Give Us A Little Kiss

Latest Snap of Princess and Red Chief

Buffalo Brew Ha Ha

After a 6-mile run through campus last night I went to Murphys' Pub to have a beer with fellow buffaloes. Being "under the influence" of a rowdy group, before I knew it one beer turned into three and a full meal of laughter. Bison present: Devil Dawg, Cousin Don, One Beer Mudless, the Mechanic, Jay Pineapple, the Cable Guy, and the Ultra Turtle. Jay admitted to being a beefier buffalo thanks to work on his thesis and no running, but soon we'll be calling him Dr. Pineapple. Conspicuously absent: Scarface.

Powow with Red Chief tonight. I'll be preparing buffalo fodder of spaghetti for the little bison. Being only four years old, Red Chief will probably live up to his name when spaghetti sauce coats his face.

Moonlight on Ice

Although the herd turnout was not as pictured above (only 4 showed), the 81st edition of the ongoing full moon run last night at Buffalo Trace trail was worth the drive to Mahomet. An almost cloudlesss sky and very bright moon lit up the ice-coated tree branches and grass, making all appear as glass. I ran the five miles with fellow buffalo Devil Dawg, the faithful mut of the herd. One can only hope now for ice and snow for the Riddle Run, my favorite running event, which will be held at the end of January. I'll have plenty of photos of that event to post.

Why I Run Trails

Saturday, December 2, 7:15 a.m. Buffalo Trace Trail, Mahomet. 15 degrees, sunny. I have seen this trail wear many coats, but none more eye-pleasing than Saturday's ice trimmed with snow. Spectacular. Nippy 5-mile run though. The herd will have a full-moon run out there tonight, which I hope to do.

Winter . . . Gotta Love It

Had the alarm set for 4:20 this morning to run with the Iron Bison (buddy Bruce Rodgers) at Buffalo Trace Trail in Mahomet. Hoped to be running in a nice snow, but 39 degrees and rain just didn't make it. Bruce calls: "I'm not running in this slop." So, I went back to bed. Hibernation is good at 4:30 a.m. Naturally it starts snowing as I'm getting ready for work. I love running in snow on a trail; there will be plenty of opportunities.

Mystery Solved

Just as I suspected, the incident of the bear being crushed by a grain combine (see Nov. 16 post) happened in northern Wisconsin, not in Illinois. And this is at least the second time this has happened in Wisconsin this fall. The state has a large population of black bears, and this excellent article gives all the details, including a great photo of a momma bear and her cubs in a den. The two bears crushed in their dens by the combines were males, who usually den by themselves.

The Wrath of Red Chief

When Grandpa gets annoying with the camera.

Cat in the Corn: Vegan Feline Caught in the Act

Caught! My cat Maddie is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, as those who know her can attest to. In stealth quickness, she bolted onto the table after a Thanksgiving meal and, amid leftover slices of turkey all around . . . went for the sweet corn. Normally a lover of cooked birds, I cannot explain this behavior. But, it is Maddie, so nuff said.

Thankful Buffaloes

If the first Thanksgiving had been in, say, Pennsylvania instead of Massachusetts, maybe the feast would have featured buffalo, not turkey. The Native Americans in Massachusetts didn't have buffalo, the staple of most other Indians, because herds did not extend that far north. A single 2,000-pound buffalo, though damn difficult to put in the oven, would have yielded leftovers for many meals.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

When ya gotta go . . .

. . . ya gotta go. Four-year-old Red Chief, up from bed and still very sleepy, didn't quite find the bathroom. Off by just a few feet, in his weariness he did find something that sort of resembled a toilet - the dryer. The Princess Mom managed to stop the flow before it became a flood.

Fiction is Funnier than Truth

About the bear in the cornfield posted earlier today (see below). I don't see it as being here. I think the photos were taken in another state, perhaps in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, or Maine, where there are well-established populations of bears. Someone is having fun pretending the bear was in Illinois. The fact that there has been no publicity on this in Illinois is a good clue. In the states that do have black bears, the bears are known to enter cornfields and feast.

Oh Give Me a Home . . . Where the Combines Don't Roam

My first reaction was disbelief when I received these photos from a fellow buffalo runner. Seems an area farmer was combining corn when a wheel dipped into a depression . . . a bear's den, with a black bear inside (top photo shows crushed bear). The farmer who discovered the bear said the Illinois DNR told him to shoot the animal. Black bears have been long gone from Illinois, the closest states having wild black bears being Wisconsin and Arkansas. So how can you explain a black bear in a central Illinois cornfield? I'm still not convinced this is real, that the scene was faked. But, I could be wrong. After all, some strange creatures have been sighted in Illinois, including cougars and armadillos. So how come this black bear encounter didn't make the area news? And no one saw a 300-pound bear (this was a small male) roaming around central Illinois? Black bears are primarily nocturnal, so I suppose it's possible that it could remain undetected. I suspect it escaped from someone's holding pen. Afer all, there are untold numbers of exotic animals that are secretly kept. I hope to find out more.

