Yes, it’s that time of year! Time for “those days of soda, and pretzels and beer” according to Nat King Cole. The Summer Solstice passed on June 21. After this longest day of the year, the days have already started getting shorter again even as the temperatures remain high. The Summer Solstice found Carol and me with our feet propped […]

  He shouldered his kayak and walked down the path toward the Sangamon River by the historic Hazen Bridge. The Hazen Bridge was one of his favorite spots along the river. There was something about these old single-lane iron truss bridges that evoked a feeling of the past, of times gone by, and of remembering what had gone before. He […]

  You find, somewhat unexpectedly, that on a Sunday afternoon you’ve got a few hours to yourself. So you say to yourself: “Self, I should go out and kayak the Sangamon River. I could use a little vacation.” So you park your little red pickup a few miles downstream at Lake of the Woods park, ride your bike back home […]

  Carol and I took a hike up to “The Source”. To start out, we drove our rented Suzuki Jeep up the path to where the road ends, parked the Jeep and set out uphill on foot. It’s a lovely hike up through a tropical rain forest populated by banana trees and vervet monkeys. The trail started out relatively easy, […]

  Sangamon translates from the Potawatomie language as “the place where there is plenty to eat” Coincidentally, I grew up in this same kind of place, even though I was in North Florida. Of course, growing up, I always just knew it as “home,” and there was always plenty to eat. At home, the fridge was always well-stocked and a […]

  “Might I interest you in some refreshing Sangamon River water?” my new friend Keith Alexander asked as he pushed his mug my way. What was in his mug looked more like coffee with cream. Which in truth, it was. Keith is the Director of Water Management for the City of Decatur. Keith’s job is to extract and purify about […]