As a boy growing up on the Fox River in Illinois my father taught me that all one needed to survive in the wild existed in plenty if one knew where to look.
There were mulberries, strawberries and raspberries, walnuts and butternuts. Wild asparagus was Growing there as was watercress, gooseberries and wild grapes.
Pheasant, duck and [...]
Browsing Walk in the woods™
More, TRAIL TALK
TRAIL TALK
On this particular day I am late getting started. As the new day dawns, animals, large and small, usually seek lay ups where they can rest in anticipation of their evening feed.
I tell myself that it is unlikely that I will see much but you never know, and after all, I need the walk.
As I [...]
Chapter # 3, “KILLER” THE “COON HOUND
I am somewhat remiss for having left out this portion of Killer’s tale, please forgive my remissiveness.
We mustn’t dismiss this tragic tale of woe without regaling and beguiling you with one more of our misadventures with my faithful ‘coon hound, “Killer” otherwise, A.K.A. “Ol’ Pisser.”
Oh yes, I feel somewhat obligated to honor a fellow, or is it that, [...]
THE CATHEDRAL
I stood and stared in awe.
I was just a little boy when my father took me to the cathedral that very first time and I stood there and looked up in great wonderment.
Over my head massive timbers reached out from the apex in all directions. The central pillar, a grand and ancient monolithic support to [...]
A MOON STRUCK MOMENT
It was one of those special, other worldly, northern winter nights when nothing can surprise you and you just know that anything might happen.
A full moon made the snow shrouded woodland glow in a mysterious, almost magical iridescence.
It was one of those nights when all of nature held its breath, waiting, just waiting. One of [...]
IT WAS AFTER ALL A GOVERNMENT MANUAL!
HSSSSSSSS
By
Charles Towne
Of all government organizations the U.S. Peace Corps, by its very name denotes a benign, yes, even peaceful existence, after all it is called, “The Peace Corps.”
One can only imagine the pains the organizers have gone to in order to make the time served as safe as possible for the volunteers but then one [...]
Eight Deadly Lies of Littering
When in my teens I found a very emaciated muskrat wandering near our home on the Fox River in Illinois. It was obvious the little fellow was starving, what wasn’t so obvious was, Why?
The wee wildling didn’t struggle as I gently begin to handle and examine it. Poking and prodding I searched for some obvious [...]
TALKING TRASH WITH THE REBORN RIVER RAT
Hey, all of you trash talkers out there! This is the River Rat here and you’re going to love this.
Recently I was back in the woods scouting wild animal trails for places to set up camera blinds when lo and behold there in front of me was the sign of the greater trasher, or, Trashus [...]
Garloo the gopher turtle has spent years accumulating a collection of wise, woodsy sayings "what am handy t' live by!" Grab your daily dose of wisdom.
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Writer / Public speaker / naturalist / bear walker /wildlife photographer, providing wildlife footage for educational purposes to such fine organizations as Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Equinox Documentaries, Jim Fowler's 'Life in the Wild', Conservation Biology Magazine, Florida Department of Natural Resources, and various universities.