3/16/10 Fox Valley

[Ken G]

Everyday, in order to get to work, I head east out of Oswego on a few miles of back roads. I consider it my short cut, but it actually adds 10 minutes to my ride. For that brief time period I get to drive along with virtually no one else on the road. The other benefit is driving along and through fields and farms. There are still a few farm houses on the road that must be 100 years old. In the last year and a half, two beautiful old farm houses were torn down to make way for the subdivision slums that are encroaching on once rich farm land.

Slums will be the new word for these unfinished, abandoned and sparsely populated eye sores. It doesn't only have to be an inner city problem. But for now, these few miles that are still untouched are a welcome respite from the mediocrity of poor housing design.

I've been driving through this area practically every day, twice a day for about three years now. For as much as I hate the winter months, I have always enjoyed the changing of the seasons of the rest of the year. Out here I get to watch the progress of the fields from when they are first turned over in the spring to when the last corn stalk is harvested. This past harvest season saw the last field harvested the first week of January. There is still one small field with standing corn. I'm assuming they gave up.

In the spring and fall I get to see huge flocks of ducks and geese flying overhead, with large numbers of them stopping in the cut fields to see if they could find any corn that might have been left behind. At times the fields are filled with hundreds of geese milling about.

With heavy rains the low lying areas fill with water. If you didn't know any better, you would think that these were nice looking farm ponds possibly filled with fish. But at best they only get 6 inches deep. Here too I've got used to seeing the geese wandering along the edges and waddling through the shallow spots picking through any new food that may have been washed up by rains.

Today as I cruised along I noticed a number of white birds sitting in one flooded area. Took a few seconds for it to register, but they were seagulls. That would be a first in these fields. Among them were about 20 or 30 other birds that I assumed were geese, but then I noticed the ones that were standing up straight with necks stretched out. Odd looking geese I thought.

They were odd looking geese because they were sandhill cranes. I've only seen them drifting on the wind high over head, but I've seen enough pictures of them to know what they look like.

I was cruising along at about 60 mph when I got next to them and realized what I was looking at. I took my foot off the gas. There was no shoulder to pull on to. Was about to slam on the brakes when I looked in my rear view mirror. Damn, one of the few times someone is within 200 yards behind me. Stopping in the middle of the road was out of the question. My camera was in the back seat. A few split seconds of indecision and the opportunity was lost as I sailed off into the distance.

These once in a life time opportunities to see something unique have come up numerous times in the last 14 years of poking around the nooks and crannies of the Fox Valley. Each opportunity distinctly unique. Not a single one of them ever repeated. I have a feeling I'll never see sandhill cranes hanging around Oswego again, let alone have the chance to get so close to them.

Another one of those events that simply get committed to memory.

[Special Ed]

It's unfortunate you missed them this morning yes, but I doubt it will be your last chance.


They have only been moving overhead for a week or so now. Time to start thinking about turning over some soil and getting ready for a fresh start.



I look forward to another year in awe of the world around me. You?

[Ken G]

I've never seen them on the ground around here. We shall see.

I'm always in awe. Drives the wife and kids crazy. Always stopping and getting side tracked.