Dale Bowman
@bowmanoutside.bsky.social
Former outdoors columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Dawn popped the remaining color at Allerton on my morning ramble. The multitude of oaks helps with late color and also explains the 40 to 50 gray squirrels I saw on my two-mile ramble. The topper was two pileated woodpeckers, stunningly not making any noise, when I finished at the mansion.
November 16, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Dawn popped the remaining color at Allerton on my morning ramble. The multitude of oaks helps with late color and also explains the 40 to 50 gray squirrels I saw on my two-mile ramble. The topper was two pileated woodpeckers, stunningly not making any noise, when I finished at the mansion.
Karyn and I broke up the drive to my youngest niece's wedding tomorrow by stopping at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater over Bear Run just before dark today. Highly recommend it.
November 8, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Karyn and I broke up the drive to my youngest niece's wedding tomorrow by stopping at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater over Bear Run just before dark today. Highly recommend it.
Orion the Hunter dominated the sky as I walked out before dawn bowhunting deer not far from Cherry Springs in Pennsylvania, one of the best night sky spots east of the Mississippi. Okay, I like the symbolic nature of Orion the Hunter dominating the sky as I go out to the blind.
November 3, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Orion the Hunter dominated the sky as I walked out before dawn bowhunting deer not far from Cherry Springs in Pennsylvania, one of the best night sky spots east of the Mississippi. Okay, I like the symbolic nature of Orion the Hunter dominating the sky as I go out to the blind.
One of the three ravens at one of my favorite rest stops, the Chautauqua rest area on I-86 across Southern New York. I-86 is just a gem of a drive. I usually try to time it so I can take a lunch break or a rest here. About to disappear for five days to bowhunt deer in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
November 1, 2025 at 6:39 PM
One of the three ravens at one of my favorite rest stops, the Chautauqua rest area on I-86 across Southern New York. I-86 is just a gem of a drive. I usually try to time it so I can take a lunch break or a rest here. About to disappear for five days to bowhunt deer in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
When all four kids were home we had as many as 10 or 12 around the dining room table on Halloween night for Blood and Guts. Karyn would make three pans. Tonight, we barely dented the one pan she made. Time moves on. Good to see other parents out with kids tonight at our new home in Homewood.
November 1, 2025 at 12:51 AM
When all four kids were home we had as many as 10 or 12 around the dining room table on Halloween night for Blood and Guts. Karyn would make three pans. Tonight, we barely dented the one pan she made. Time moves on. Good to see other parents out with kids tonight at our new home in Homewood.
I've a place in my heart for Fish Tales, first place I spoke after my triple bypass. Tonight Oct. 16, I return. Meeting starts at 7, Worth Township Building, 1601 S. Pulaski Ave., Alsip. Speakers start 7:30/7:45. I'm talking perch, taking questions and have an interactive topic. Not me in photo.
October 16, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I've a place in my heart for Fish Tales, first place I spoke after my triple bypass. Tonight Oct. 16, I return. Meeting starts at 7, Worth Township Building, 1601 S. Pulaski Ave., Alsip. Speakers start 7:30/7:45. I'm talking perch, taking questions and have an interactive topic. Not me in photo.
I still find it notable to spot pelicans in our area even though it's been going on for a couple decades now. These were sitting at dawn this morning at the wide waters on the Illinois River.
October 10, 2025 at 12:11 PM
I still find it notable to spot pelicans in our area even though it's been going on for a couple decades now. These were sitting at dawn this morning at the wide waters on the Illinois River.
All my brothers and I are having a gathering in Virginia. Today we did a nice section of Skyline Drive. Some of us hiked to Dark Hollow Falls, a spot I love. The steep descent and ascent reminded me the years are piling up.
September 19, 2025 at 11:26 PM
All my brothers and I are having a gathering in Virginia. Today we did a nice section of Skyline Drive. Some of us hiked to Dark Hollow Falls, a spot I love. The steep descent and ascent reminded me the years are piling up.
I took in one last Sox game, then enjoyed the downtown view one last time for the year. Heading over to speak at Southside Muskie Hawks at the Village Sportsmen's Club on 115th in Alsip at 7:00 p.m. That makes quite the day.
