A Trip Back Kind of Weekend-- Part 3: Confederates in Illinois, the Ribbon Road, Oktoberfest and Fireworks

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Drove to DeKalb, Illinois for the Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting and lunch at Rosita's on Lincoln Highway between our Camp Douglas Camp and the Rock Island Camp.  Confederates this far north!!  We also had quite a few members of the Sons of Union Veterans in attendance as well.  We heard an excellent presentation on the role of religion during the Civil War.

Afterwards, I took a ride on what used to be a ribbon road in DeKalb County, now Il-23 between DeKalb and Waterman and until this summer was called the worst road in DeKalb County because they had simply paved over the old ribbon road (9 feet wide which caused a whole lot of potholes.  I also drove through Elva, a town south of DeKalb that was started by barbed wire inventor Joseph Glidden and named for his daughter.

Stopped at Wal-Mart on Il-23 on the way back and loaded up on NIU stuff.

Liz and I went to McHenry for the St. Patrick's Church Oktoberfest and enjoyed brats and the bands.  Then over to Sunnyside where we saw the fireworks display from the Celebration in the Park of Johnsburg.  The park is right next to Sunnyside.  They had a good band there as well.

A Long Day.  --RoadDog

About Last Weekend-- Part 3: Got My Civil War On

JUNE 24, SATURDAY

I was sorry to find out that today's Saturday Morning Flashback on WXRT, 93.1 FM was going to be Wendy Rice's last one.  She has been a Saturday morning fixture in my life for many, many years, especially when she would do the 1967 to 1973 shows.  I sure had to listen to this one.  Fortunately, two other XRT deejays will be taking turns hosting it from now on.

I drove to Crystal Lake, Illinois, for the McHenry Civil War Round Table discussion group meeting at Panera Bread where today's topic was Confederate Generals (Other Than Lee and Jackson).

Afterwards, I drove to Moretti's in Lake In the Hills, Illinois, for the lunch put on by the Camp Douglas Camp 506 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  Our group is named in honor of the Southerners held and who died  (some 6,000) at Chicago's infamous Camp Douglas.

We have hit on hard times lately because our membership is spread over almost a hundred miles which makes meetings too difficult to attend, but now it seems that we are back on track with a new commander and direction.  And, considering how much Confederate hatred there is today, something needed to protect their good name.

Stopped at several flower places on the way back home.

I enjoyed the Ultimate Jukebox at Margaritaville (Our downstairs bar) in the evening.

--RoadDog

Busy Weekend Last Weekend

NOVEMBER 11, FRIDAY--  We missed the Veterans Day ceremony at the Fox Lake train depot because of dentist appointments.  In the afternoon, we had Greg's 65th birthday party at Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg, with entertainment by Jim Sieg.

NOVEMBER 12, SATURDAY--  I went to the Marine Corps Birthday and Toys for Tots kickoff at the Fox Lake American Legion. Then I drove to DeKalb, Illinois, for the joint SCV camp meeting (Rock Island Prison and Camp Douglas) at Ellwood Steak House and heard a talk by Jim Barr on the Confederacy in Illinois.

Came home and watched Palatine High School win its quarter final game in the IHSA football playoffs.  Never thought I'd see Palatine on TV.

We then went to the American Legion in Fox Lake and enjoyed the music of the Lakes Area Swing Band playing all that Big Band music.

NOVEMBER 13, SUNDAY--  We went to Squaw Bar and met the Usual Suspects and saw the first half of the sorry Bears game.  We then went to Sunnyside for the second half and then to Oak Park Lounge for their chili cookoff and then back to Sunnyside.

Love That Marine SOS.  --RoadDog

Camp Douglas SCV Meeting Today

I am a member of the Camp Douglas Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) located here in the Chicago area.  It is the first SCV camp in Illinois, founded back in the 1980s by Andy Wilson.  I was a charter member.  The name comes from the infamous Union prison camp in Chicago where more than 6,000 Confederates died.

The number of the camp was changed to reflect another previous Chicago SCV camp that had been extinct for many years.

