Meet Your Neighbors: Season of the Witch
By Jack MacRae Witch Hazel was one of my least favorite Looney Toons characters. She wasn’t a deep thinker like Foghorn Leghorn or... Read More
The Seasons of the Fox River
By Gary Swick Personally, I love living in a region that has distinct seasons. Walking ankle to waist deep in a stream... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: Nighthawks
By Jack MacRae The nighthawks are dining. They appear at dusk in our October skies, swooping, darting and snatching bugs in their big... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: Cute Baby Snakes
By Jack MacRae 20th century scientific research into Kindchenschema showed that humans consider baby animals as inherently cute. It has something to... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: Stonerollers and violets
By Jack MacRae and Gary Mechanic Rolling in the River Their name might make them sound like they’re Mick Jagger groupies, but... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: Do Birds Poop in the Woods?
by Jack MacRae Most birds do their best to maintain a tidy nest. Removing eggshells, stray feathers, and bits of food is serious business... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: Crust Fungus Among Us
by Crusty Jack MacRae There are not too many forms of fungus you can spot from 60 yards away. But the next time... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: The Duck with a Golden Eye
By Jack MacRae Goldeneyes don’t dabble. They are diving ducks with a talent of Olympic proportion. They’re synchronous divers. When feeding, all... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: “Eat Your Neighbors!”
Eat Your Neighbors! By Jack MacRae Homer Simpson once commented that turkeys are the only animals smarter than man (season 13, episode... Read More
Meet Your Neighbors: “Squirrels, Chucks and Chips”
Squirrels, Chucks and Chips by Jack MacRae Squirrels are the Fox Valley’s original “preppers.” Every autumn, both tree and ground squirrels spend... Read More