Les Winkeler

Totally by accident, I found myself on the periphery of a philosophical argument recently. The wonder of creation, whether by the broad stroke of a magnanimous deity or a big bang, was the topic of conversation. While I enjoy mulling over such important issues in the privacy of my own mind, discussion of such deep issues quickly bores me.
Sometimes my mind wanders to the work of beavers.

One of the side effects of retirement is a person has more time to think. In my case, I’m not sure that’s productive.
During the polar vortex that gripped Middle America during January, I spent several frigid mornings driving through Sahara Woods State Recreation Area in Illinois. It’s a wild piece of property, located on ground that used to be a coal mine. It doesn’t look like much, but it’s a wildlife paradise.

If the Discovery Channel can have Shark Week, why can’t I have a week dedicated to skunks?
The Discovery Channel’s Shark Week is well promoted and likely a highly lucrative event. Skunk Week, on the other hand, was quiet and accidental. And, frankly, not half as scary.
By the same token, seeing skunks in broad daylight three out of four days is unusual.

One of the most common laments I’ve heard over the past two decades is the plight of the northern bobwhite – the quail.
About 50 years ago, the familiar sound of “BOBBBBB-WHITE” could be heard daily along any rural road in Illinois. The colorful quail flourished in pasturelands and in the hedgerows that separated farmers’ fields. Quail were so common, so verbal, my brothers and I considered ourselves quite the naturalists. We could walk along the barbed wire fence separating grandpa’s pasture from the neighbor’s cornfields and whistle something vaguely resembling “Bob-White” and eventually get a response.

Homeowners are well aware that the rigors of winter exact a toll on your home. Spring touch-up work is inevitable – a dab of paint here, perhaps a few shingles need to be replaced, perhaps a torn window screen needs repair. It’s part of life. You expect it.
The same is true in nature. And, the past winter was particularly devastating for several predator nests in southern Illinois.