Elf Murders on Maplecrest Drive

Stumbled-upon
cutesy poem:

"A little elf
Sat in a tree
Painting leaves
To throw at me.

Leaves of yellow
And leaves of red
Came tumbling down
About my head."

I love autumn leaves . . . when they are on the trees. Tired of bagging and tagging dead leaves. I have big trees . . . and an army of elves. No more smokey cremation of leaves as in the past, just silent, rumpled burial in a sack. CSI Champaign: Elves at the morgue. They asked for it.

Holy Harley! Buff & Puff on a Hog Ride to Heaven

Abe on the Big Screen

For years I've been waiting for an accurate and somewhat realistic movie (it is, after all, Hollywood) about the American Civil War, but in vain. Why can't someone put together a meaningful film about the most crucial time in our history? Now that Steven Spielberg has purchased the movie rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, a well-done book about Lincoln and his cabinet and the war, there is hope. Spielberg is careful about historical detail, as evidenced by "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers." He is reportedly working on Indiana Jones 4 right now, but hopes to start filming the Civil War movie in about a year. The script is being written, and Liam Neeson has been tabbed to play Abraham Lincoln, which seems like an excellent choice given Neeson's acting ability and physical similarity to Lincoln (above). Of course Spielberg and Neeson worked together on "Schindler's List."

You don't know Jack . . . but my sister does.

My little sister, who I always call Kid, met and spent three hours last week with Kiefer Sutherland, the Jack Bauer of "24" fame. Being a Chicago radio DJ has its perks. Seems Kiefer was in Chicago promoting a band he likes. The Kid says Kiefer was very nice, personable, down to earth. And when the Kid complained of the cold weather, Kiefer gave her his cashmere scarf and told her to keep it. The Kid says she'll have more stories for me about Kiefer. I haven't gotten into 24, but I have always liked Kiefer as Ace, the "dime store hood" in one of my favorite movies, "Stand by Me." And I'm a huge fan of Kiefer's dad, Donald Sutherland, who has given standout performances as Hawkeye Pierce in the original MASH, and in "Ordinary People." Incidentally, my bro-in-law Norm, radio program director for WXRT-FM in Chicago, sat next to and freely chatted with a pretty well-known guy at an event last year - Russell Crowe. Sheesh.

Mud, Manure, Camo, and Cold in an Indiana Forest

My running shoe and pants at this point show some of the Hoosier mud, but the shoe was often fully encased in mud.

Why I call her Mudless: Kim with my shoe on the left next to her fairly clean shoes. She would go well off the trail to avoid deep mud, but thorns could also be a problem.

Mudless fixed grilled cheese sandwiches and soup at our camp site the night before the run.

Mudless relaxes with a beer and the Wall Street Journal after the run.

Fellow Buffaloes Nancy (left), Wrong Way (Marla), and the Cuz (Don)

If you like prancing around on a cold fall day on a forest trail that has steep ascents snd descents, thick mud and occasional manure churned up by horses, and shoe-drenching creeks, then this was your place -- Owen-Putnam State Forest in southern Indiana. Mudless and I drove down there this past weekend and camped (in the 20s at night) with Devil Dawg. Mudless and I did the 13-mile "fun run," which was tough enough, while other buffaloes did the 50K and 50-mile runs. A large group of self-described local rednecks camped near us and gave us oak firewood and invited us to sit around their campfire, a bonfire actually. I think they consumed most of the beer supply of southern Indiana. The rednecks then played golf the next morning, drunken golf I'll bet, because it was quite a sight to see the cavalcade of tipsy cowboys and their golf clubs and bags enter camp after we had soberly tromped the trail. In the last two miles of my 13-mile run/walk I hooked up with a National Guard recruiter dressed in his camouflage and combat boots. I guess he thought this would be good training. Thirteen miles in combat boots took its toll on him but he was a good running companion.

Road Trip! Sleeping in a Hoosier Freezer

Leaving later today with others of the herd for Owen-Putnam State Forest in Indiana where I'll be doing a 13-mile trail "fun run" as part of an ultra race event. Other Buffaloes are doing 50K and 50-mile distances. And camping out tonight and Saturday night after the run. Plenty of firewood, wine and blankets will get me through it. Trip should present good photo ops in camp and on the trail.

