Bee. Earl Grey. Hot.
Oct. 9th, 2012 02:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
acmespaceshipYes, I know Wild Bergamot is a different plant than the Bergamot Orange used to flavor tea. Work with me here.
After the cut: "Confusing Fall Warblers," one herp, a folk band in hell, a pair of Royal Douches, good Arabic food and a turtle sundae. Also a field report on the feeding habits of the Silver-Headed Oak Park Foodie foraging in the desolate wilds of the SW suburbs.
The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is located in SW Cook County on Longjohn Slough in the Palos Hills forest preserves. There are hiking trails, ponds, bits of prairie and savannah, and new-growth forest. I go there for the frogs. It was too cold and too late in the season for frogs last Sunday, but a girl can hope. And so we headed south to the LRS with a camera and a plan to end up at Chuck's BBQ for the Bears Game special (20% off). Because hiking is nice, but Mexican pot roast is even better.
As we approached the LRS, we saw an arts & crafts show had taken over the areas immediately around the center. After briefly considering whether to sound the "Abandon Plans! Get Out!" alarm, we opted to followed the signs and park district employees that directed us to park at Pioneer Woods and ride a shuttle bus back to the center. With all this infrastructure we expected a lot of attendees and a lot of vendor booths... and found neither. I can be nice and assume that things were hopping earlier in the weekend, but by mid-afternoon Sunday there was one guy carving logs with a chainsaw (exiled far away from the rest of the exhibitors) and a bunch of lackluster suncatchers and bead jewelry and dried flowers. Girl Scouts selling hot dogs and popcorn. A trio of guitarists singing Blue Moon of Kentucky into not-very-good microphones and playing for an almost-empty picnic grove. The same trio was still there an hour later, attempting Stand By Me for an empty audience. I have played that gig in my nightmares, but these poor bastards were living it.
For this they disturb the frogs?
Happily, 1/8 mile down the footpaths, the music and crowds thinned out. We knew a lot of people would be walking the paths on a nice October Sunday anyway. No serious birding could take place with all these people, not that I do serious birding. But out there flitting around on the lily pads... what are those?
Since we neglected to bring binoculars, and I have not ponied up the $$$$ for a telephoto lens, we could not ID the birds onsite. The above photo has been cropped up the wazoo and (along with several other shots) it confirms we were watching Yellow-Rumped Warblers. Which the Internet tells me are common around here in the fall. And they will eat anything, anywhere. A half-dozen working the lily pads is probably a big snooze to actual birders. But I think it's neat. The same warblers also worked the trails, looking for popcorn, and they were not disappointed.
Something bright landed in the brush and turned out to be (again relying on the Internet which never lies) a Common Yellowthroat. The black shadow on its head in the photo below is just that: a shadow, not black markings, although the grey part around the eyes and down the side of the head appears to be real, which means this is probably/maybe a male in fall plumage. The Common Yellowthroat is a type of warbler but not to be confused with the Yellow-Throated Warbler which is entirely different. Birders. Sheesh. There is a classic birding book with a two-page spread titled "Confusing Fall Warblers." I can confuse a cat, but not a warbler. I'm glad I got this photo because my memory of "sorta green on top and something yellow below" would not have gotten me far.
It being October and chilly, there were indeed no frogs out for my amusement. I had hoped for a snake -- E_M_B spotted a lovely young black racer here once. And to my enduring shame, I saw a garter snake sticking its head out of the water on that same trip, decided "that stick sure looks like a snake, but I won't try to point it out to my husband or son because it's probably just a stick and it'll be next to impossible to show them which of the several dozen sticks I'm talking about anyway" and watched helplessly while the "stick" suddenly curved its head back down into the water and swam away. Last Sunday there were no swimming garters, no rustles under the leaves, nothing. There remained one last best hope... and on a log I found him. So my day would not be a total waste with only birds and insects and ground squirrels to show for it.
I should've used manual focus. Or certain GIMP plugins. But I haven't gone to town with the photo edits yet, these are just Picasa crops. That bumblebee is straight out of the Panasonic G1, auto settings. These kids today.
