24 minute read
Voices
We offer Voices as a place to share a story, a memory, an idea, a comment, a criticism, or a solution. Contributors must include name, address & phone number.
Hunting Tips & Reflections
Advertisement
By Mike E. Neilson
Mike Neilson, longtime Danville High School teacher and longtime hunting enthusiast is sharing his hunting experience with our readers. He’s also shared his knowledge in book form with Class Dismissed: I’m Going Hunting! (2004); We’re Gonna Need More Arrows!: Hunting Adventurs Around the Country and Around the World (2009); and Pig Tails and Other Hunting Adventures (2014)
Scouting and Other Surveillance Skills Part 1
Some of the greatest investments of time in the outdoor world is pre-planning, and scouting. The two go hand-inhand. Today, let’s focus on scouting. Ah the gentle art of spying out your quarry and the habitat they reside in.
Good old fashioned personal observation is definitely hard to beat. Either with the naked eye or binoculars, what you see is what you get. If I look across a field and see a deer or a turkey, I know where I saw them and at what time. If I’m lucky and can observe them for a long time, I might even get a chance to figure out what they are doing. Are they eating? Are they fleeing from some danger or predator? Are they rutting? What’s got the game up and moving? Personal observation helps a great deal.
Caveat here. If you are doing your scouting from the road, be careful not to attract unwanted attention. The critter you might be looking at as you sit in your vehicle, just might cause others hunting on the same property or nearby to take an interest in that spot as well. Yep, better to do what I call a “drive by” than gawk too long. Just make a quick mental note and move on. Heck, you can even turn around a time or two if you are lucky. The is to observe without being observed by either your quarry or other hunters.
Game cameras have evolved quite a bit since the old school trip-wire cameras. Now you can get game cameras that will alert you to your cell phone, when and where a picture is taken. The advantages are obvious but the buy in can be a bit pricey depending on the features you would like. I’ve used a couple of them, nothing fancy, and as long as the date and time stamp are set correctly, can give me some valuable information based on what’s running around a particular area at a particular time. Now, granted, if the pictures are in July, will the critter still be there in the fall? Maybe, but there is no guarantee. All this does is tell you at this particular time and date, a critter triggered the camera. I’m not against using them where legal, I just don’t have the experience or funds to go whole hog on these things. I’ve got family and friends who love them and the benefit is that you don’t have to go traipsing around and alerting the game to your presence. The downside is somebody that does wander around, just might walk away with your camera. You also need to keep spare batteries, data cards and straps. Why do the squirrels and other rodents love straps so much?
Word-of-mouth scouting. You heard from a friend of a friend, of a friend, or better yet, you read it on Danville Chatter, Facebook, Twitter, or some other form of social media. This can be some good information if you trust the source about a deer, turkey, fish or whatever critter or object you are interested in. (The Republican is of course, the exception. If you read it here, you know it’s Gospel!) Farmers are always a good source of information as well as landowners and friendly neighbors. Even unfriendly neighbors will sometimes drop little pearls of wisdom like, “Don’t you hunt that big 12-point buck, I’ve been seeing in my neighbors field.” Thank you for that gem! However, if you have a team of scouters, fellow outdoorsmen and women you can trust, then sharing and swapping information can be a great advantage. Just remember it all comes down to a trust factor. Most anglers won’t tell you their honey-hole for big fish. Same thing applies to anybody finding morel mushrooms, turkeys, coveys of quail, and berry bushes.
(Continued Next Week)
House Work
So, my son got married this summer. To be good parents (and hopefully good in-laws) we offered to host a low-key hang out reception the day after the wedding. Then, kind of in preparation for that and kind of because it was long overdue, my wife and I undertook a series of major renovations to the inside of our house. It was during the work of those projects that I had a lot of time to think about the nature of house work - that is, construction work on my house. I’ve distilled the many recently learned, or re-learned lessons into these three salient points.
Making things nice takes hard work. We’ve lived for 20+ years in a house that’s over a hundred years old. We renovated before we moved in, although many of those original renovations were rushed or left incomplete. This time, we wanted to try to do it right. New floors, painted walls and trim, new countertops, new appliances, etc. We tried to do as much of the work as we could, to save money and to try to get it done on time. It lasted a couple of months and was, frankly, painful and exhausting. But now, sitting in the completed rooms, we’re so proud and happy of the hard work we did.