September 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
I took in one last Sox game, then enjoyed the downtown view one last time for the year. Heading over to speak at Southside Muskie Hawks at the Village Sportsmen's Club on 115th in Alsip at 7:00 p.m. That makes quite the day.
Amber Sproul and steward Beckie Green showed me a white obedient plant while we worked this morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. First morning in my three years of working there that we started in dense fog as the sun rose. Beautiful morning with other good finds, too.
September 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Amber Sproul and steward Beckie Green showed me a white obedient plant while we worked this morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. First morning in my three years of working there that we started in dense fog as the sun rose. Beautiful morning with other good finds, too.
After being gone for a week, I have more tomatoes than we were going to eat so I made spaghetti starter. But this year I had to make the admission that life has changed, so I only made it in pint sizes instead of the usual quart.
August 31, 2025 at 2:30 AM
After being gone for a week, I have more tomatoes than we were going to eat so I made spaghetti starter. But this year I had to make the admission that life has changed, so I only made it in pint sizes instead of the usual quart.
Good travel is about the stops. Coming home from Florida, we stopped at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah. A special gallery celebrated 50 years of Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry's quilts, quite unlike the hundreds of basic quilt tops my dad made for the Mennonite Central Committee.
August 29, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Good travel is about the stops. Coming home from Florida, we stopped at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah. A special gallery celebrated 50 years of Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry's quilts, quite unlike the hundreds of basic quilt tops my dad made for the Mennonite Central Committee.
Melbourne Beach
These are not the rat-a-tat-tat
roll pound roll pound
of Lake Michigan waves.
No these are langerous as afternoon delight.
I'm assuming the waves from the Northeast come sliding off the backside of Erin
before pounding the beach, then retreating
sucking shells and sand
These are not the rat-a-tat-tat
roll pound roll pound
of Lake Michigan waves.
No these are langerous as afternoon delight.
I'm assuming the waves from the Northeast come sliding off the backside of Erin
before pounding the beach, then retreating
sucking shells and sand
August 26, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Melbourne Beach
These are not the rat-a-tat-tat
roll pound roll pound
of Lake Michigan waves.
No these are langerous as afternoon delight.
I'm assuming the waves from the Northeast come sliding off the backside of Erin
before pounding the beach, then retreating
sucking shells and sand
These are not the rat-a-tat-tat
roll pound roll pound
of Lake Michigan waves.
No these are langerous as afternoon delight.
I'm assuming the waves from the Northeast come sliding off the backside of Erin
before pounding the beach, then retreating
sucking shells and sand
Tonight works out that I can make another News Night, think Q&A with reporters. It's being held at a space I want to see and experience, the South Side Hackerspace in Bridgeport. I enjoyed being invited to opening News Night last year. That was held on the North Side. I'm curious how things are now.
August 21, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Tonight works out that I can make another News Night, think Q&A with reporters. It's being held at a space I want to see and experience, the South Side Hackerspace in Bridgeport. I enjoyed being invited to opening News Night last year. That was held on the North Side. I'm curious how things are now.
First heirloom tomato I picked yesterday. These days I need stuff like this. I originally got the seeds from my oldest brother's wife a couple years ago. It goes back to her grandmother, the late 1800d I think. Unnamed. It's literally a family heirloom.
August 21, 2025 at 12:28 AM
First heirloom tomato I picked yesterday. These days I need stuff like this. I originally got the seeds from my oldest brother's wife a couple years ago. It goes back to her grandmother, the late 1800d I think. Unnamed. It's literally a family heirloom.
Good morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area with steward Beckie Green & Amber Sproul. Notable was a monarch caterpillar on milkweed, spotted by Amber or Beckie. Also had blazing star, a goldfinch (my first sighting it there), wild senna & a cuckoo wasp, first for me anywhere I think.
August 19, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Good morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area with steward Beckie Green & Amber Sproul. Notable was a monarch caterpillar on milkweed, spotted by Amber or Beckie. Also had blazing star, a goldfinch (my first sighting it there), wild senna & a cuckoo wasp, first for me anywhere I think.
