On Moms

First...Thanks to Fran for this!
WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger
parts.
What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in
the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use
string, I think.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.
What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty
bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk
on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof
ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than d ad.
What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause
that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of
that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did
it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of
her head.

North Branch of the Chicago River Trail

What a surprise we had when we arrived at the parking lot to this new-for-me trail and found the ENTIRE TRAIL had been recently blacktopped. So we did almost 20 miles and I hardly felt it! What a smooth and easy day today!
Here Chuck is showing the next section that we will bike and where we area as we look at the map.
Then for a little something extra we rode over to the Chicago Botanic Garden and had a quick bite and strolled several of the many manicured sections.

There are still some glorious fall colors to be had, but you have to catch them as they appear.
After our lunch at the Chicago Botanic Garden,, we strolled around. Here is a wonderful water falls from a lake that was built up on top of the hill, then abundantly filled in with trees and many kinds of flowers.
We were on our way down from the falls and one tree just stood out among all the rest and there were some pretty purple flowers as well.
There is a Japanese Stroll Garden and here we found a gate and a small statue-like object.
On to the prairie section and I couldn't pass up a shot of these grasses, I just love this stuff! Chuck didn't seem to mind yet another picture.
More and different grass... double-click to see it up close and personal.

Oh...No....it's only November 8 and they are decorating for Christmas! I saw several scenes like this, so thought I would include it in my post. I was walking back from the prairie grasses exhibit and I saw this from the walking trail. It just fascinated me...hard to believe that it is a tree stump. It could have been a deeply veined rock or even a frog or other reptile...but on closer examination, it was a tree stump...neat!

Equestrian and Walkers Trail

We hiked the Lakewood Forest Preserve Horse Trails that is reserved only for equestrians and hikers; loosely translated: no motorized or mechanized vehicles allowed. So there was no need to look over our shoulders for upcoming bikers or anything else, just horses and wildlife.
I guess the sign is for hikers as well as equestrians...
Here is one of three deer that we saw on the trails..interesting that only a mile or so away is another preserve that abuts a deer hunting club. We saw no deer by that one yesterday; they apparently know where they are safe.
Chuck was showing me an old Ford, I think it is past it's prime!
Here is one of the three riders that we saw today. The mane on this particular horse has been trimmed to only about 4 inches, very neat!
I am not sure what kind of bird this is, but I caught it just as it was taking off.

Pet Loyalty

We all have a certain understanding of our pets. We know that they love us above all others: we feed them, love them and care for them and in return they love us unconditionally.

Here is my sweet little KC bird not doing any of the above toward me!

This is the price one pays for having been adopted by others' pussycat.

Van Patten Woods and more...

We went to bike in Van Patten Woods, in northern Lake County which encompasses 972 acres of prairie, native oak woodlands, and sedge meadows. The Des Plaines River meanders the entire length of the preserve, and the beautiful 74-acre Sterling Lake lies at the southern end of the park.


Just north of Sterling Lake lies the northern trailhead for the Des Plaines River Trail, a crushed gravel trail which extends south for 33-miles except for a short half mile link-up planned for the near future. This trail is open to horses, snowmobiles, bicycles, as well as hikers and runners. In addition, Sterling Lake is encircled by foot trails that stretch approximately two miles. In the eastern half of Van Patten Woods lies a one-mile loop dedicated for hikers and cross-country skiers and a two-mile crushed gravel loop for cross country hikers, horses, and bicycles. Anyone out on the trails may see white-tailed deer, catch a glimpse of a coyote, look up to see some of the many raptors (red-tailed hawk, Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk) or you may be very lucky and see some of the wild turkeys that have been spotted lately. While we didn't see any of those animals today we did see a plethora of horseback riders! Here's three now!



Sterling Lake is the hub of activity for the park.
Originally a gravel pit that had filled with water, the lake was once a dangerous eyesore with treacherous drop-offs. In 1989 and 1993 major restoration took place resulting in a safe and beautiful lake where fishing, canoeing, row boating and paddle boating are enjoyed. On the fishing scene panfish, bass, and northern pike are often caught while muskies, channel catfish, and walleye are stocked regularly. Bait, tackle, and boat rentals are available at Chandler's Boat and Bait on the lake's shore. There is also a canoe launch for the Des Plaines River.
Winter recreation includes ice skating, hiking, snowshoeing, ice fishing, (provided ice is 4.5 inches thick), cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

The paramount natural feature of the area is the Des Plaines River. Its flood plain provides refuge for many native plants and animals. Primarily flat to gently sloping, the grasslands and restored prairies and meadows are dotted by pine groves and natural oak-dominated woodlands.
The District plans to restore the sedge meadow and wetland community that run along the Des Plaines River. These communities are separated by linear oak woodlands that run along the eastern bank of the river. Prairie restoration has started west of Sterling Lake and there are active volunteer groups planting trees and conducting controlled burns of woodland and prairie.
Extensively remodeled just seven years ago, shelters, bathroom facilities, trails and picnic areas are all in new, clean condition. You really get a sense of open country when you visit this preserve and it is large enough and far from highly populated areas to get a feeling of quiet and calm. This is not an overcrowded, overused park by any stretch!

When we finished our 12.5 mile ride, we went to Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall and saw an unbelievable amount of stuff!

Including the Bass Pro Shop Outlet and their aqua tank, here is a Sturgeon and a white catfish

Ah...Saturday

Even when one is retired, Saturday is a special day. Made for laziness and better than usual breakfasts and photo collages...

I have been accumulating pictures of M&M, the princess of the household, and have enough to share with you, some of the many modes she goes through.

What is better than your favorite chair...? She found my sweatshirt on the floor and decided it made a nice makeshift bed!
Why use all four legs when two will do nicely...?



Today's final breakfast picture (of course) convinced me that it was time for her debut!

What??? No milk in that coffee?

Now I know it LOOKS like she is getting french toast for breakfast, BUT believe me, she is NOT!!!

I was able to build this collage of cat-dom because Chuck has recevied his new Mac Laptop. Boy is he ever excited....When he gets everything transferred and all the settings the way he likes it...life will settle back to normal again!

Maybe later we can get one more day of biking in... they promise close to 60 degrees later on!

Elk and more in Elk Grove

Today we drove to Elk Grove to bike the Busse Woods Bicycle Trail. The Busse Woods Bicycle Trail is located throughout the Ned Brown Preserve in northwestern Cook County, Illinois. This Class I bicycle trail is currently 11.2 miles long and winds through the meadows and forests around Busse Lake.


You can stop at one of the convenient parking areas then unload your bicycle and ride the winding trail through the preserve. These parking areas as well as the trail are shown on the map.The Ned Brown Preserve is a 3700 acre holding located in northwestern Cook County. This preserve, also known as Busse Woods, surrounds Busse Lake, a 590 acre lake that serves as the focal point of the area. The bicycle trail winds through the forests and meadows around Busse Lake providing access to many of the preserves unique features. You can ride through a mature forest past a herd of elk(which were in the middle of the preserve area, preventing a decent phot of them),
then head for the lake to watch the sailboats for awhile. If you have your gear along, try catching a northern pike at one of the six fishing walls.

We stuck with just bike riding and totalled 14 miles before we quit and went on to the Peapod, a Chinese restaurant for a great late lunch.