A big problem with having a camp here in northeast Illinois is the large area the camp covers, making for some really long drives.  Nowadays, the camp has alternating meeting sites with the one closest to me in Des Plaines, Illinois, about 40 miles away.

I usually don't go because of the distance and city driving (and the gas prices).  But, because gas is considerably cheaper (but rising) I plan on going today.

I am also a member of the Sons of the American Legion of the Chain of Lakes Post 703 here in Fox Lake.

A real Son For Ya.  --RoadDog

Time for Route 66, the Civil War and History

Springfield here we come.  SCV meeting tomorrow and all that good Mother Road cruising on the way down.

Hoping we don't encounter much in the way of flooding as we really got drenched the last two days.

Looking quite overcast and weather reports call for a possibility of rain or SNOW!!!  Yuck.  It won't be a great day for 66 cruising, but even a bad day on Route 66 is better than a good day at work.  Even if you don't work "no more."

Cozy Dog here I Come.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  Headlines--  Energizer Bunny Arrested!!  Charged with Battery!!!

Fighting the Civil War, Eating BBQ, and Going Back to the 60s

Saturday and Sunday, I helped man the Camp Douglas Sons of Confederate Veterans tent at the Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda, Illinois, for the 18th annual Civil War Days. Camp Douglas was an infamous prison in Chicago where over 6,000 Confederates died after being incarcerated there.

We did quite well in the recruiting area, with three new members (remember, it's not easy recruiting behind enemy lines) and about six possibles. Plus, I was happy to hear the Confederation in Illinois might be growing two more camps, one in Rockford and another in Peoria.

I saw two battle re-enactments and definitely had to keep an eye out where you walked because of all the horses.

Saturday evening, Camp Douglas had a fantastic barbecue out at Compatriot Mark's farm west of Marengo. And then, there was that smoother-than-smooth "recipe" moonshine which we all enjoyed. One of the member's daughters did not know what a live turkey looked like (well, city gal, you know). These turkeys were descendants of the ones the Pilgrims brought.

I will have more about Civil War Days in my Civil War Blog: http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com


SUNDAY: THE WAR AND THE BAND

Sunday, I was back there again, and after breaking camp, Liz and I went to Peterson Park in McHenry for Fiesta Days and saw the 1960s-1970s band, Berwyn's Pride and Joy, the Ides of March, who had hits with "You Wouldn't Listen," "LA Goodbye," and "Vehicle."

Then, member Jim Peterik had success writing with .38 Special and Survivor and especially the huge hit "Eye of the Tiger."

Really good show and worth the $5 to get in.

I'll write more about the show in this blog.

Having My War and Music Too. --RoadDog

Doing My History Thang this Past Weekend

It just ended up being an intense history weekend for me.

Saturday morning I went to the monthly Fox Lake Historical Society in Ingleside. I spoke about voting for my favorites among the 25 sites eligible for the million bucks from American Express and also told them about the Civil War Encampment in Lake Villa this weekend.

Heard an interesting presentation on the ice cutting industry in Fox Lake. Before refrigeration, summertime ice in the Chicagoland area came from the Chain of Lakes and other lakes in Lake County. Blocks were cut and put in huge wooden warehouses and used during the summers. Hence the name for refrigerators, ice box.

Then it was on to the Lehmann Mansion in nearby Lake Villa for the Civil War Encampment. The mansion was the former home of Ernst J. Lehmann, the founder of the Fair Department Store chain, based in Chicago. It was saved from demolition and now hosts lots of occasions, including many weddings.

I manned the Camp Douglas Sons of the Confederate Veterans table along with camp commander John for the afternoon. We talked with several prospective members.

I got to see a reenactment of what would be classified as a Civil War (although we in the SCV call it the War for Southern Independence, War Between the States, or War of Northern Aggression, but Civil War is just shorter, although incorrect) skirmish. The Confederates won the day. This took place in a field by the Illinois Highway 83 bridge. I can just imagine the motorists going over it wondering what was going on as they went over the bridge. All that smoke, cannon fire, and small arms going off like that.

