If you're anything like me, curiosity often leads to a random Google search. Did you know prairie dogs are named after their habitat and warning call? A sound similar to a dog's bark. But they are not a dog, more like a squirrel. Native to the grasslands of North America, they were documented in 1804 in Lewis and Clark's expedition journals when they "discovered a village of an animal the French called the Prairie Dog."
Read MoreIt is said there are three sides to every story. Your side, my side and the truth. Plus, the principle of polarity explains that opposites stem from one thing, being a place they meet in the middle – called neutral. So why do people fight for control?
Read MoreThe moment is right now, and I asked myself what I wanted my day to bring. The last tide of trilliums was calling, so it was now or next spring.
Read MoreThere's a unique spirit to a good road trip. It contains the ability to move freely from one region to another. You can plan the destination, but who or what you encounter is unavoidable on the way. My ancestors embarked on unforgettable road trips during their lifetimes. From Ireland to Pennsylvania, New York across the Great Plains to Illinois, Maryland to Virginia, North Carolina to Tennessee. They all have stories about how they got there, ending in a place meaningful enough to make them stay – at least for a while. This story is about just one.
Read MoreMy fingertips burn as I walk away to escape the windchill and crowds getting dressed. I wish I had brought my glove liners, but I didn't think it would be this cold. It is my favorite day of the year when hundreds of people strip bare on a Saturday in January to leap into the icy water of Lake Michigan for a polar plunge. Today's weather is a sharp 24 degrees alongside a light snowfall and brisk wind, reminding Chicagoans of what a windchill truly is.
Read MoreTemperatures plunge to five degrees while setting up my tent in a snow swale in Wisconsin. Winter can be challenging for some, but I have gotten to a place where cold weather no longer stops me from being outside. As the Finns say, there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. Preparation is key.
Read MoreAristotle first said nature abhors an empty space. Here is wisdom, yet also a paradox because that is where I found these two cubs, fearless in an open field, foraging in a black walnut tree. For me, open space is something to embrace rather than disdain.
Read More"Lady, this is going to happen whether you like it or not." At least, that is what the City worker with the chainsaw says as I march up to him and demand him to stop.
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