Turkey Vulture

Nearly ten years ago while traveling through Missouri on a road trip I saw a turkey vulture for the first time. Since then I see them everywhere in northern Illinois. I am fascinated by turkey vultures because they remind me of dinosaurs. I also like to pretend they are thunder birds flying way up high looking for children to carry away. Anyway, I called up a local animal rehabilitation center and the director there confirmed that yes indeed turkey vultures are fairly new to the area. I then stopped by the center to get some up-close images and I almost got more than I bargained for. At one point during my visit, Vinny, a 23-year-old turkey vulture, and I were left alone in his enclosure and he hopped down from his perch and started biting my shoes and pants. I thought "oh great, this damn bird is going to bite me with it's bacteria filled mouth and I'll have to go to the hospital and endure a series of painful injections." Well I climbed up to higher ground and just kept lifting my feet. When I was finally rescued I learned Vinny just wanted my shoe laces.

Red, White and Blue

Receded

I meant to post some photographs of the flooding in DeKalb County when it happened, but I didn't so here you go. The above is from today and the rest are from April 18.

Slacking

So I have been slacking uploading anything new. So here's two that I shot recently.

Pie

The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival pie eating contest occurred this past Saturday. I wasn't pleased with my images from the first two groups of children that participated, but then I saw this guy. I didn't bother looking for anything else and just focused on this bearded wonder. Our designer didn't run this image, but I can understand why they didn't. Oh yeah, he won.

Fake Field Goal

On Saturday the Northern Illinois football team hosted Central Michigan. In the fourth quarter as the Huskies appeared to settle for a field goal attempt the ball was instead tossed to the kicker, Mathew Sims, and he ran it in for a 14-yard touchdown run. Avery Cunningham of the Chippewas took exception to this and hit him in the end zone. Sims didn't see it coming and was rattled for a moment but remained in the game.

Stonehouse Park

I visited Stonehouse Park over the weekend. The 40-acre, Earlville-based "agritainment" venue has been caught in a whirlwind of problems in the past year, from neighbors' complaints about late-night parties and drug use to permit violations and now financial hardships. During my visit the owners were working on maintaining the property and I followed them for a bit and then I saw a group participating in live action role playing. The group had rented park for the weekend as many other different groups have done in the past. While LARPing is interesting, I definitely would love to have seen a music festival there.

Good boy, Walker.

Some time ago while surfing the internets I saw a stencil of a little girl with an All Terrain Armored Transport. I loved it so much that I had to make a photograph with the same elements, so I made this for fun.

Long Exposure

If you live in the Chicagoland area you are aware of the wild weather we had last night. On my drive home I decided to pull over to capture some lightning. Within 10 minutes two motorists stopped to ask if I needed any help, which was really surprising to me. Anyhow, I decided to press the shutter as one of the vehicles drove off after I assured them that I was fine and in those thirty seconds I got this image.

Dog in a Suit

While covering an assignment in 2007 at a PetSmart in Crystal Lake I saw this dog that reminded me of a Beagle on stilts. I learned that the dog was an American Foxhound. Nearly a year later I got one myself. He barks a lot, but that is what he was bred to do. My wife and I have always said that he'd look great in a suit, so I made this for her.