Work done out of sequence makes work harder. While looking at the beautiful new hardwood already installed in the living room, we decided to paint the living room walls, and while we were painting those walls, we decided to paint the living room trim. And when we decided to paint the living room trim, we decided that we really needed to apply some filler and sand it. So, while the paint on the walls is still wet and all the furniture is clustered in the center of the room on the very expensive brand-new hardwood floor, I’m generating massive clouds of dust that are spreading to quite literally every surface throughout the house.
Work done by professionals can be impressive. In the aforementioned renovations, we somehow ended up with five different types of flooring on the first floor of our house. We wanted (ok, I’m sure partially in thanks to HGTV) to reduce that number to two types of flooring, max. We sprang for actual, honest to goodness, tongue and groove oak flooring. We weren’t about to try to install that ourselves, so we had the pros do it. In this case, the pros were three Latino young men, maybe around 20 years old. Over the course of two full days that ran past 6 p.m., these three craftsmen installed our floor. They spoke little and wasted absolutely no time. They worked so quickly that sometimes their nailers sounded like machine guns, and they shook the house. When they had a cut to make, they walked with purpose, across the house, out through the garage, directly to their saw, made the cut and walked even quicker back to put that piece into place.
The moral of the story, construction in general, is hard work but always worthwhile. Do it yourself or respect the hell out of those that do it right and choose to do it for a living.
Scott Perkins Danville
Hate Is a Big Word
Hate: Intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; to regard with active hostility.
Early in my real estate career I crossed paths with a unique real estate investor. Weinstein was his name. An older Jewish guy that lived in an established, stately part of Indianapolis. I have no idea why, but it felt like he was “old money.”
Quietly, over decades, Weinstein had patiently assembled over 400 platted but unbuilt building sites from surplus tax sales in Indianapolis, all in one area.
We clicked and got to know each other well. One day I jokingly mentioned that I hated people that take too long to order at McDonalds.
The conversation stopped, the mood changed, he looked at me and said, “Hate is a big word that should not be used so easily.”
It seemed a strange thing to say but the tone was serious and that was all he said about it. It stuck with me.
Weinstein passed away not long after and we sold all his lots. In his obituary, it said he was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. I had not known that. Thinking back to that talk, it all made sense.
“Hate” is a big word. And it is so easy to use. “I hate all the road work in Avon,” “I hate the color they painted the Dairy Queen,” “I hate people that mess up the double drive-thru at McDonalds,” “I hate all these new homes,” “I hate all these people moving here.”
It feels like we are all using big words a little less carefully than we should these days.
To my friend Mr. Weinstein, if you are watching, I will try to do better and be more careful of my words.
I do not “hate” all the road work in Avon, but I strongly dislike driving in it. Much better.
Jerry Vornholt
William Penn
ALLEN’S CORNER ON THE MUSIC SCENE
By Allen Kiger
Worth the Waite
The weather was perfect Saturday evening for a night of music at the Indiana State Fair Free Stage.
Frankfort, Indiana native and Matchbox 20 band member, Kyle Cook, took the stage first and played a few songs from his own upcoming album and a few Matchbox 20 hits.
The audience then welcomed headliner John Waite. The band was dressed in their trademark black suits like the Beatles back in 1964 at the Indiana State Fair. They opened by performing a knockout version of “Midnight Rendezvous” which was a big hit for John when he was with The Babys. John continued to play hit after hit including his number one song “Missing You.”
At the end of the evening, John said “We’re gonna go out with a bang tonight.” Kyle Cook who had been signing autographs and taking pictures with fans since he left the stage, returned to the stage to help perform a Led Zeppelin song called “Whole Lotta Love.” The crowd exploded with excitement with John singing, Kyle Cook on guitar along with guitar player Mark Ricciardi, Tim Hogan on bass, and Rodger Carter on drums. The audience had just heard a great version of the loved classic Led Zeppelin song.
I realized that live music is finally back as I watched John entertain the audience for almost 90 minutes. And, it was worth the Waite!
A Squirrel About Town
By Archy
“How long does it take?” Archy asked. “To do what?” I asked, struggling to keep up with the squirrel’s train of thought.
“For a stranger to become ‘one of us’ of course,” he answered. “Humans seem to have become very territorial around these parts. Quite a case of them v. us, it seems to me.” I began to see what he was getting at. “I can’t really give you an answer,” I said. “Maybe it takes humans longer to accept people they don’t know.” “Dogs do it in one sniff,” the squirrel said. “I suppose that won’t work for humans. Too many artificial scents.”
I thought of people I know who pepper a stranger with questions until they reach some level of approval or cry “uncle” and head for the nearest exit.
