Chicago Interlude

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker on Oak Branch in Berwyn, Illinois

Back from a somber visit with family in the Chicago area, where my mother-in-law is quite ill with ALS, I reflect on her love of nature, and this season of changes.

I'm always amazed to find such an exotic-looking bird as this male cardinal in the back yards of suburban Chicago.

The female cardinals are cool, too.

The oaks and ginkgo trees had lost almost all of their leaves, but maple leaves still clung to their branches.

Grape leaves warm a cold alley with their fall color.

The belly of this female red-bellied woodpecker lacks the streaks of red sported by males.

She appeared to be trying to cache her acorn, but flew away with it when she spotted me taking too much of an interest.

Robins often scattered the smaller (but winter-fluffy) sparrows from the back yard bird bath to hog it for themselves.

The neighborhood squirrels appeared to be fat and happy.

And the cottontail rabbits were getting their winter coats.

Temps were in the 50s the first couple of days we were there, only to drop suddenly to the high 20s one night. A thin cap of ice formed on the bird bath, so we plugged in the water heater.

Overnight, the yard became covered with newly fallen maple leaves.

A couple of days later, flocks (or "sedges") of sandhill cranes flew south, probably toward wildlife refuges in Indiana.

Sandhill Cranes

We saw this buck heading toward the forest along the Des Plaines River during a walk through the neighborhood. It was limping on its right hind leg.

In order to create space to put a bed downstairs, we had to dismantle the upright piano (moving it whole was not an option) that my wife learned to play as a child. It had last been tuned in November 1977 and hasn't been used much in the many years since she left home. The biggest parts of the job were removing all the strings and tuning pins, then removing the heavy cast iron piano plate from its equally heavy wooden backing, and hauling it all out back to be taken away.

Almost home again, with tule fog filling the valley right up to the coastal mountains. The view was also spectacular as we approached and flew over the Sierra Nevada; regretfully, a stranger had the window seat.

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