Maples, young and old

Howard the spider

I'd like to introduce you to my friend Howard the spider. He lives in my side mirror, and comes out from behind the glass and onto his ratty web about 20 minutes into my commute. Right around Howard Avenue. He hangs on for dear life, and I always think that I've lost him to the wind, but he is tenacious and has been with me for 3 weeks now. I've never seen him except while driving, and this morning I decided to bring my camera to try to capture him on film (so to speak). Well, in addition to texting while driving, this is probably something you don't want to try at car. But anyway, here he is. Hang in there Howard, hang in there.

Gum Tree

This tree appears to be a parking spot for used gum. From the looks of it, the students at NU have been at it for some time.

H.O.M.E.S.

In primary school we learned the mnemonic for the names of the great lakes, and somehow I assumed everyone did. So when I designed a t-shirt with this logo, it became a quiz for anyone who commented on it: "Do you get it?". Some do, and some don't, and it doesn't seem to matter what part of the country you grew up in.

Biking Chicago

It's true, I'm not the bicyclist I once was. Gone are the commutes from April to November, weather be damned. But, having compounded the interest on my spare tire for several years, I'm determined to return to some semblance of my former Lance. The streets seem different, but I'm not sure if it's the years or my new neighborhood that have made Chicago a friendlier biking experience.

Three weeks of riding has brought back that nagging feeling that a car door is going to cut the trip short. And hearing horror stories about idiot drivers doesn't help. But I have to say that things seem better out there. There are more of us. I don't want to admit it, but maybe it's true; we're safer as a pack of sheep than we are as lone wolves.

Arbor Day

Founded by J. Sterling Morton, Arbor Day has been celebrated every April since 1872. It's not only a great excuse to commemorate our gnarlish friends, but coming as it does on the last Friday of April, it's a treemendous way to get the weekend started. The ultimate holiday, Arbor Day is life-affirming, coming in the spring to remind us to remain grounded no matter how lofty our dreams.

WORMS!

Here I am with Amber, the Urban Worm Girl. I just got me a pound of worms and a big old box to keep them in. They are supposed to eat my garbage. I'll keep you posted.

Maple Syrup... in Chicago?

More than just good lookin', those maple trees are really working hard for us. They are excellent stay-at-home employees - no complaints, just a kind of stoic can-do attitude. Come spring we'll watch their foolhardy buds pop and know that the world is changing... again. In the summer those buds reach their leafy potential and we lounge in their shade listening to our bird buddies. In the fall, they fall. More than fall, they go out in a crazy blaze. Year round the trees are pumping out our oxygen , but I guess that's not enough for us. Since we're only human, we are also tapping into their strength in other ways, literally.

Forty gallons of sap to one gallon of maple syrup. That's concentration. Here at the North Park Village Nature Center they do it every year. In this photo you see a visual reminder of how much the maples give.