They treated us to a great pig roast after the event closed at 4 PM. It was strange to see Robert E. Lee talking on a cell phone. Has it come to that?  Of interest, the gent playing Abraham Lincoln is a member of our SCV camp. Imagine that.

Yesterday, I went to the open houses at the Petersen Historical Farmstead in McHenry and the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery. These were held in conjunction with the American Express million dollar Partners in Preservation contest going on right now. The top vote getter gets its entire funding request and then the rest of the 25 sites will get a cut it.

The Petersen House and farm dates from 1843 and the city of McHenry wants to turn it into an operating historical farm. The very fast encroaching suburbia is rapidly taking its toll on area farms and we will soon be at the day when there won't be any left. This will enable future generations to see what it was like in the old days.

The Spring Grove Fish Hatchery dates to the turn of the century and was Illinois' first hatchery, providing fish for the Chain of Lakes, Lake Michigan, and other rivers and lakes as far south as Springfield.

A Historying I Will Go. --RoadDog

BOY, Did it Ever GET Cold

Just a week ago, we had temps in the lower 90s, but someone slipped us a Siberian Express because (as they said in the movie "Groundhog Day") it's cold out there.

I had to cancel boating yesterday and even had to dig out the jeans and sweatshirt. Temps yesterday were in the low 60s with a strong north wind. BBbbrrr.

I decided to bring a lot of the plants on the deck inside last night. This morning, there was frost on the windows of the vehicles parked outside, but fortunately, none of the plants I left out had died.

Definitely chilly out there at the Lehman Mansion in Lake Villa, Illinois, where I spent the afternoon at the SCV table at the Civil War Encampment.

It is supposed to warm up this next week. I guess we had our little winter preview.

Way Too Cold Way Too Early. --RoadDog

Perennials---Lake County Historical Society-- 30th Day Boating

Yesterday, I planted the rest of my perennials thanks to the cool temps and we finally had some wind which grounded most of the skeeters. Without wind, they rise up almost in squadrons reminiscent of WWII movies about bombing raids. I sure hope I don't break down again and buy anymore perennials. I need to STAY out of garden nurseries!!!

Gas is DOWN to $2.99 (that's $2.98.9 to most people). Still WAY TOO expensive, but at least it is going in the right direction.

Drove to Mundelein in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs, and met up with Clancy for some NTN and pizza at Emil's Sports Bar on US-45. They also had a special on something they called white bean chili that looked really good.

We then drove over to the nearby Fremont Library (Fremont Township) where we were going to provide support for our SCV, Sons of Confederate Veterans, commander who was giving the keynote address.

These folks were primarily interested in genealogy. When I introduced myself as a guest, someone asked whose surname did I use to get into the SCV. I replied "Hood." John, our commander, told them where they could look for information on Confederates ancestors and talked about our organization and Camp Douglas where 6000 of 12,000 Confederate prisoners died. That number shocked the crowd. Everyone always hears about the tragedy at Andersonville, but not about how bad the Union prisons were as well. There was also a discussion about slavery and whether it was the real cause of the war. These people really heard "the other side."

Today, I went out in the boat for the 30th time. I put in five more gallons, which brings me to 20 gallons used for the season. I know people who go through up to 50 gallons on one day. And gas on the water is usually about 50 cents to a dollar more than on land. Of course, I usually go for a short cruise and then just float. I really enjoy sitting out there, reading a newspaper or magazine, and listening to tunes from a cassette (yes, I still use cassettes) or the Drive, 97.1 FM.

I'm hoping to get to 40 boating expeditions before we put the boat up in about a month.

Came home, and had to do some yardwork and cut the grass again. All this rain and cooler temps is grass nirvana.

A Bad Day of Boating is Still Better Than a Good Day at Work. But, Being Retired...--RoadDog

This Past Weekend-- September 7th to 9th

Friday I met my old buddy Kip at the Triangle Restaurant in Grayslake, Illinois. We talked about what we were doing back on September 11, 2001. He was at a negotiations meeting trying to settle our contract and he suggested that they adjourn to go back to school to be with the kids. They did.

