This isn't California
One of my favorite non-birding pursuits is running. And to be clear—at 10 minutes per mile—I won’t be threatening Roger Bannister any time soon.
Running and birding are great complementary activities. Sometime it’s possible to bird AND run but usually it amounts to no more than a few species. Though I remember clearly encountering a Sedge Wren during a run near Montrose Harbor a few years ago.
When I don’t go running, I often go birding. When I don’t go birding, I’m often running.
Both pursuits are more challenging in winter, though not impossible. If we have enough snow, I might transition to cross-country skiing. If not, I’ll stick to running, especially if the temperature is in the teens or above.
A couple of winters ago, I was running along Milwaukee Avenue on a frigid day. This was past Duke’s, out by Bob-O’s, and not far from Superdawg (hot dog stands are landmarks if not monuments on the Northwest Side).
I saw an older man walk out of the McDonald’s on Milwaukee Avenue, a corporate counterpoint to our beloved purveyors of Vienna’s finest beef.
He looked in my direction and remarked loudly, with a bit of good humor:
“This isn’t California!”
I wasn’t exactly in running shorts, but perhaps the visage of someone jogging in the cold elicited the comment.
I laughed and moved on, running around Superdawg and turning east at Devon. I think I said something like, “No, it isn’t,” as visions of Venice Beach and Hollywood Boulevard manifested themselves.
The thing is, the old guy was right. This isn’t California. It’s Chicago. In winter. It’s a time best often spent focused on indoor pursuits. Though the occasional outdoor forays are all the more gratifying. Looking ahead at another dreary forecast, it’s time to make plans for spring migration. It’s time to scan local waterways for hearty ducks and geese. Time to be alone in woods and prairie.
As the annum begins, it’s best to remember this isn’t California. And in reality that’s a good thing. We get to enjoy what each of four seasons bring us every year. It makes those first mild days, spring migrants, and early blooms all the more enjoyable.
This isn’t California, and I like it that way.
OMG Bob, we have yet another thing in common -- I'm a runner, too! I go between 5.5 to 7 miles every other morning, at a pace only SLIGHTLY faster than yours. And of course I'm birding too, mostly by ear. Two days ago I saw a red fox!