Wildlife in Our Midst

Despite all the steel, concrete, asphalt, bricks, lumber, drywall, and machinery we install on the planet, wildlife still manage to survive and mingle with us despite our invasions of their habitats. One of my buffalo buddies had this to say about a run on the trail at Allerton Park last weekend:

"I was running along the river bottom, a couple hundred yards before we turn to head to the sun singer. A runner ahead of me yells, 'LOOK OUT FOR THE DEER.' I look to my right and see and hear a deer running at full speed -- leaves flying, branches breaking, eyes wide open in a look of total panic -- full speed. This is a huge buck -- I'd guess at least 10 points on his huge rack - a beautiful animal. It crossed the race course about 10-15 feet ahead of me in one giant leap and hit the ground once more before plunging into the river with a giant splash. For a moment I stood in awe - what a sight . . . . a sight I'll never forget."

This is a good account of a buffalo sighting. Nature is magnificent.

Red Chief All Abuzz

Albeit a small group, Red Chief finally met the Buffaloes, including Buffalo icon Devil Dawg, at a post-run dinner at the Mudless house on Halloween. When the four-year-old Red Chief blasted into the party accompanied by his Princess mother, his powers as Buzz Lightyear were aglow when he sniffed out the candy supply. It wasn't long before a sugar jolt and the late hour caught up with the buzzed chief, and the Princess had to unceremoniously carry out the Toy Story warrior amid much protest from the little guy. The Dawg now knows that the Princess and Red Chief are indeed real, and genuine members of the herd.

Booffalo!

Wildlife Watching, Buffalo Beer, and Turtle Fear

Watched a great documentary about bears on the National Geographic channel a couple of nights ago. I certainly knew bears were powerful and resourceful animals, but this really brought it home. And I can't believe I missed the one documentary I've been waiting for for years, one on the Yellowstone buffaloes. This is a new documentary, and can be purchased (which no doubt I will do) here and here. The Trailwood version is a bit longer with more footage. The bear documentary is on again this Saturday and next Wednesday, and the buffalo program is on this Sunday and Nov. 17 (see listings).

And speaking of buffaloes, the Ultra Turtle (aka Buffalo Laura) is shown in her terrapin crown, ready for tonight's buffalo Halloween bash. Appropriate warning signs have been posted in the neighborhood of the herd gathering.

Buffalo Sentenced

Is "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" a "legal" sentence? Yup. Here's the judge.

The Cat is Hungry

"I tawt I taw a puddy tat!
I did! I did taw a puddy tat!
Bad old puddy tat!"
Tigers to take series in six.

Mom and Males and a Puppy Dog Tale

So, Me and Mom and Itchy Brother (bro Bill, better known as Wilhelm) and the Princess and Red Chief and the Timster are all sitting around Ma's place the other night talkin the family talk (Me and Ma draining the wine supply). And I notice some jewelry that Mom is going to polish and I pick up one of the pieces . . . a gold buffalo pin (see photo)! What the . . . ? Mom says it was given to her by her Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman boyfriend when she was on vacation in Canada during college days (her photo is from that era). Getting this collar insignia pin was like receiving a fraternity pin, although it was only a whirlwind 2-week romance. This was all before Mom, a UI Homecoming Queen, fell for a wild fraternity dude who, not long after graduation, became a fighter pilot during World War II. That be Pa.

My son the Timster had photos of his new dog, Ali Baba, so here's the little guy all dressed up in his tuxedo. Ali is still getting accustomed to his new digs, and when Tim comes home Ali gets so excited that he runs and tumbles down the steep stairs.

I Love the Smell of Football in the Morning

That smell . . . that bear breath smell . . . smells like . . . VICTORY! I have seen hundreds of football games, but last night's Chicago Bears victory was the strangest game I have ever witnessed. Big bad Bears still undefeated despite the stench of an awful performance.

Thoughts While Grazing

Big buffalo weekend Oct. 27-29 - Halloween costume party Oct. 27. What am I gonna be? Allerton race Oct. 29 followed by herd gathering at Party Marty and the Sarge's house.

Bit of stressing lately with designs due for Allerton race t-shirt and Mammals of Illinois book cover.

Signed up for Owen-Putnam State Forest 13-mile "fun run" Nov. 4 in Indiana. Did the 31-mile ultra run last year, but this year I just want to camp out the night before to satisfy my campfire addiction and have a good run next morning on a hilly, beautiful course.

