SPELUNKER

It might be a bit of a reach for me to call myself a spelunker, as the cave that I explored yesterday during a hike at Perry Farm Park after my appointment in Bourbonnais, Illinois was only about 20 feet deep, but is's the only cave that I know of within many miles of Chicago, so for me, this is spelunking.

I hiked Perry Farm Park once before and saw this same cave. For yesterday's visit I was prepared with my flashlight and walking stick.  With the illumination from my flashlight I was able to take a proper selfie by balancing the phone on a ledge and using the automatic timer. 

from Merriam-Webster.com

SPELUNKER: one who makes a hobby of exploring, studying caves. 

Spelunker sounds like the noise a pebble makes when you drop it down a deep hole and into dark, hidden water far below. But there's nothing dark or obscure about the etymology of the term. We borrowed "spelunker" from Latin spelunca, which in turn derives from Greek spelynx. When you get to the bottom of things, you find that both the Latin and Greek words mean "cave." Although "spelunker" might sound neat, be careful: some cave-exploring enthusiasts prefer the term "caver."

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Eggs - Poached, 4	300	2	20	26	599	2
C2o - Coconut Water With Pulp	200	52	0	0	300	48
	500	54	20	26	899	50
L U N C H
Baby Spinach	50	8	0	5	0	0
Trader Joe's Water Crackers, 12	180	36	3	6	120	0
	230	44	3	11	930	0
D I N N E R
Weight Watcher's  Cabbage Soup	300	31	1	7	235	17
Pork Italian Style Meatball,  3	320	4	25	19	840	1
	620	35	26	26	1,075	18
S N A C K S
Colby & Monterey Jack cheese	160	0	14	10	260	0
Trader Joe's - Mango O's	250	50	3	6	198	15
	410	50	17	16	458	15
Totals	1,760	183	66	79	3,362	83
Your Daily Goal	3,150	394	105	158	2,300	118
Remaining	1,390	211	39	79	-1,062	35
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,220 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 218.8 lbs in 5 weeks     

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December 20, 2016 was my first visit to this same  cave.  It was a bit colder that day!

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INDIAN CAVES

Natural Cave, maybe 20 feet deep into the rocks

Yesterday I had an appointment to sell fabric at a store in Bourbonnais, Illinois (approximately 50 miles from Chicago)  During my visit I let my customer know that I planned to take hike somewhere nearby before darkness set in)  My customer recommended that I visit the Indian Caves. I parked at Perry Farm Park and set out to see the caves.  I found only one small cave.  I believe that the other cave(s) were accessed by climbing down from the ravine that led to the creek. I did some exploring and after my feet broke through ice and got completely soaked, I lost some of my adventuresome spirit. I did see one cave that was visible from the trail and took a bunch of photos. The temperature seemed warm compared to my 3 mile hike on Sunday morning when it was -2F. Yesterday the temperature was a relative balmy 28°F.  It was plenty cold, and I was wearing 6 layers of clothing and brought better gloves with me. The hike was completed when I had travelled 6 miles.

Recommended parking is located at the Cavalier de LaSalle Park to the North, but is also available at the main parking area for the Perry Farm just off of Kennedy Dr. (Rt. 45) or at Lavesseur Park to the South. 



from geocaching.com

Before this area was settled by pioneers, Native Americans resided here for many centuries along the banks of what is now known as the Kankakee River. The Potawatomi Indians who called this place home actually called the River the "Theatiki", which only through a series of mispronunciations and misspellings became known by the settlers as the "Kankakee" River.

The Bourbonnais Geologic area, locally known as the Indian Caves, is located within the Perry Farm Park along the Kankakee River. The geological area includes the Bourbonnais Creek and ravine and covers approximately 30 acres of land. This area features a dolomite cliff and cave community, rare in the State of Illinois. On September 16, 1996, Governor Jim Edgar authorized the dedication of the Bourbonnais Geologic Area as an Illinois Nature Preserve in an attempt to protect it against vandalism and other destructive activities. It is open year round and its public use is limited to walking, exploring, and observing nature. Please remember to take care when exploring the cliff and creek areas and to take care of this rare natural resource.

