Tag: Funderburg Forest Preserve

Desperately seeking…skunk cabbage

This morning, I hiked for three miles at a local forest preserve. I was hoping to find some skunk cabbage and maybe even a little peace of mind. I failed on both counts.

Skunk cabbage is a spring ephemeral that emerges in the late winter. This plant generates its own heat — up to 95 degrees Farenheit! It gets so hot that it bursts through the frozen ground and melts the surrounding snow.

Peace of mind is a nice feeling you get when you aren’t thinking of the health of your loved ones; household repairs; car loans; anything related to the current Administration; or whether or not you’re using a semicolon correctly.

;;;

Though I was unable to find skunk cabbage or peace of mind, I was given numerous reminders of how perfect and rhythmic and balanced and utterly attractive our planet is.

Turkey tail rosettes.

Case in point: these beautiful rosettes of turkey tail! Look at how each rosette is spiraling outward. Inspired!

Sometimes I wish my negative thoughts would spiral out of my mind rather than run in circles. They have been relentless lately but when I saw this fallen tree, it reminded me that it’s okay if I let the thoughts run around in my head. They are there for a reason so I told them, “Stick around all you want; I have room.”

Those rings!

When this fallen tree showed me its beautiful rings, I realized the negativity running laps around my psyche wasn’t necessarily negativity but actually data conditioning my mind so I can be ready for life’s challenges. That is what I choose to believe!

Scarlet elf cups. It was lightly snowing and you can see a few of the fresh snowflakes inside the cups.

I also found these adorable scarlet elf cups. These tiny mushrooms are about the size of your smallest fingernail. Their bright shade of red is beautiful to behold but — stay with me — so are these dead oak leaves (below). Today I marveled at how perfectly scattered they are. A fine protective covering of all sorts of insects and wildlife. They are soft and springy to walk on and brown (all shades!) is my favorite color.

White oak leaves. Mesmerizing and comforting.

As I walked along Hall Creek, I felt thankful to have the woods to myself. It was a cold morning, lightly snowing. Though it still felt like winter, I saw a bluebird, a robin and a thrush. It was like they were telling me that everything good comes back. That we’re surrounded by goodness all the time.

Maybe I did find some peace of mind while I was out there.

The lovely, winding Hall Creek.

I hope to get back out to the woods next week. I’d really like to find some skunk cabbage this year. If you live in the midwest and go for a hike this week, see if you can’t find your own skunk cabbage. They’re said to be spiritual liaisons between us and the underworld and when they emerge, it means they (and you) have just escaped something hellish! My fear is I won’t see skunk cabbage until 2028.

Thank you for reading! -Constance

Skunk cabbage from 2023.

Ruled by the clock

Jesse travels quite a bit for work but was able to “sneak” home for 43 hours this weekend. I know the hours (and even the minutes) because the Kuntzes are a family that is ruled by the clock.

For decades, I’ve known about being “on the clock” and “rocking around the clock,” but being “ruled by the clock” wasn’t a phrase I had ever come across until the spring of 2018. That’s when I read Sound Reporting by Jonathan Kern for my old radio job.

On most days it doesn’t matter whether we’re reporters, editors, producers, directors, or hosts, our working days are ruled by the clock.

Jonathan Kern, Sound Reporting

Firstly, it’s a good book. If you enjoy news radio, especially NPR, read it.

Secondly, just working days, pal? Show me one person in news radio who truly takes a day off. Show me one radio person who doesn’t always have one eye on the clock. If there’s a fire, radio people will look at the time before they look for the exit.

Empaths, I invite you to grab a partner and act the following scene from A Conversation You Will Never Hear in a Radio Station by Connie Kuntz.

John: Oh, I forgot my phone and watch and all 17 clocks within 25 feet of each other are missing. Do you know what time it is?

Mary: Gosh, I have no idea.

John: It’s still morning, right?

Mary: Not sure!

John: So what’s new?

Mary: How would I know?

The world explodes. End of scene.

You see, it’s funny because it’s a conversation you would never hear in a radio station.

Anyway, my family and I are ruled by the clock, just not as much radio people. So before Jesse decided to squeeze his break in, we debated whether it would be worth it to come home for such a short interval. There are times when it’s best to stay in the “work groove” because breaks don’t always refresh and renew the spirit so much as destroy momentum. Normally we “choose momentum,” but not this time and I’m glad.

While he was home, we went to Funderburg Forest Preserve for a hike. I was on the lookout for fresh mushrooms but found an abundance of sharply-lobed bloodroot instead. Cute!

Bloodroot.

Seeing the spring ephemeral softened my stress but it was a very windy afternoon.

Illinois wind is not exactly the loving caress of Mother Nature. It’s aggressive and a little cruel. It cuts into your eyes and tangles your hair. But it also has a way of knocking some sense into you so by the time we met our kids back at the trailhead, we were all smiles.

Mother Nature is not ruled by the clock but she knows how to slow time down. She’s amazing. I’m not sure what inspires her, but I know we should listen to her more often.

Thanks for reading my blog. Nine more days until I reach the 100-day mark. But who’s counting? -Connie

Sam, Angelo and Fern off the trails at Funderburg.