“Fear of the unfamiliar must be quite paralyzing, I must imagine,” Archy said with some sympathy. “I would have thought you would be skeptical of new people, what with four generations of bones in the ground here, but you don’t seem to view new people as a menace. I thought about it some more. “Sometimes I’m more skeptical of people I know than strangers,” I told the squirrel.
“Yes,” Archy said. “I’ve noticed. The people you know have given you reason to be skeptical. Strangers are an adventure.”
“Archy,” I said, “you’re the strangest friend I’ve ever had.”
“Back at you,” the squirrel laughed.
A Rose is a Rose But This One’s a Knockout!
By Colletta Kosiba Hendricks County Master Gardener
Knock Out® Rose.
It is a shrub rose!
Knock Out® roses bloom with loads of smaller blooms all year long with very little care. If you love roses this is a marvelous way to add roses to your garden
They will grow 5 tall and 5 feet wide at maturity. Your site should have full sun with good air circulation. Amended well-drained soil will make the rose happy. These roses can be planted all season.
To Plant: - Make hole twice as wide a root ball but not deeper. - Make sure to tease the roots from the compacted ball. - Back fill with amended soil- press down lightly to remove air spaces. - Mulch to keep down weeds and save moisture in soil.
Water regularly for 1st year.
Care:
- Once a year. add a couple of inches of compost around the base of rose—make sure you have 3 inches of mulch around base.
- Fertilize with a slow release rose fertilizer 3 x a year—
early spring, early summer and fall—some folks broadcast 1 cup of Epson salts for magnesium at base of plant once a year.
Modern shrub roses do not need deadheading. They are “self cleaning”, so continue blooming heavily and continuous without deadheading all season long.
Pruning:
- May prune any time of year with hand pruners--make cuts about ¼ inch above a leaf. In early spring, do a heavy prune—cutting back main stems to 1/3 of their height, about ¼ inch above an outward facing bud.
All types of roses are lovely, but shrub roses are an especially perfect choice for hardness, heat resistance, plus they are disease resistant. These roses require very little care, which is why we love them.
Roses may be the most famous flower.
How does a rose drive? It uses the petals.
Got Questions? Call The Home-Landscaping-Garden Help Line and Master Gardeners will answer your questions every Tuesday. May 18 to Sept 28. Hours 9:00-Noon and 1-4:00pm call 317-745-9260 (Hendricks County Extension)
philanthropy fəˈlanTHrəpē
...the desire to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.
Liza L. Taylor holds a master’s degree in philanthropy and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management, both from IUPUI. She has taught philanthropy at the university level and provided consulting services to Hoosier nonprofit leaders. She is a member of the Hendricks County Crisis Response Team and on the board of the Hendricks County Trauma Resource Center.
Philanthropic Opportunities
Philanthropy is practiced everyday by millions of people from every culture in the world. The word “philanthropy” often evokes the idea of rich people giving money away. Although, philanthropy does include financial giving, it is also so much more. A commonly used definition of philanthropy is “voluntary action for the public good” (first used by Robert Payton). If we consider philanthropy by this generally accepted definition, we can easily recognize ways we ourselves are philanthropic or how we have been the recipients of philanthropy. A good way to consider philanthropy is by the acronym, TIME. To be philanthropic, you just need give any of the following to others to promote the public good: T: give your Time I: give your Influence M: give your Money/material possessions E: give your Expertise
Examples of giving Time:
• work as a volunteer at your local school
• donate blood
• plant trees to help the environment
• send appreciation cards to military members
• teach classes at a house of worship or a local park
• serve on the board of a nonprofit organization
• mow grass, rake leaves, or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor
• take a meal to the local firehouse
Examples of giving Influence:
• animal lovers advocate for donations for an animal shelter
• a nurse using his/her training to teach the importance of handwashing
• organize a community blood drive
• become a mentor to youth
• create a social media campaign on an issue of interest to you (homelessness, child welfare, animal welfare, etc.)
• advocate for your place of business to host a day of service
Examples of giving Money/material possessions:
• donate money, stocks, or a used car to your favorite nonprofit organization
• give a tithe
• donate money, food, or craft supplies to a domestic violence shelter
• support scouts through buying cookies or popcorn
• donate gently used clothes or unused eyeglasses
Examples of giving Expertise:
• an accountant offering to keep the financial records of a nonprofit or helping senior citizens file their taxes
• a parent offering to read books at a local school or library
• an attorney advising nonprofits about legal issues
• a seamstress or sewer making masks during the pandemic
• construction workers building a home wheelchair ramp for the elderly or disabled
• coaching little league
• teaching music or art to kids
• tutoring traditional students or adult learners
• kids helping seniors at care homes learn to use smart devices so they can stay in touch
• software coder developing a webpage for a nonprofit
• hair stylists giving free haircuts to the homeless
• photographers taking photos of shelter animals for adoption websites
• retired experts mentoring younger people in their area of expertise
Many of these giving opportunities fall into several of the T, I, M, E categories simultaneously. Philanthropy not only makes our communities stronger; it also helps keep us all healthy and connected to each other! Personally, consider the ways your skills, assets, interests, and philanthropic efforts can help make the world a better place. Everyone has been a philanthropist and a recipient at some time or another; now is a great time to help others!