We left by way of the new Nature Center building, which has a few nice captive snakes but they don't count. We continued past the chainsaw carvings to the shuttle bus and on to Chuck's. Which is often packed and it's hard to find space in their parking lot. Trapped behind a lineup of three vulturing cars, we watched someone pull out of a space only to have two people on foot (one of them carrying a baby) walk into the space and stand there while using their cell phones to CALL somebody. Who showed up two minutes later to take the space. Honestly? You send the baby out there? I mean, we won't use the valet parking either, but come on. I considered taking a photo of these Royal F*ing Douches in their fall plumage but decided against it. SW Side Bears fans are not to be trusted. Mexican pot roast be damned, we weren't gonna eat with these people. And we had noticed a Lindys/Gertie's down Harlem.
Now this is how the Oak Park Foodie forages in the wild: The mated pair notices a Lindys/Gertie's and remembers its location for later. After being thwarted in its efforts to feed at its normal feeding grounds, it retraces its steps, parks the car, and approaches the Lindys/Gertie's, where the Foodie's sensitive olfactory glands notice the smell of grilled meat; a smell not normally associated with Lindy's chili. The Foodies notice a sign on the door:
"Please park on the east side of the lot. Parking on the west side is for Al Bawadi."
The female Foodie instantly steps back from the door and looks west, spotting an Arabic restaurant she has never seen before. Within seconds and with only a nod for communication, both Foodies move west and enter the new restaurant. They consume much food, both vegetarian platter and mixed shawarma, decide it is very good although not cheap, pay up, and remember the location for later. The menu has a mixed seafood grill for five people and the Foodies resolve to include three more Foodies in their flock next time.
Then the Foodies place leftovers in the trunk of their car and enter Lindys/Gertie's. Because it's not nice to abandon a restaurant unless you come right back. The turtle sundae was in honor of their one herp of the day. They had to do it. Twist my arm. At last, the Foodies return home to their nest, where small carnivores await them. The small carnivores will complain about the lack of fall warblers in the dining room and settle for Friskies again.
After the cut: "Confusing Fall Warblers," one herp, a folk band in hell, a pair of Royal Douches, good Arabic food and a turtle sundae. Also a field report on the feeding habits of the Silver-Headed Oak Park Foodie foraging in the desolate wilds of the SW suburbs.
The Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center is located in SW Cook County on Longjohn Slough in the Palos Hills forest preserves. There are hiking trails, ponds, bits of prairie and savannah, and new-growth forest. I go there for the frogs. It was too cold and too late in the season for frogs last Sunday, but a girl can hope. And so we headed south to the LRS with a camera and a plan to end up at Chuck's BBQ for the Bears Game special (20% off). Because hiking is nice, but Mexican pot roast is even better.
As we approached the LRS, we saw an arts & crafts show had taken over the areas immediately around the center. After briefly considering whether to sound the "Abandon Plans! Get Out!" alarm, we opted to followed the signs and park district employees that directed us to park at Pioneer Woods and ride a shuttle bus back to the center. With all this infrastructure we expected a lot of attendees and a lot of vendor booths... and found neither. I can be nice and assume that things were hopping earlier in the weekend, but by mid-afternoon Sunday there was one guy carving logs with a chainsaw (exiled far away from the rest of the exhibitors) and a bunch of lackluster suncatchers and bead jewelry and dried flowers. Girl Scouts selling hot dogs and popcorn. A trio of guitarists singing Blue Moon of Kentucky into not-very-good microphones and playing for an almost-empty picnic grove. The same trio was still there an hour later, attempting Stand By Me for an empty audience. I have played that gig in my nightmares, but these poor bastards were living it.
For this they disturb the frogs?
Happily, 1/8 mile down the footpaths, the music and crowds thinned out. We knew a lot of people would be walking the paths on a nice October Sunday anyway. No serious birding could take place with all these people, not that I do serious birding. But out there flitting around on the lily pads... what are those?
