BUFFALO ROCK STATE PARK

My first appointment on Tuesday was at 8:30AM in Morton, Illinois (Peoria area) and my customer was right on time and it was close to 11:00AM when I was finished. My second appointment was in LaSalle Illinois which is right on Route 80 which cuts through the northern part of the state. By 3:30 PM I was finished and headed to Buffalo Rock State Park. This park turned out to be very small, and many of the forested trails were closed. I hiked one loop inside the park and then exited the park and walked across the street to a part of the I&M Canal Trail. The I&M trail runs about 90 miles. I entered the trail and hiked about 3.5 miles west, before I turned around and hiked the 3.5 miles back east to re-enter Buffalo Rock State Park, complete my days hike, retrieve my car, all before sunset. When I was done, I had logged 9 miles. 

from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:

Buffalo Rock State Park is located on a bluff which once was an island in the Illinois River. Now standing majestically on the north bank, this promontory affords a magnificent, sweeping view of the Illinois River. Located approximately 3 miles west of Ottawa in LaSalle County, this 298-acre park has long been a favorite picnic area, as well as a nature lovers’ delight. The area of Buffalo Rock was the home of the Illinois Indians when Louis Jolliet, the French explorer, and the Jesuit missionary priest Father Jacques Marquette made their trip up the Illinois River in 1673. Later, the Illinois tribe was virtually annihilated in protracted warfare with the aggressive Iroquois.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Baymont Hotel Scrambled Eggs w/two Sausages	500	0	0	0	0	0
	500	0	0	0	0	0
L U N C H
Subway - Chicken Chopped Salad	220	10	5	36	490	4
Landshire Sandwiches - Ham & Cheese Wedge	260	32	8	18	1,240	7
	480	42	13	54	1,730	11
D I N N E R
Eel and Avocodo Sushi Roll	400	33	18	22	0	0
	400	33	18	22	0	0
S N A C K S
Cliff Builder's 20g Protein Bar Chocolate Mint	270	30	9	20	200	21
Fresh Thyme - Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites	200	21	13	2	25	18
General Mills - Pumpkin Spice Cheerios	150	30	3	3	163	11
	620	81	25	25	388	50
Totals	2,000	156	56	101	2,118	61
Your Daily Goal	3,240	405	108	163	2,300	121
Remaining	1,240	249	52	62	182	60
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,310 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 215.1 lbs in 5 weeks     

PROPHETSTOWN STATE PARK

After my last appointment on Friday in a northwest suburb of Indianapolis, I headed home to Chicago. I was still trying to figure out where I might stop for a final hike before returning home when I passed a sign for Prophetstown State Park. Problem solved.

Indiana’s newest state park (2004), Prophetstown is located where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash near the town of Battle Ground northeast of Lafayette. The park's landscape has been shaped by ice from glaciers, moving water, fire and human hands that helped maintain the vast tall prairie grass. Native American people hunted and lived along the two rivers for thousands of years.

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My attempt to photograph the moon in the background.

Your Food Diary For:

Friday, November 11, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker Apples Cinnamon Oatmeal	650	135	8	15	800	45
Kellogg's - Raisin Bran Crunch	380	90	2	8	400	38
	1,030	225	10	23	1,200	83
L U N C H
Subway  Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar	210	27	9	4	320	3
Subway Footlong Turkey Breast	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
Fit Crunch Choc Chip Cookie Dough	380	27	16	30	320	6
	1,150	146	42	70	2,530	20
D I N N E R
Jimmy John Thinny Chips	260	40	10	4	190	4
Jimmy John's  Bootlegger, 1 sandwich	684	67	24	42	1,660	0
Whey Protein Bar Chocolate Chip	360	42	12	20	160	29
	1,304	149	46	66	2,010	33
Totals	3,484	520	98	159	5,740	136
Your Daily Goal	3,483	435	116	175	2,300	130
Remaining	-1	-85	18	16	-3,440	-6
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,553 extra calories from exercise today

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, November 11, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
TEN MILE HIKE PROPHETSTOWN STATE PARK	145	1,778
Daily Total / Goal	145 / 30	1,778 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	859 / 210	12,015 / 4,130

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This information comes from In.gov

The park is named for a Native American village located between the rivers established by Tecumseh, who was Shawnee, and his brother Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) in 1808. Tecumseh led his band there from Ohio, where pressure from white settlers had forced him to leave. Tecumseh believed the only way to repel the advance of European settlement was to form an alliance with other tribes. He traveled widely persuading tribes to join his coalition. More than 14 tribes set aside centuries-old disputes to stop their common enemy. They met at Prophetstown, and heard The Prophet speak. Tecumseh anticipated their sheer numbers would be enough to stop the westward settlement.