A Note From Bee
My husband recently took the course “Principles of the Defensive Handgun” sponsored by the Boone County Sheriffs Department. The main reason he took it as well as the 23 other members of the class was to protect themselves or loved ones til law enforcement arrive. When action is required seconds can make the difference between staying alive or being killed. The course is for 24 people. My husband’s class was July 24th and 25th. It was coed. Six of the people had never fired a gun.
You do not need to be in tip top shape to take the course. My husband is a good example. He is almost 83 with two artificial knees. People on canes, walkers and even in wheelchairs have taken the course.
The course is held on a weekend, Saturday and Sunday, regardless of the weather. There are approximately four hours of classroom instruction and 12 hours of range time, not to be confused with shooting time. During these two days safety is continually taught and there are numerous scenarios of situations a person may find himself in where the only defense is their handgun and proper training. Like any other skill, a person has to practice to maintain any degree of proficiency. The officers who did the instructing were Sheriff Nielsen, Major Stevenson, lead instructor, Chief deputy Harris and Deputy Fouts.
The instructors can’t make a person perfect but can maximize his/her abilities. They do it with firm but cheerful criticism. My husband says, “Those instructors are outstanding plus.” He also says, “ I got a lot of satisfaction at my age to be able to complete the course.”
Don’t buy a gun and put it in a drawer and never get it out til you are faced with defending yourself and/or family. There is only one more class September 25th and 26th which is coed from approximately 9 to 5 at Boone County facility.
To register go on line to boonecountyindianasheriff. com.
Bee Jones
William Allen White
A Bark From the Past: Henry
[Editor’s Note: The Republican’s first four-footed correspondent was Henry. A mixed breed rescue dog, Henry would make observations about being a dog in a small town. The articles, which ran in 2006 - 2010, have been languishing in the computer’s memory and we thought a new audience might enjoy some canine commentary. Here’s an early column from 2006.]
Woof! How about those storms the other night? So much lightning and thunder! I can’t ever remember it raining that much for that long! I know that some dogs are afraid of storms. As a matter of fact, a couple of my sisters are. They shiver and cry during thunderstorms. But, they shiver and cry when there are fireworks, too, so I guess there’s just something about flashing light and booming noise that frightens them. Now, me, I’d rather sit out on the screened porch and watch and listen to the storm. I’m not afraid of it at all. But, when I was a puppy, I didn’t have shelter and storms scared me then.
I only had one problem with the storm. I have a nice, shallow, Henry-shaped hole in the yard that I like to lie down in. It took me quite a while to get it just right. Well, the day after the storm, there was a nice, shallow, Henry-shaped pond there. I almost waded into it before I realized that, if I did, I’d probably get a bath. It makes me queasy just to think about the b-word. Then, after the sun came out, there was a shallow, Henry-shaped mudhole. Even worse. But, now that the mud is dried up, I have my hole back, except the rain changed it a little, so I’m going to have to work on it some to make it fit me again.
The two new cats I told you about, Floyd and Kathleen, are doing really well! They get along just fine with the other cats and with dogs, too. The only exception is my sister Lacey Petunia, who is a little feisty girl who chases things that move. She isn’t mean, She just chases cats when they run from her. But, good ol’ Walter gave her a little biff on the nose with his paw! It sure scared her and she yiped. So, she tends to leave Walter alone.
We went up to the Fanners’ Market on the square last Saturday morning, even though it was raining. I didn’t think there would be anyone there, but some farmers were, including Miss Kathy and her friend who has the honey for sale. And hungry folks came out in that awful weather to buy stuff! Danville is a neat place, isn’t it?
Oops! My human just got home from shooting golf and he’s all red and grumpy, so I bet all the golfs got away. How he expects to hit them with those little balls is beyond me! Oh, well, he’ll get over it and he doesn’t like to kill stuff anyway.
