Disc paean

During certain times of year, Chicago enjoys long stretches of perfect weather. Days where it's comfortable to do most anything outside. Today was one of those days.

We traveled to the West Park disc golf course near Joliet, in the village of Rockdale (village motto: "Harmony & Industry"). One frustrating aspect of Chicago is the lack of disc golf courses. There are a few, mainly on the outskirts of the metropolitan area. There are a lot of nine-hole courses which don't merit the lengthy ride, and, sadly, there is just one course within city limits.

Disc golf has enjoyed a quiet explosion in popularity in recent years; there are far more courses than there used to be. It still is largely an underground sport, though. It gets no television coverage even while ESPN and Versus broadcast much less interesting fodder on a daily basis. There is something about the "underground" nature of it that is appealing. Finding the courses can be challenging (go to http://www.pdga.com/ for the national directory) and once one has found a course it can be difficult to figure out where the holes are. Many of the courses are in under-utilized parks. It seems a few dedicated individuals maintain them on a voluntary basis.

West Park dates to 1979 and has easy-to-follow holes that are well-marked. There are several elevation changes as it skirts small ravines and a creek. The signature shot is on the 16th hole (pictured). The tee is about 30 feet above the basket, and there's a narrow chute that clears a series of copses on the embankment. The basket is denoted by the white arrow. I threw a laser-beam drive that was heading toward the basket before hitting a tree. Still, it was an easy two-putt for par, and I had a shot at birdie.

Rodentine interloper

This black morph gray squirrel has infiltrated the ranks of the typical gray squirrels in our neighborhood. The grays seemed to be approaching it with caution a few days ago. If other career opportunities fail, I plan to study the squirrels of Uptown like Darwin studied finches.

Wisconsin drift

If there's one universal truth it's that Southwestern Wisconsin is not Patagonia. But it is quite a scenic getaway. The above photo was taken at Nelson Dewey State Park on the banks of the Mississippi River. This is, in fact, the driftless area of Wisconsin.

Disc golf is something that hasn't previously been mentioned on this blog, though it's a passion of this blog. The disc golf course at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville incorporates the undulating terrain of the driftless area alongside a college campus. The layout includes several signature shots across broad expanses and down steep hills.

Steady mobbing

An aggressive red-winged blackbird has made it into print locally and on the local airwaves. Male red-wings will attack any creature that comes close to their nests. A classic roadside sight in summer is of red-wings mobbing a red-tailed hawk, a David-versus-Goliath battle that the red-wings always win. I've heard of lakefront red-wings mobbing people, too, including a close relative of mine while jogging. Being pecked on the dome isn't the way to enjoy Chicago's summer!

Urban wildlife

A member of the species Rattus norvegicus is pictured here (click to enlarge). This is in our next-door neighbors' yard. Ugh.

Gull talk

The aforementioned Honda Element ad featuring a great black-backed gull is available here. Found it in Backpacker Magazine. Enjoy.

Mountain air

View photos from New Hampshire.