds of birds on this blue-sky day video.

Oak tree. Photo by Laurie Borman

Deerfield, IL– It’s a sure sign of spring when maple sugar hikes begin at Ryerson Woods.   Jen Berlinghof, an environmental educator at the 552-acre  conservation area owned by the Lake County Forest Preserve District, leads the hikes.  She’s also the manpower behind tapping 35 trees each [...]]]>

Big Mama sugar maple holds two buckets of sap. Photo by Laurie Borman

Deerfield, IL– It’s a sure sign of spring when maple sugar hikes begin at Ryerson Woods.   Jen Berlinghof, an environmental educator at the 552-acre  conservation area owned by the Lake County Forest Preserve District, leads the hikes.  She’s also the manpower behind tapping 35 trees each year, boiling the sap, and making the syrup.  Hikes begin in the green architecture Welcome Center, where families sample sap and syrup, and learn the age-old process.  Then it’s off to the woods.

“We put our arms around the trees, and if our hands don’t reach,  it’s big enough to tap,” says Berlinghof of the 15-in. diameter minimum tree size for tapping.  There seem to be plenty of big sugar maple trees, however, and she points out “Big Mama”, a giant tree with two buckets. 

Hikers see the taps up close, practice hand-drilling into a log, learn how to identify sugar maples by their branches, and even taste test some maple sugar candy.

Two more weekends remain for the hour-long maple syrup hikes, but reservations are suggested.

Chicago, IL–One of the great things about living in a city with serious winter weather is that entertainment kicks into high gear when the weather gets bad.  That’s why February is  Chicago Flamenco Festival.  Last night at the Instituto Cervantes at 31 W. Ohio, Concha Jareño entertained a sold-out crowd with a series [...]]]>

Flavio@Flickr

Chicago, IL–One of the great things about living in a city with serious winter weather is that entertainment kicks into high gear when the weather gets bad.  That’s why February is  Chicago Flamenco Festival.  Last night at the Instituto Cervantes at 31 W. Ohio, Concha Jareño entertained a sold-out crowd with a series of dances, ending in a difficult palo style.  Watch a bit of her style on YouTube or MySpace.  Even if you don’t know much about flamenco (and I don’t) you will be amazed at her moves.  She’s doing another concert tomorrow and Wednesday night at the Instituto Cervantes.  Tickets are $20, $15 for students.  Guitarist Flavio Rodrigues–a Brazilian living in Madrid-and singer Pedro Obregón accompanied her, and their music alone could have made the evening.  Combined with Concha Jareño’s dancing, it was a flamenco afficiando’s dream.

The February Flamenco Festival wraps up on Friday with a free performance at the Instituto Cervantes that features Chicago flamenco trio Idilio, and a lecture/demonstration by Catalina Maria Johnson.

The events were acollaboration of the Instituto Cervantes and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Flamenco Arts Center in Chicago, and Arte y Vida Chicago.

Naper Settlement Museum. Photo by Laurie Borman

Naperville, IL–West of Chicago, Naperville once was the boom town of Illinois. That’s back when you needed to cross a wooden plank toll bridge to get to Chicago. Unfortunately, Napervillians didn’t think the railroad would amount to much, and passed on the [...]]]>

Naperville Riverwalk. Photo by Laurie Borman

Naper Settlement Museum. Photo by Laurie Borman

Naperville, IL–West of Chicago, Naperville once was the boom town of Illinois. That’s back when you needed to cross a wooden plank toll bridge to get to Chicago. Unfortunately, Napervillians didn’t think the railroad would amount to much, and passed on the opportunity to serve as a stop. The world passed Naperville by.

Now you can take a train from downtown Chicago to Naperville. (Yes, they relented on the train stop idea.) I strolled the snowy banks of Riverwalk in downtown Naperville, listened to the carillon, then headed up to see the Naper Settlementthis week. It’s all walkable. Naper Settlement has a wonderful interactive history museum that’s open now, and while you can see the outside of the many historic buildings that make up the Naper Settlement, the buildings aren’t open for visitors.  Check back on March 13 and 14, when trees are tapped for Maple Sugaring Days, and docents will be on site. 

Mmmmm….maple sugar. 

Naper Haight House. Photo by Laurie Borman

Lisle, IL–Little kids, big kids, and adults who wished they were kids turned out to see the dog sledding demonstrations at the Morton Arboretum today.  (The dogs will also be there tomorrow, Jan. 31,  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)  Adopt A Husky brought out several Siberian [...]]]>

Dog sledding at Morton Arboretum. Photo by Laurie Borman

Lisle, IL–Little kids, big kids, and adults who wished they were kids turned out to see the dog sledding demonstrations at the Morton Arboretum today.  (The dogs will also be there tomorrow, Jan. 31,  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)  Adopt A Husky brought out several Siberian huskies that are available for adoption, and the Adopt A Husky folks let kids of all ages pet the dogs.  They also deomonstrated skijoring (being pulled by a dog while on cross-country skis) and dog sledding.  Since the snow barely covered the ground, the teams moved from sleds early in the day to tri-cycle-like contraptions called rigs for the later demos. 

 The Husky Days event at the Morton Aboretum has been going on for five years, with a Winterfest event before that.  It’s a great way to get people out among the trees and enjoy the winter, according to Gina Tedesco of the Morton Arboretum.

The dogs were remarkably calm, and seemed to enjoy all the attention of the children.  Huskies are very pack oriented and the more people, the more dogs, the happier they are, says  Noel Dagley, the treasurer of Adopt A Husky, and an organizer for the event.  She and her husband Mike got their first husky, Maverick, 13 years ago.  He still races with them.  Noting the quiet behavior, she said, “This all goes out the window once they see the first dog get hooked up.  Then they will erupt.”  And sure enough, when the handlers start hitching up the sleds, the dogs howl on cue.

Visitors also enjoyed a movie, “Iditerod, the Last Great Race”, and a talk by Carol Preble, who came with her Siberian husky, Arrow, that ran in the Iditerod.  The race commemorates a 674-mile relay race from Anchorage to Nome that brought diptheria serum in -50F weather in 1925.  Preble talked about Arrow’s role in the race, and showed a series of photos detailing the race, even the “dog parking lots” where the teams rest at checkpoints.  (The 2010 Iditerod begins March 13.)

If you come out, steel yourself, because you’ll want to adopt your own husky once you see the startling blue-eyed creatures in action.

Husky. Photo by Laurie Borman

Harnessed up. Photo by Laurie Borman