The Age Of Discovery
Yesterday, somewhat on a whim (i.e. planning it the night before) we went to an arboretum nearby. We have driven past the place a hundred times. It is oddly stuck amongst the old farmhouses, near new subdivisions and really somewhat hidden off the beaten path. We'd toyed with just getting a membership but I figured we should probably check it out first.
It was another of my perfect spring mornings. Having rained all night the moisture hung in the air, and on the ground. The temp was ever so slightly humid, but cool. And gray clouds and a thick fog hung over everything. No better weather to go for a morning walk in.
The place opens at 8:00, but we were there at 7:57 of course... after already trying to kill 20 minutes before that. It looked like we may have been the first people there, certainly since the girl working the gate only just pulled in before we did. I think I read members can go in early, but I need to look into it once we get the membership.
The place was huge and as the Sparrow pointed out, all the trails were mainly grass or wood mulch which means the number of joggers, baby strollers and yuppies would likely be far less than I was used to in the city or even at the forest preserve near my old house. There were little annoying touches that places do to try to draw in the suburban crowd like dozens of "fairy houses" made out of logs or this whole outdoor train display (which we did not pay extra for).
Overall though the place looked quite aged as far as the direction signs and information kiosk things. A good sign as far as I was concerned. I don't think we even saw another human being until we'd been there 45 minutes or so.
I'd brought the binoculars and was glad I did so because we had several really cool bird sightings. Neither of is had ever seen an Eastern bluebird before, and we saw two pretty quickly after arriving. We also saw a Common Yellowthroat and dozens, if not hundreds, of tree swallows. All birds I'd never seen in my life outside of pictures. I am sure we heard even more that we didn't see as far as ones we'd not ever seen. The place was just full of birds. It was really fun to walk around looking for them, pulling out the guide I have trying to identify them. Just an incredible experience.
It got me excited too knowing this place is really only about ten minutes from our house and if we put up the proper nesting boxes and possibly the right kind of native shrubs and such we could likely attract many of these same birds. I read the swallows in particular are supposed to be easy to attract with nesting boxes.
The plantings there looking pretty amazing too, though it is only Spring so many of the native plants were only just mounds of leaves on the ground just yet. One field we were in had hundreds of Rattlesnack Master coming up. I'd never seen that many at any forest preserve or the botanical gardens up north. The place must be spectacular in the summer. I am betting fall there is great too.
It felt so good to be in nature like that. Our property is fairly natural, but it is not the same as being in the woods and open fields where you can see nothing but green all around and not a person in site. I feel like the place probably doesn't get too crazy as far as the presence of people goes. But, they do try doing concerts and crap like that to draw in the yuppies. I guess the key would be to just avoid such days if we go back.
I've felt like I needed a place like this around here and I feel good about returning in the future to get my nature fix. We'll likely get that membership online today. And they are doing a native plant sale, which we may buy a few things from to pick up next week. I could have spent hours there, and wish we did.
It's off to the suburbs to my mom's soon for Mother's Day. With the dread of work hanging over me the rest of today. Yesterday around 6:00 I got a text from this one guy who nitpicks constantly about "the cost" of me helping him and his company, during regular business hours. Yet, he will contact me after hours and on the weekend with no concern about interrupting me, wanting me to fix the inane issues only he seems to have.
His latest is his home printer. It seems that he can only send on print job to the thing, and then it shows as offline (even though the printer is still online, accessible through the web interface and the IP is pingable). Yet, the only way he can print again is to reboot. At which point he can only print one job and it shows as offline again.
I don't know why the fuck it is happening. But of course, it will be my job to figure out this stupid and completely random issue. He gets all flustered because I cannot figure things out for him in literally 60 seconds. If you're so smart, YOU figure it out.
I hate working. I've always hated it, I always will. Doesn't matter if it is the worst job imaginable (which I have had) or if I work for a great boss who cares about his employees and wants the best for all of us (which I do now). I just hate work. Nothing can ever change that attitude and I accept that now. It is a cancer.
It was another of my perfect spring mornings. Having rained all night the moisture hung in the air, and on the ground. The temp was ever so slightly humid, but cool. And gray clouds and a thick fog hung over everything. No better weather to go for a morning walk in.
The place opens at 8:00, but we were there at 7:57 of course... after already trying to kill 20 minutes before that. It looked like we may have been the first people there, certainly since the girl working the gate only just pulled in before we did. I think I read members can go in early, but I need to look into it once we get the membership.
The place was huge and as the Sparrow pointed out, all the trails were mainly grass or wood mulch which means the number of joggers, baby strollers and yuppies would likely be far less than I was used to in the city or even at the forest preserve near my old house. There were little annoying touches that places do to try to draw in the suburban crowd like dozens of "fairy houses" made out of logs or this whole outdoor train display (which we did not pay extra for).
Overall though the place looked quite aged as far as the direction signs and information kiosk things. A good sign as far as I was concerned. I don't think we even saw another human being until we'd been there 45 minutes or so.
I'd brought the binoculars and was glad I did so because we had several really cool bird sightings. Neither of is had ever seen an Eastern bluebird before, and we saw two pretty quickly after arriving. We also saw a Common Yellowthroat and dozens, if not hundreds, of tree swallows. All birds I'd never seen in my life outside of pictures. I am sure we heard even more that we didn't see as far as ones we'd not ever seen. The place was just full of birds. It was really fun to walk around looking for them, pulling out the guide I have trying to identify them. Just an incredible experience.
It got me excited too knowing this place is really only about ten minutes from our house and if we put up the proper nesting boxes and possibly the right kind of native shrubs and such we could likely attract many of these same birds. I read the swallows in particular are supposed to be easy to attract with nesting boxes.
The plantings there looking pretty amazing too, though it is only Spring so many of the native plants were only just mounds of leaves on the ground just yet. One field we were in had hundreds of Rattlesnack Master coming up. I'd never seen that many at any forest preserve or the botanical gardens up north. The place must be spectacular in the summer. I am betting fall there is great too.
It felt so good to be in nature like that. Our property is fairly natural, but it is not the same as being in the woods and open fields where you can see nothing but green all around and not a person in site. I feel like the place probably doesn't get too crazy as far as the presence of people goes. But, they do try doing concerts and crap like that to draw in the yuppies. I guess the key would be to just avoid such days if we go back.
I've felt like I needed a place like this around here and I feel good about returning in the future to get my nature fix. We'll likely get that membership online today. And they are doing a native plant sale, which we may buy a few things from to pick up next week. I could have spent hours there, and wish we did.
It's off to the suburbs to my mom's soon for Mother's Day. With the dread of work hanging over me the rest of today. Yesterday around 6:00 I got a text from this one guy who nitpicks constantly about "the cost" of me helping him and his company, during regular business hours. Yet, he will contact me after hours and on the weekend with no concern about interrupting me, wanting me to fix the inane issues only he seems to have.
His latest is his home printer. It seems that he can only send on print job to the thing, and then it shows as offline (even though the printer is still online, accessible through the web interface and the IP is pingable). Yet, the only way he can print again is to reboot. At which point he can only print one job and it shows as offline again.
I don't know why the fuck it is happening. But of course, it will be my job to figure out this stupid and completely random issue. He gets all flustered because I cannot figure things out for him in literally 60 seconds. If you're so smart, YOU figure it out.
I hate working. I've always hated it, I always will. Doesn't matter if it is the worst job imaginable (which I have had) or if I work for a great boss who cares about his employees and wants the best for all of us (which I do now). I just hate work. Nothing can ever change that attitude and I accept that now. It is a cancer.