Of things missed, squirrels & a wash song

Rambling through central Illinois, pondering critter genetics.

At first, the stay-at-home edict didn’t bother me much. Having been deemed “essential” was a rare vote of confidence and meant we could put out our papers. And since riding a tractor to mow and move dirt fits social distancing guidelines, there was plenty to do once the paying job was over. But more and more often lately, I’ve noted things that are missing. … The fellowship of Sunday mass, even trading jabs with Bob Curran (don’t tell him). … Buying pie from somewhere other than a grocery store (store pie is never very good, they skimp on the sugar). … The taste of a cold drink in a tavern on a warm afternoon. … Watching sporting events for which I don’t already know the final score. … Eating out. … Leaning on a fence at a track meet and talking while pretending to pay attention to the races unfolding in front of me. … The good news is that all those things will seem even sweeter when experienced again – hopefully soon.

It’s been an interesting year in the field of squirrel genetics. For some reason this spring, there seem to be more black squirrels than ever in Yates City and in Farmington. And those quirky, young fox squirrels with white tails are making an appearance in places, too. Unfortunately, I saw a road-killed black squirrel in Farmington Tuesday. Sigh. They’re too unique to lose to a tire. … Speaking of colorful squirrels, there is a $750 fine in the city of Olney if you accidentally run over one of that town’s white squirrels. … One way to tell that people have more time on their hands lately is that we are receiving many more letters to the editor than ever before. Please, keep them coming folks, but be patient and understand it may take time to get them all in print! uuu One way my clan has kept busy is by killing invasive bush honeysuckle and autumn olive on our French Creek farm. After six partial days of cutting, sawing, spraying stumps and pulling plants, we have killed all we can find. There was far more growing than I expected, since both plants supposedly struggle on frequently flooded ground. One thing handling all those plants did was make the whole family realize that honeysuckle is taking over Illinois. Since invasives green up first, they are easy to identify, even from a car. From what I’ve seen, almost everything green in the understory through early last week (before native plants started leafing out) was honeysuckle. The amount of the stuff is staggering.

… Parting shot: Faithful reader Janet McKinty of Elmwood passed on an idea in light of COVID-19 considerations. Instead of singing “Happy Birthday” while washing your hands, as some experts recommend in order to make sure you scrub long enough, she offers an alternative. McKinty said her daughter, Marjie, instead sings “The Doxology” which she notes is “certainly more beautiful not to mention uplifting.” Amen to that, Janet. Besides, after reaching a certain age, “Happy Birthday” is no longer all that fun to hear. Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com