Joy this morning of working at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area with steward Beckie Green and Amber Sproul was obedient plants. We found a good number in bloom. We also saw lots of butterflies, especially monarchs and a few swallowtails.
August 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Joy this morning of working at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area with steward Beckie Green and Amber Sproul was obedient plants. We found a good number in bloom. We also saw lots of butterflies, especially monarchs and a few swallowtails.
Haven't pulled up memories like this from 40 years ago from Weeds' glory days with Sergio Mayora until tonight. Our second son, the drummer David, and friend Max of Tonsure brought it at the Drunken Donut in Joliet. Think fringe people, artists, artwork jammed in and musicians putting it down.
August 10, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Haven't pulled up memories like this from 40 years ago from Weeds' glory days with Sergio Mayora until tonight. Our second son, the drummer David, and friend Max of Tonsure brought it at the Drunken Donut in Joliet. Think fringe people, artists, artwork jammed in and musicians putting it down.
Something different tonight with my wife. We went to the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy at the Design Barn in Hebron Indiana. Well done, including aptly named cocktails between the four acts. Karyn's a Poe buff. As an English major, I love the concept. Interesting venue that I never heard of before.
July 26, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Something different tonight with my wife. We went to the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy at the Design Barn in Hebron Indiana. Well done, including aptly named cocktails between the four acts. Karyn's a Poe buff. As an English major, I love the concept. Interesting venue that I never heard of before.
American dagger moth caterpillar this morning on the sidewalk as Lady and I returned from our morning ramble. Had to look it up on Seek. Maybe I should think about restarting Ramble with Lady.
July 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
American dagger moth caterpillar this morning on the sidewalk as Lady and I returned from our morning ramble. Had to look it up on Seek. Maybe I should think about restarting Ramble with Lady.
Showy tick-trefoil was the highlight of this morning working at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. Well, that and sightings of three different monarchs.
July 22, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Showy tick-trefoil was the highlight of this morning working at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. Well, that and sightings of three different monarchs.
Keep your damn cats in the house. Reminded of that again tonight. While prepping to grill sausages and corn, I had a male & female cardinal doing distress calls. Looking around, I found two fledglings trying to go airborne. Fuss stopped when one of the neighborhood free-ranging house cats appeared.
July 20, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Keep your damn cats in the house. Reminded of that again tonight. While prepping to grill sausages and corn, I had a male & female cardinal doing distress calls. Looking around, I found two fledglings trying to go airborne. Fuss stopped when one of the neighborhood free-ranging house cats appeared.
As steward Beckie Green and I walked back from working this morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area, she spotted a monarch, my first of the year. Hard to believe, but I was able to be to walk up close and took some decent shot, decent at least by my standards.
July 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
As steward Beckie Green and I walked back from working this morning at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area, she spotted a monarch, my first of the year. Hard to believe, but I was able to be to walk up close and took some decent shot, decent at least by my standards.
Every couple months a S-T metro editor Saji Mathai and I meet to talk/eat. Tonight was Virtue in Hyde Park. Unbelievable. Starters were fried green tomatoes with shrimp & romoulade, gizzards & dirty rice, and biscuits with pimento cheese & honey. Main dishes: short ribs and drum, grits & etouffee.
July 11, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Every couple months a S-T metro editor Saji Mathai and I meet to talk/eat. Tonight was Virtue in Hyde Park. Unbelievable. Starters were fried green tomatoes with shrimp & romoulade, gizzards & dirty rice, and biscuits with pimento cheese & honey. Main dishes: short ribs and drum, grits & etouffee.
Yellow was the color of the week at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. Though I found a nice patch of purple prairie clover. Every Tuesday I work with steward Beckie Green and Amber Sproul. It's very rewarding, even when a red-winged blackbird sasses from six feet away.
July 9, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Yellow was the color of the week at Rock Creek Wildflower and Pollinator Area. Though I found a nice patch of purple prairie clover. Every Tuesday I work with steward Beckie Green and Amber Sproul. It's very rewarding, even when a red-winged blackbird sasses from six feet away.