Thought for the Day: Golf is a game in which one attempts to get a small ball into a small hole -with implements that were ill-designed for the purpose.— Winston Churchill
Theodore Parker
Exploring Hendricks County
By Jackie Horn
Jackie Horn and her husband, John, transplanted from Warsaw to Plainfield to be near family. An Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist, Jackie is a retired substitute teacher who continues to teach (and learn) about all things outdoors. John is a retired CNC programmer and the photographer on the team. The Horns enjoy traveling, walking, hiking, kayaking, and bicycling.
Splash pads, like this one at Williams Park in Brownsburg, are a combination of colorful playground equipment and a lawn sprinkler.
Making a Summer Splash!
It’s summer. It’s hot. It’s humid. I don’t have a pool. I don’t have a membership to the local rec centers. I do have a gaggle of kids that need to be cooled off. What to do? Splash pad! For those readers not familiar with what a splash pad is, think backyard sprinkler on steroids. Built on a concrete pad, features may consist of fountains (water squirted up from the ground), sprinklers (water showered from whimsical structures such as giant flowers), dump buckets (suspended buckets that are filled with water and then tip over dumping their contents onto the ground), and water cannons (huge, mounted squirt guns.) The attraction of splash pads is safety. It allows the users to get wet but without the danger of drowning.
This week we loaded up the kids and hit three community splash pads; Williams Park in Brownsburg, Washington Township Park in Avon, and Hummel Park in Plainfield, in search of “The Best” splash pad.
My “panel of experts” consisted of my daughter and her three children, ages 2, 7, and 11. Here are our results. (NOTE: The opinions expressed below are those of the writer’s grandkids and may not reflect those of The Republican.)
The first place we tried was Watermill in Williams Park off 940 S Locust Lane in Brownsburg. The splash pad is located at the rear of the parking lot. We passed Blast Off Playground, a huge, wooden play structure, on the way to the splash pad so why not let the children run, slide, climb, and get REALLY sweaty before getting wet?
The 2,500 square foot splash pad features two overhead dumping elements, several sprinklers, and fountains. The centerpiece of Watermill is a huge water wheel that slowly fills up and when the weight tips the balance, dumps 32 gallons of water onto the excited crowd below.
For spectators, shade sails provide a shady area at one end of the pad to set up lawn chairs. The ADA-compliant restroom situated on the opposite end offers ample space for changing. Two pavilions located nearby provide tables and cover to enjoy picnics.
Our panel appreciated the shady area near the splash pad allowing parents to supervise their offspring. The restroom area located close by was another plus. On the downside, the volume of water dumped from the overhead buckets was a little overwhelming for the two youngest panelists. (The oldest thought it was awesome.)
Our next stop on the Splash Pad Tour 2021 was Washington Township Park. The splash pad is situated in the Lower Park. Restrooms and a giant picnic area occupy one side of the pad, a playground at one end. Benches and additional picnic tables surround two sides with shade provided by umbrellas and shade sails for those choosing to just watch. The splash pad itself features fountains, sprinklers, and a small bucket dump.
This splash pad seemed to be the smallest in size but it was also the least populated on the day we were there. (Please note: Washington Township Park does run several summer day camps and their campers make use of the splash pad occasionally.) The abundance of shady seating for Watchers ranked high on the plus side. The emphasis on fountains and less on dump buckets made the Washington Township pad more suitable for the two-year-old. The picnic shelter offers tons of seating but no “privacy” for an individual group as visitors pass through it to get to the actual water area.
Last on our list was Hummel Park splash pad off of South Center Street in Plainfield. Set between the playground and the restrooms, the water area boasts fountains, sprinklers, a bucket dump, and two water cannons. Shaded seating near the pad is limited to two picnic tables with umbrellas and two tables under nearby trees. Two large picnic shelters and two gazebos available for rent (or free on a first come basis if not reserved) are close to the water area.
The water features are a nice “middle of the road” offering enough water dumping to satisfy older kids but not so much to frighten the little ones. The water cannons were a big hit as they shoot a stream of water off the actual pad. One minus was the distance to the restrooms-- not crazy far but not exactly convenient. Limited shade was another downside. The picnic shelters and gazebos were close but not near enough to adequately supervise little ones. Only a strip of grass and a hedge separate the parking lot from the splash pad.
So which one was “The Best”? All of them! All of the facilities were clean (as well as could be expected considering they’re outdoors, surrounded by grass, and used by children) and well maintained. Most importantly, all of the splash pads were wet and the Panelists had a blast! My favorite is the one closest to my house – less travel time, more playtime, and no time to fall asleep in the car on the way home when everyone’s tuckered out.
