Wednesday, August 31, 2016

BONG RECREATION AREA




Seriously, did you think that I would be blogging about some drug frenzied exploits using a bong? Just to set the record straight, I do not do any drugs. No part of my recreational activity yesterday included smoking any substance, not even a cigarette, and I especially did not use a bong. Before I proceed, are we clear on this? Yes? Good. Now I can continue. Yesterday, I was at the BONG RECREATION AREA in Brighton, Wisconsin. 

After an appointment in Burlington, Wisconsin, I decided to finally visit the Bong Recreational Area that I have passed countless times on the Interstate that leads from Chicago to Milwaukee. This State Recreation Area is used for camping and swimming and hiking among other activities.  The park is named after a man named, Richard Bong. 

from wikipedia....
Richard Bong State Recreation Area is a 4,515-acre (1,827 ha) unit of the state park system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located in the town of Brighton, in Kenosha County. This managed prairie contains 8.3 miles (13 km) of mountain bike trails. Other recreational activities include high power rocketry, swimming, dogsleddingfalconryATV sports, land sailinghorseback ridinghuntingfishing, camping with amenities, and ultralight aviation. There is a wildlife preserve where great egretssandhill cranes, and great blue herons are known to nest.
The park is on land once intended for the Richard Bong Air Force Base, whose namesake is World War II veteran aviator Maj. Richard Ira Bong. Part of what was intended to be the 12,500-foot (3,800 m) main airstrip is still visible from aerial photos of the site.
Largely due to its name's coincidental allusions to marijuana use, Bong Recreation Area is a frequent target of sign theft. This has led to the manufacturing of T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing the highway exit sign.
I spotted this curious sign nearly 25 years ago when I first moved to the midwest.  I remember thinking that the word 'bong' must have a different meaning than the one that I was more familiar with. In fact, that is the case. I visited this Nature Preserve for the very first time yesterday. 
I was thoroughly enjoying my hike, until around the the time I was completing my 8th mile, the temperature dropped, the skies darkened and it started pouring.  This was the first time that I truly found myself in the middle of nowhere during a hard rain. What to do? I got wet. I returned to my car and drove back to Chicago, for much of the trip I had the heater on to warm up..






This was the biggest mushroom that I have ever seen. I photographed it with my hiking boot to give an indication of its size.

Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST Calories
kcal
Carbs
g
Fat
g
Protein
g
Sodium
mg
Sugar
g
Roundys - Creamy Wheat - Enriched Farina 480 100 0 16 340 4
Quaker - Chewy Granola 90 Calories, 2 bar 180 38 4 2 160 14
Take 5 - Protein Bar, 1 package (2 bars) 200 25 11 4 180 18

860 163 15 22 680 36
L U N C H
Special K - Protein Meal Bar Chocolate 170 23 6 12 250 15
UNSWEETENED BANANA CHIPS 200 19 12 2 6 1
DARK COCOA MELT WAFERS 400 44 24 5 82 38

770 86 42 19 338 54
D I N N E R
Crystal Farms -Diced Potatoes 160 38 0 4 340 0
Johnsonville - Polish Kielbasa Sausage 340 4 30 14 1,140 2
Earthbound Farm organic baby spinach 40 6 0 4 130 0
Tomatoes - 3 Cherry Tomatoes 24 0 0 0 0 3
Trader Joe's Sauerkraut - Sauerkraut 25 10 0 0 1,000 0

589 58 30 22 2,610 5
S N A C K S
Doughnut 250 51 25 5 0 0

250 51 25 5 0 0
Totals 2,469 358 112 68 3,628 95
Your Daily Goal 3,344 418 111 168 2,300 125
Remaining 875 60 -1 100 -1,328 30
Calories
kcal
Carbs
g
Fat
g
Protein
g
Sodium
mg
Sugar
g
*You've earned 1,414 extra calories from exercise today
If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 191.5 lbs in 5 weeks     

.

       Your Exercise Diary for:


Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
8.44 MILE HIKE
130 1,414

   
Daily Total / Goal 130 / 30 1,414 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 275 / 210 3,601 / 4,130
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informal definition of a 'bong'

a device made of clay, ceramic, plastic tubing or PVC, glass, a two liter coke bottles, or any other man made or fabricated substance that is normally filled with water to smoke marijuanna with; can be of varying lengths and sizes.

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I had no reason to be surprised that I was caught in a rainstorm.  The prediction when my hike began was very gloomy.

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