The Indian Caves at this site are small, narrow caves that are readily accessible for exploration only to the most daring adventurers. The deepest of the caves is only about 20 feet deep, and requires entry through a very narrow crevice in the rock. Access to the caves can most easily be obtained by venturing back to the trail from the posted coordinates, walking North across the bridge spanning the creek, and following the dirt trail up and over the cliffs to the East. From there it will be evident how to get down into the ravine and ultimately to the caves. You can also follow the trail to the ENE of the posted coordinates, but the trail is not quite as defined and the climb may be a bit steeper..

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This is from inside a small cave that was easy to find.

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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese, 3 eggs	425	0	21	28	650	2
Essential Everyday - Butter Flavored Grits	500	105	5	10	1,700	5
Quest bar - cinnamon	170	23	7	20	200	1
	1,095	128	33	58	2,550	8
L U N C H
Ham, Turkey, & Cheese on Honey Wheat Bread	620	68	22	44	2,900	16
Fit Crunch - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bar	380	27	16	30	320	6
	1,000	95	38	74	3,220	22
D I N N E R
Taco Bell - Hard Shell Taco	850	60	50	40	1,550	5
	850	60	50	40	1,550	5
S N A C K S
DARK COCOA MELTING WAFERS	660	72	39	9	135	63
	660	72	39	9	135	63
Totals	3,605	355	160	181	7,455	98
Your Daily Goal	2,840	355	94	143	2,300	106
Remaining	-765	0	-66	-38	-5,155	8
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Bourbonnais Six Mile Hike	102	910
Elliptical Trainer	97	921
Daily Total / Goal	200 / 30	1,532 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	340 / 210	3,557 / 4,130

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I found this on wikipedia regarding the pronunciation of Bourbonnais.

Pronunciation

The original French pronunciation of Bourbonnais came to be Anglicized over time to /bɜːrˈboʊnᵻs/ bər-boh-nəs. In 1974 a state representative from Bourbonnais introduced a resolution "correcting" the pronunciation of the town's name to /bɜːrbəˈneɪ/ burr-bə-nay, closer to the French.

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Although it was cold hiking through the ice and snow on the trails, I kept warm as I was wearing six different layers of clothing.

I HIKE, THEREFORE I AM

On June 10th I visited Kankakee State Park for the first time and hiked along the southern part of the trail that shadows the river. Yesterday I had another appointment with another customer nearby and returned to the park and hiked the northern part of the same trail. I discovered parts of the trail that were deep in the forested area. The weather was just about perfect and the hike was terrific. That hike that I made last October to the peak of Half Dome in Yosemite truly changed my life. I have developed a love of hiking. There is simply nothing better than strapping on my backpack loaded with a few liters of flavored coconut water and some apples and setting forth to see parts of the world that for the previous 58 years of my life have been invisible to me. I hike, therefore I am.

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The Kankakee River is hiding in the background of this photo.

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Kankakee River

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I was definitely enjoying myself on this trail... This was my effort to produce the biggest smile that I am capable of making. Why do I look at this picture of myself and think of the term: grinning idiot?

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My wife made a most delicious meal last evening - homemade enchilladas.  Enchiladas are something that I usually order once per year, every year, in Houston, Texas while attending the International Quilt Market. Year after year, it is one of the best meals of the year. Last evenings meal was just as good! I know it would be helpful if I knew the name of this Houston eatery that I am raving about, but I don't. I promise to take note of the name when I return this October.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, June 24, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese	400	1	30	40	1,225	0
Grits	200	44	3	4	620	2
Malt-o-meal Cereal - Honey Nut	120	24	2	3	210	9
	720	69	35	47	2,055	11
L U N C H
Pineapples - Pineapples, 2 Cup	172	33	0	2	2	33
Roast Beef w/American Cheese	360	42	10	27	740	7
Red Delicious Apple, 3 medium apple	285	75	1	2	5	57
	817	150	11	31	747	97
D I N N E R
Homemade - Enchilladas	900	97	21	80	2,159	0
Avocado	250	13	22	3	11	1
	1,150	110	43	83	2,170	1
S N A C K S
Landshire Ham & Cheese Wedge	260	32	8	18	1,240	7
	260	32	8	18	1,240	7
Totals	2,947	361	97	179	6,212	116
Your Daily Goal	3,913	489	130	196	2,300	146
Remaining	966	128	33	16	-3,912	30
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,983 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

      Friday, June 24, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	192	1,929
Walking	61	520
Daily Total / Goal	253 / 30	2,449 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	713 / 210	7,137 / 4,130

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After dinner, my daughter wanted to go to Target to pick up a small treasure. As long as she was agreeable to walking there, she had a very willing companion. 

