Fast Food: When Chasing Your Dinner Gets Old

The Hunter Mentality

The Hunter by N.C. Wyeth: Hunting for food - a necessity

From a taxidermy business web site: hunting for sport - not a necessity

Seeing videos of hunters gunning down buffalo at Yellowstone during during the winter of 2007-2008 was an event that got me to wondering even more about hunters and why they shoot animals. I also have a couple of friends who are hunters, one of whom says he feels closer to nature when hunting, like when he bagged moose in Canada (Geez, can't you just observe wildlife and appreciate nature?). Anyway, this moose slayer referred to the book Heartsblood: Hunting, Spirituality, and Wildness in America by David Petersen. I now own a copy and have been poring through its pages. This is an enlightening read for me, and though only about a third of the way through the book, I have some new perspectives on hunters and anti-hunters (myself the latter). Maybe by the time I finish reading Heartsblood I will understand better why grown men act like little kids when gunning down wildlife on hunting programs such as those on ESPN. More on this later.

Earth Day: A Little Peace and Quiet Needed

The Red Tide Rolls

Red Chief hoists his trophy after the final game of the YMCA basketball league last Saturday. He likes to get that hardware.

I must admit, Ethan was the best dribbler on his team. Opponents trembled when the Red Chief, with his signature long locks, made his stealthlike moves down the court.

Mixing it up with the competition. The Red Storm rises.

Team photo: Seven-year-olds will be seven-year-olds.

What Would You Do?

Mountain lions, or cougars, have been spotted in Illinois, entering the state from Wisconsin and Missouri. These sightings have been few and far between, though, and most have been without foundation. The TV spot below and THIS recent article may get you thinking. What a story! A magnificent animal just trying to survive. This is why I carry Cat Chow and a rubber mouse. Nice kitty.

Guess Who? The Horns of the Bull

With buffalo hat and bullhorn, I managed to avoid becoming roadkill as thousands of runners came at me during the inaugural Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana this past Saturday. I was at a very busy intersection in the middle of campus (Wright and Green) while helping with traffic control and cheering on runners. This was snapped by a News-Gazette photographer. Should have attached a "Save the Yellowstone Buffalo" sign on the huge hat.

A Story That Needs to be Told

Monday, April 13. Mark your calendar for the premier of the PBS series "We Shall Remain," which promises to be one of the best documentaries about Native Americans. The WEBSITE for the series is loaded with good features and info. I'm especially glad to learn that Native Americans had plenty of input in the documentation and filming of the series.

Something New

I thought I would dive in and change the appearance of "Adventures" just a bit, as you can see. Gotta love that quote on the right by Crowfoot.

Mondays Can Bring Out the Grouch