William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, was alarmed by the numbers at Prophetstown, and moved 1,200 troops to the site while Tecumseh was south gathering additional support. Wanting to avoid a fight, yet fearing an attack, The Prophet decided to strike first in the early morning hours of Nov. 7, 1811. The battle lasted two hours. As darkness faded, the villagers withdrew through the marsh back to Prophetstown, then fled to Wildcat Creek. Harrison's men burned Prophetstown to the ground.

It is interesting to me that I just happened to visit this park, only one week after a new monument dedicated to the Indian tribes native to this land was dedicated.

from WLFI.com

Circle of Stones dedicated in Prophetstown State Park

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BATTLE GROUND, Ind. (WLFI) — A dedication ceremony was held Friday in Prophetstown State Park to honor native Americans.

The Circle of Stones is a monument made of 14 stones bearing the names of tribes native to the Prophetstown area. Thirteen of the 14 stones have a name of a well-known tribe that was around during the founding of Prophetstown. The 14th stone recognizes all of the tribes and people that were not documented by history.

Representatives from those native tribes and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources spoke about the site and its importance. The dedication was a celebration of both the native people and the 100th birthday of the state park system.

“I really feel like anyone standing on the Circle of Stones today, and looking out over this beautiful prairie, can’t help but appreciate the land — the way it looked, the importance of that land to the people at that time, and the importance of the land to the people today both native and non-native,” said Vicki Basman, chief of interpretation for the Indiana State Parks’ division of DNR.

The ceremony closed with the release of a wild eagle. The eagle had been rehabilitating for months, after contracting West Nile Virus.

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This dedication was only seven days prior to my visit.

Most of my hiking yesterday was on the far eastern end of the park, Trail 2,Trail 3 and Trail 4

SATURDAY MORNING... WEIGHDAY
222.7 LBS

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CHICAGO CUBS WORLD SERIES FEVER TRAIL

Each of my hikes 'need' a theme, mostly because it amuses me. (I am easily amused.) Yesterday's theme was an urban hike that created its own trail of Chicago Cubs World Series Fever related points of interest. There were three highlights of this imaginary trail that I hiked in yesterday's cold and windy day, which turned into a cold, windy and rainy day. I was 'rescued' by my wife after I had hiked ten miles. My clothing was wet, although my new waterproof hiking shoes kept my feet dry and my spirit remained undampened. First stop along this 'trail' was Daley Plaza.

Daley Plaza's fountain is bright blue for the Cubs. The fountain outside the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., was dyed blue at the start of the National League Division Series.  The fountain is scheduled to remain blue as long as the Cubs are playing. With their win in Game 2 of the World Series, the season is now guaranteed to extend at least three more games.

The next stop on this Chicago Cubs World Series Fever Trail was the Willis Tower. You might recognize the previous name of this skyscraper - Sears Tower.  As the Cubs are playing in the World Series, it made sense to visit the giant globe at the base of the Willis Tower. The 2016 Major League Baseball World Champions will either reside in Chicago or Cleveland - we will know in about one week. Flying nearby are blue "W" (win) flags and Chicago Cubs flags. Willis Tower has the fever.

The Willis Tower Globe was installed in January 2010 in front of the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. The 25 foot diameter globe was made by the Poblocki Sign Company entirely out of 316 stainless steel, which was rolled, coped and fully welded at each intersection.

Although in Game 1 of the World Series, the Chicago Cubs' bats were silenced, they do have a powerful lineup capable of scoring lots of runs. This brings us to the third and final stop along my imaginary Chicago Cubs World Series Fever Trail - Batcolumn

It would be difficult to find a bat bigger than 'Batcolumn'

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet	300	66	0	6	930	0
	300	66	0	6	930	0
L U N C H
Grilled Whitefish	300	0	13	43	113	0
Buttered Cabbage	150	6	14	2	120	4
Brussel Sprouts - Roasted	150	11	10	5	435	3
Garlic Tofu	200	10	10	15	565	4
Clif Bar - Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch	260	42	7	10	200	20
	1,060	69	54	75	1,433	31
D I N N E R
Chipotle - Burrito: Shredded Beef, Black Beans, Cheese	1,000	104	37	68	2,367	1
Nestle - Dark Chocolate Bar	300	31	18	4	0	0
Milano - Cookies, 3 cookies	180	21	10	2	80	11
	1,480	156	65	74	2,447	12
S N A C K S
Dark Chocolate Bar With Mint	440	40	36	6	0	22
	440	40	36	6	0	22
Totals	3,280	331	155	161	4,810	65
Your Daily Goal	4,221	527	140	212	2,300	158
Remaining	941	196	-15	51	-2,510	93
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 2,291 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 202.9 lbs in 5 weeks.
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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
10 MILE URBAN HIKE	118	2,291
Daily Total / Goal	118 / 30	2,291 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	517 / 210	9,429 / 4,130