Thinking about joining Buffaloes on a trip to the JFK 50-mile run in Maryland/DC area Nov.17-19. Don't want to run that far, just backpack. Since part of the run is on the Appalachian Trail, I could drive out there with members of the herd and maybe do a short 2-day hike on the trail.

With my new camera, I expect to have plenty of photos of "adventures" to post. Don't you hate it when grass gets caught between your teeth?

Happy Hour Request from One of the Herd

"Pssst. Could you put beer in the water trough, please?"

Swine Smile! It's Friday!

Saturday Night with Red Chief

My Saturday nights are usually pretty tame, but sometimes the simple things are the best. While the Princess was out and about, I had a blast with Red Chief last Saturday night as we toasted marshmallows over the fire outside under a full moon. In the cold evening air Red Chief would occasionally leave his chair and blanket to peek at a rising, brilliant moon. "Ooooo" he would always say as he got up every couple of minutes to stare at the night's brilliance all around. The cold air and the late hour eventually snuffed out the energy of the little guy, and a soft couch, warm blanket and pleasant dreams took over.

Smile!

Posted especially for Pokey and the Possum Queen around the corner.

Blue Tuesday

Woke up at 4 a.m. yesterday with a fever and stomach feeling like it was about to launch. Had the fever most of the day, and although a launching never occurred, it was on the verge nearly all day. Stayed in bed most of the day. And to make me feel even worse yesterday, Princess borrowed my car and had another car hit her while she was driving with Red Chief in tow in the back seat. Accident was not her fault. Fortunately, they are fine, but now I'll have to deal with dented car. I've had better days.

Princess, Red Chief and the Timster

Princess gives her son, Red Chief, some feathers.

Princess and her little brother Tim

Buffalo Power!

I invited my kids (daughter Angie, son Tim and grandson Ethan) over last night for an elaborate meal of hot dogs and marshmallows cooked over an open fire. I spared no expense. Actually, I needed willing victims for test shots on my new camera; the food bribe worked.

New Look at a National Scar

Civil War photo of a young black in slavery tatters and
later in freedom as a Union army drummer boy.

Being an American history nut, I was drawn into a short article that appeared in the News-Gazette last week about comedian Bill Cosby seeking funds for the construction of a national slavery museum. Right away I thought, “This will be controversial.” And sure enough, after doing a little digging on the subject, there are pros and cons all over the place for the project, even disagreement among blacks, whose views range from "Get it built" (some saying rich black rappers and athletes should give a fair amount) to "Forget the past, build on what we have now and put the money where it is really needed."

The Gazette article did not mention that the museum was beyond the planning stage, so I was surprised when I came upon an aerial photo of the carving up of a forest along a river in Virginia where the museum is already being built. The slavery museum backers want a museum that is uniquely dedicated to slavery, but perhaps a better place to put the museum would have been as part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is in the planning stages and will be adjacent to the Washington Monument and across the street from the National Museum of American History.

Interestingly, the slavery museum is being built in the middle of historic civil war battlefields near Fredericksburg, Virginia, 50 miles south of Washington, DC.

Mad Dawg: A Bit of Ireland in the Herd

Besides the Devil Dawg, there is another mut in the buffalo herd, the Mad Dawg (Mark Daly). The mad mut is shown above during the Riddle Run (my favorite running event), the annual January "no matter what the weather" run (it was minus 11 degrees one year). In the photo he is carrying his array of international instruments, which includes an Australian didgeridoo and an Irish drum. Out on the trail, Mark entertained the runners as a one-man band. One of the ringleaders of the local "Irish mafia", the Mad Dawg is quite a character and was a regular at our Thursday evening trail runs at Mahomet. When he disclosed last year that he had brain cancer, I was stunned. Mark is a fun-loving, crazed guy, and the bad news hit like a brick in the eye. The Dawg has had his ups and downs in his battle with cancer, but he remains an active runner and biker, and nut case. One tough buffalo.

I ran a 5K race Saturday, the proceeds of which go to help Mark and his family in his cancer fight. It was quite a testament to the Mad Dawg with a good turnout of friends and supporters at the race.

WEEKEND
Football: My beloved Illni and Chicago Bears! What a weekend. Kicked butt.
Photography: Finally bought a digital camera this weekend, so expect many more photos in Tomfoolery.
Backpacking: Itching to take another backpacking trip out east, but don't know if I can make it soon. Would like to go as the leaves turn colors. If not, may go in November. Although it will be chillier, I'll just hunker down and stay by the campfire. Can't wait.