I then went over to Gurnee Mills and walked around it. I saw the big fake snake outside the Rainforest Cafe that really gave me a jump a few months back. I was walking along looking in store windows when I looked up, and saw a huge snake about two feet above my head, looking at me with mouth wide open and tongue flicking. I guess I must have a strong heart as I didn't have an attack right then and there.

Saw an excellent Western movie called "3:10 to Yuma" which was just released. I highly suggest it. You don't see many westerns anymore.

Drove to Richmond-Burton High School and watched the game with Stillman Valley. They led most of the game, but evidently we had a comeback at the end to pull withing two points before we losing 33-31. I had already left after losing my battle with the mosquitoes. Once back at the truck, I saw a really big praying mantis on the top of the cab and it just wouldn't get off. After some work (I didn't want to kill it) I finally got it off.

Saturday, I went to Des Plaines for a meeting of the SCV, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Our camp's name is the Camp Douglas Memorial Camp, named after the infamous Union prison in Chicago where over 6000 Confederates died.

I then went to a memorial service in Fox Lake for the 21 year-old son of friends of ours from the American Legion. He died from massive injuries suffered two weeks ago when a car wash collapsed from a wind shear in the storms that passed through Chicago. He was near Wrigley Field at the time. This was a very sad thing.

We then went up to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, where Donovan's Reef was celebrating their first anniversary with the new owners. They've done a great job with the place, keeping the things we liked from before and improving everything else. They had an excellent pig and beef roast, and we were able to get five national rankings in NTN.

Sunday I went to the German Club meeting in Lake Villa and then met up with the usual Bears crew at Baja Benny's on Fox Lake to watch the game. That would be Jim, Paul, Sue, Pam, Laura, and Ed. Too bad the Bears lost.

Going, Going, Going. --RoadDog

Boating, SCV,Captain's Quarters, The Only Sons, Free Tickets to Country Thunder

FRIDAY, I boated over to McDonald's for breakfast, did a float, visited Frances, my mother-in-law, and met up with Kora, Ed, Laura, and Gail at the Legion. I did some yard work in between. Yard work just never stops. I am of the opinion that I planted too much.

SATURDAY I went to Des Plaines for a Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting. Always have a good chat with like-minded people over breakfast. I was shocked to see my breakfast, that cost $6.80 with coffee had a 66 cents tax on it. That is 9.5%!!!!

Did some yardwork at home. Then Liz and I went to Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes, Wi, and played NTN. Out of 3000 or more places playing across the US and Canada, we had three top twenties, not bad for just two people playing against about 9000 other people. They show the top twenty scores, both by site and individual. Liz had a 14,567 out of 15,000 on one game, not bad. We ranked #4 and she was #3 on that one.

Came home and had a bonfire out on the Grand Strand. The Grand Strand is the lower patio between the gazebo and the deck.

SUNDAY, I listened to some of the radio shows OD, On Deck, and worked on my retaining wall by the gazebo, part of which had fallen down.

We went to Captain's Quarters and saw The Only Sons and were lucky enough to get seats at the bar. Usually, you can't even get near it. All the bands that we've seen at Captain's (which is located on Fox Lake) are good, but The Only Sons are our favorite. As usual, they put on a great show and had the people up and dancing most of the time.

We won four free tickets from Chicago's US 99 FM radio to see Country Thunder in Twin Lakes this coming Thursday. Trick Pony, Keith Anderson, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley are playing on the main stage. Now, that causes two problems. One is that I was already planning to see Mr. Myers do their Caribbean/reggae music Thursday at Taste of Antioch. Also, Dierks doesn't start until 10:30 PM, a bit past the old guy's bedtime. I'll have to think about it. Hey, we didn't go to Waukegan's Scoop the Genesee car celebration this past weekend because the bands started at 10 PM. Friday they had Chicago's own Cryan' Shames and Saturday it was Flo and Eddie from the Turtles. It used to be called Scoop the Loop, but the name was changed this year.

Decisions, Decisions!! --RoadDog