Arriving in Chicago yesterday, I was delighted to have a "Life Imitates Art" moment. If you're in my target demographic, and I know you are, you have played the game Watch Dogs on your XBox. As you know, this game is set in Chicago, and lets the player roam through the city and suburbs at will.
Turns out, the city is JUST LIKE the game! The look and sound of the trains, the neighborhoods with their brick houses, and the layout of the roads were all amazingly familiar. The other familiar aspect was the way you drive. In the game, the best way to get around is just to zip past other cars on the shoulder at high speeds, regardless of how wide the lanes are. And, just outside O'Hare airport, you'll see a sign announcing "Shoulder Riding Permitted"! Sure enough, cars passed us on the shoulder doing at least 20mph faster than the rest of traffic, just like I did in the game!
Anyway, on to a recap of the superlatives of recent adventures:
Most Hardcore Birding Moment: Chasing a report of a Nelson's Sparrow outside of Madison, WI, only to find that the bird is located in a boot-soaking marshy field of chest-high cattails and ankle-grabbing viney plants (and no doubt nasty spiders and other bitey creatures). And then, wading through it all to triumphantly find the sparrow. Like a Boss!
Most Ironic Business Name of the Day: "Goose Haven Gun Club"
Most Random Yet Amazing Birding Moment: Getting out of the car at a National Wildlife Refuge where a Whooping Crane (one of only a few hundred to live in the wild) had been reported, only to have the bird fly right over our heads, circle lazily, and then drift away over a hill, never to be seen again. By us, at least.
Most "Oops!" Moment: After finding the Whooping Crane, driving to Madison, WI for a nice evening in a fun town, only to find there is a UW football game (vs. Hawaii, of all teams) starting in a few hours and literally every hotel in an hour's drive is sold out.
Most Miserable Dining Moment: Finding ourselves at Bennigan's. For the second day in a row. Remind me not to come back to Elgin, IL
Most Glorious Dining Moment: The Purple Pig, in downtown Chicago. House cured tuna?Fried pig's ear with giardiniera? Octopus a la plancha? Yes, please!
Three more birds this weekend make our total 661 for the year. Could 700 be in our reach?
We have officially given up on the Black-billed Cuckoo. A few were reported in Chicago last weekend, but 8 hours of searching and asking every birder we meet has turned up zilch. F'ing cuckoo! So, tomorrow we're hitting the Natural History Museum and some other tasty restaurant here in Chicago. I could get used to this...except on Tuesday, we're headed to McAllen, so I won't have time to become accustomed. That's probably good for both my wallet and waistline.
Go Cubs!
Me
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