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Something about this spot I found overlooking the river reminded of the INTO DARKNESS movie poster. (Is it still considered a 'selfie' if the photo is taken with a timer with no human behind the lens?)

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A more relaxed photo taken at the same place as my 'Into Darkness' photo. You cannot imagine how scary this ledge really was overlooking the Kankakee Rivers from 50 or 60 feet above the riverbank. This would have been an amazingly cool spot to take a photo from a different angle and at some distance if someone had been with me and could have captured just how isolated this rock bluff was. I remember precisely where this was on the trail - a place worth returning to sometime in the future.

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Weather conditions for this TWELVE MILE, THREE HOUR HIKE were just about perfect! Although it was actually 81°F  one can clearly see that with the wind blowing from the East at 6mph, it felt like 82°F!

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and finally....Saturday morning is time for my weekly weigh-in...232.5 lbs.  This is only .4 lbs down from last week. I would have preferred to see a bigger downward movement.  On the other hand, if I were to lose .4 pounds every week for 52 weeks -  I would drop 20 pounds over the course of one year. The important thing for me to remember is that this is a long distance race with no finish line - not a sprint. 

KANKAKEE RIVER STATE PARK BIKE HIKE TRAIL

There are not too many effective ways of avoiding rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon in Chicago. Yesterday I found one way to do it. After finishing my last appointment on in Mahomet, Illinois, I was headed home. On the way home I stopped at Kankakee River State Park and found a trail which followed the path of the Kankakee River. I parked my car. I walked 5 miles in a northwesterly direction and simply turned around and retraced my steps and walked 5 miles back to the car. By the time I arrived home, I missed most of the Chicago Friday afternoon traffic. 

I snapped this photo right before I turned around and headed back to the car

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Considering that the official start of summer is still  more than 10 days away, the temperature of 93° seemed a bit on the warm side when I started my ten mile hike.  However, the 'wind chill' made it seem like 97°!

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, June 10, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Clover Valley - 100% Whole Wheat Bread	240	44	2	16	440	4
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet	300	66	0	6	930	0
Nice! - Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 Tbsp	180	8	15	7	130	3
Smucker's - Concord Grape - Jelly, 2 Tbsp	100	26	0	0	10	24
	820	144	17	29	1,510	31
L U N C H
Subway - Footlong Steak Cheese, 1 footlong	760	96	20	52	2,060	16
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	950	146	21	53	2,064	54
D I N N E R
Organic baby spinach	40	6	0	4	130	0
Asparagus	23	3	0	3	510	0
Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes	24	0	0	0	0	3
Imitation Crab Stick	90	15	0	7	350	2
Breaded Pork Chops	315	11	21	20	62	1
	492	35	21	34	1,052	6
S N A C K S
Crunchy Oats N Honey, 3 bars	285	44	9	6	240	18
Chips Ahoy - Chunky Chocolate Chip	240	30	12	3	165	18
Keebler - Elfudge, 1 cookie	85	13	4	1	50	6
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew	180	22	9	4	20	14
	790	108	34	14	475	56
Totals	3,052	433	92	130	5,101	147
Your Daily Goal	4,535	567	151	227	2,300	170
Remaining	1,483	133	58	97	-2,800	23
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,605 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, June 10, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	133	1,927
Walking	75	765
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-87
Daily Total / Goal	209 / 30	2,605 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1065 / 210	13,570 / 4,130

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S A T U R D A Y  W E I G H  I N

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231.9 pounds

I am now down ten pounds from my recent high point on May 7th when I was on the 'dl' (disabled list) from the hernia.  From my initial starting point of 309 lbs on December 24th, 2014, I am down 77.1 pounds. Just this past week I successfully shed 3.3 pounds.  IT WAS EASY!  All I had to do was keep my daily caloric intake to about 3000, and walk more than 70 miles!  (Ok, I lied, it was not easy) The 'easier' way would have been to cut down on my calories far below 3000 per day. You know what? This is more or less 'working' for me - so I will stick to it...

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