As the mercury drops into the twenties and teens, it’s a great time to think about paddling the Sangamon River. Think about it that is, but not actually do it. Not yet. Gazing out at leafless trees standing silently on the powder sugar dusted forest floor along the banks of the Sangamon while mini icebergs float lazily downstream, inspires dreams […]
It seems strange to me that we might arbitrarily measure age by the number of revolutions that our rock has revolved around the sun. Perhaps a better assessment of our age would be the number of good deeds we’ve done for others, or perhaps the number of life lessons we’ve learned along the way. In any case, our rock […]
On the wall of my campus office hangs a picture of two plaid shirted area farmers with a pitchfork between them ‘American Gothic’ style. They are gazing intently and quizzically forward, hands on their chins as if to say “What the…?!” And suspended on the tines of the pitchfork are the printed words “Stop the Dam.” The image reflects […]
Yes, it’s that time of year again! The time when rich, glamorous and fabulous people at the height of their careers give awards to other rich, glamorous and fabulous people who are also at the height of their careers. Yes, it’s Academy Award season! And why should the fabulous Sangamon River miss out? So here, in a debut performance, […]
T’was ten days or so before Christmas, five years ago to the day that this issue of the Citizen came out. Preparations for the holidays were stirring. The artificial tree was up, standing beside Carol’s baby grand piano, in front of the huge picture windows overlooking the Sangamon River. We’d tried real trees, but our cat Shadow kept climbing […]
Not far north of here at the Sangamon River Forest Preserve stands a house. And in this house lives Doug Sanders, Champaign County Forest Preserve Grounds Supervisor. Recently, I was fortunate to be Doug’s guest. Doug hasn’t lived there long and hasn’t had a chance to learn much of history of the house, but he was nonetheless glad to show […]