Since we neglected to bring binoculars, and I have not ponied up the $$$$ for a telephoto lens, we could not ID the birds onsite. The above photo has been cropped up the wazoo and (along with several other shots) it confirms we were watching Yellow-Rumped Warblers. Which the Internet tells me are common around here in the fall. And they will eat anything, anywhere. A half-dozen working the lily pads is probably a big snooze to actual birders. But I think it's neat. The same warblers also worked the trails, looking for popcorn, and they were not disappointed.
Something bright landed in the brush and turned out to be (again relying on the Internet which never lies) a Common Yellowthroat. The black shadow on its head in the photo below is just that: a shadow, not black markings, although the grey part around the eyes and down the side of the head appears to be real, which means this is probably/maybe a male in fall plumage. The Common Yellowthroat is a type of warbler but not to be confused with the Yellow-Throated Warbler which is entirely different. Birders. Sheesh. There is a classic birding book with a two-page spread titled "Confusing Fall Warblers." I can confuse a cat, but not a warbler. I'm glad I got this photo because my memory of "sorta green on top and something yellow below" would not have gotten me far.
It being October and chilly, there were indeed no frogs out for my amusement. I had hoped for a snake -- E_M_B spotted a lovely young black racer here once. And to my enduring shame, I saw a garter snake sticking its head out of the water on that same trip, decided "that stick sure looks like a snake, but I won't try to point it out to my husband or son because it's probably just a stick and it'll be next to impossible to show them which of the several dozen sticks I'm talking about anyway" and watched helplessly while the "stick" suddenly curved its head back down into the water and swam away. Last Sunday there were no swimming garters, no rustles under the leaves, nothing. There remained one last best hope... and on a log I found him. So my day would not be a total waste with only birds and insects and ground squirrels to show for it.
I should've used manual focus. Or certain GIMP plugins. But I haven't gone to town with the photo edits yet, these are just Picasa crops. That bumblebee is straight out of the Panasonic G1, auto settings. These kids today.
We left by way of the new Nature Center building, which has a few nice captive snakes but they don't count. We continued past the chainsaw carvings to the shuttle bus and on to Chuck's. Which is often packed and it's hard to find space in their parking lot. Trapped behind a lineup of three vulturing cars, we watched someone pull out of a space only to have two people on foot (one of them carrying a baby) walk into the space and stand there while using their cell phones to CALL somebody. Who showed up two minutes later to take the space. Honestly? You send the baby out there? I mean, we won't use the valet parking either, but come on. I considered taking a photo of these Royal F*ing Douches in their fall plumage but decided against it. SW Side Bears fans are not to be trusted. Mexican pot roast be damned, we weren't gonna eat with these people. And we had noticed a Lindys/Gertie's down Harlem.
Now this is how the Oak Park Foodie forages in the wild: The mated pair notices a Lindys/Gertie's and remembers its location for later. After being thwarted in its efforts to feed at its normal feeding grounds, it retraces its steps, parks the car, and approaches the Lindys/Gertie's, where the Foodie's sensitive olfactory glands notice the smell of grilled meat; a smell not normally associated with Lindy's chili. The Foodies notice a sign on the door:
"Please park on the east side of the lot. Parking on the west side is for Al Bawadi."
The female Foodie instantly steps back from the door and looks west, spotting an Arabic restaurant she has never seen before. Within seconds and with only a nod for communication, both Foodies move west and enter the new restaurant. They consume much food, both vegetarian platter and mixed shawarma, decide it is very good although not cheap, pay up, and remember the location for later. The menu has a mixed seafood grill for five people and the Foodies resolve to include three more Foodies in their flock next time.
Then the Foodies place leftovers in the trunk of their car and enter Lindys/Gertie's. Because it's not nice to abandon a restaurant unless you come right back. The turtle sundae was in honor of their one herp of the day. They had to do it. Twist my arm. At last, the Foodies return home to their nest, where small carnivores await them. The small carnivores will complain about the lack of fall warblers in the dining room and settle for Friskies again.
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Date: 2012-10-09 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-10-10 08:06 pm (UTC)