WORLD SERIES FEVER

I used to be New York Yankees fan. I kinda think that I still am a Yankees fan. Yet, this year the only player that I was able to name on the team - Alex Rodriguez - I despised.  In recent years, I would settle crank up my interest in baseball when the Yankees were in the playoffs. It's been a bit quite in October in recent years. Now in my adopted hometown of Chicago - the Cubs, yes the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series. I watched my first game of the season on Saturday night as the Cubs clinched the pennant. Local TV media went wild and pre-empted all local broadcasting. It's the kind of thing that would usually be reserved for an imminent meteor strike heading towards downtown. I suppose Cub pennants are an equally likely occurrence. I am officially on board the Cubs bandwagon.  They have four more wins to achieve the greatness that has eluded them for 108 years. Go Cubs!
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Prices have increased a bit since the 1908 World Series

The resale market for Chicago Cubs World Series tickets at Wrigley Field seems a bit enthusiastic for Game 3.  These are the LOWEST ASKING PRICES for tickets as of October 23 @ 7PM Central Time on Stub Hub. These prices may go up or down depending on supply and demand. Me personally, if I were to pay $2,235.90 for a ticket I might expect to have an actual seat - but these tickets are for Standing Room Only. On the other hand, I suppose I could get some steps in while I tried to keep warm during a chilly October night. Can you imagine how much tickets will be traded for, for any potential World Series Clinching game? I'll keep myself updated... and you too.

from baseball-almanc.com

The Cubs became the first team to record three consecutive World Series appearances and two consecutive World Series victories with both championship wins coming off the heels of a record one-hundred sixteen victory season of 1906. In 1908, Chicago's West Side franchise was more than just a winning baseball team, they had just become sports first official "dynasty".

The thing about dynasties... they tend to end. For example, the Ming Dynasty. That only lasted for nearly 300 years - and then poof - no more Mings. The Cubs dynasty lasted 3 years. It was a good run. Might be time to crank up a new one. 

2016 World Series Schedule

Game	Date	Time (ET)	Home Team	TV
1	Tue, Oct. 25	8 p.m.	Cleveland Indians	Fox
2	Wed, Oct. 26	8 p.m.	Cleveland Indians	Fox
3	Fri, Oct. 28	8 p.m.	Chicago Cubs	Fox
4	Sat, Oct. 29	8 p.m.	Chicago Cubs	Fox
5	Sun, Oct. 30*	8 p.m.	Chicago Cubs	Fox
6	Tue, Nov. 1*	8 p.m.	Cleveland Indians	Fox
7	Wed, Nov. 2*	8 p.m.	Cleveland Indians	Fox

      Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, October 23, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese	425	0	21	28	650	2
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon	120	0	9	9	525	0
Honey Nut Toasted Oats	600	120	5	10	950	55
	1,145	120	35	47	2,125	57
L U N C H
Hot Dog With Bun (2)	580	0	0	0	0	0
Homemade German Chocolate Cake	300	16	26	6	207	5
Read - 3 Bean Salad	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
	1,180	81	26	11	1,707	45
D I N N E R
Homemade Broccoli Chicken Casserole, 2 cup	600	38	16	62	1,392	0
	600	38	16	62	1,392	0
Totals	2,925	239	77	120	5,224	102
Your Daily Goal	3,084	385	102	155	2,300	115
Remaining	159	146	25	35	-2,924	13
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,154 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 210.5 lbs in 5 weeks.

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	99	1,154
Daily Total / Goal	99 / 30	1,154 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1205 / 210	14,558 / 4,130

Throughout the day, I thought I would skip a day of workouts...that is, until 10PM .  At that time, I did decide that it was time to jump onto the elliptical machine 99 minutes.  At 9:55PM when I glanced at my fitbit, it indicated an accumulated total of ZERO minutes of activity and a grand total of 2634 steps. That was simply unacceptable. Perhaps if I had walked around the corner, or gone anywhere for any reason, maybe I could have skipped a day.  Seriously, I did more steps per day when I was recovering from my hernia surgery.

99 minute workout on the elliptical machine at 10PM burned 1154 calories

from wikipedia.com

The Ming dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China—then known as the Empire of the Great Ming—for 276 years (1368–1644) following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history,"^[ was the last imperial dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese.