Northern Illinois Weekender - 082920

Weekender NORTHERN

ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020 • ShawMediaIllinois.com

GIRLS’ NIGHT

Have some fun with your gal pals at these hot spots / 3

HOMESTYLE COOKING

Hank’s Farm Restaurant a favorite dining destination in Ottawa / 4

RISING STAR Country singer-songwriter Lara Bell setting her sights high / 5

UNCORKED

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS

An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

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By JAMES NOKES

Love showered on wine pioneer Richard Sanford

F

ear hit Thekla Sanford early on a Saturday morning.

The U.S. Justice Department was calling her husband, Richard Sanford, and her first thought was, “Great, what did he do now?”

The call actually stemmed from the pioneering moves made by the Santa Rita Hills Wine Alliance 2020 Vintner of the Year and was a story retold with fanfare in a virtual tasting Aug. 11 with Sanford, featuring wines from Alma Rosa and a slew of colleagues who toasted his celebrated career.

As Sanford led the charge to designate the Sta. Rita Hills an American Viticultural Area, the SRHWA filed the necessary paperwork with the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms) and received approval.

About a year later, the Justice Department called to tell Sanford the ATF was being sued by Santa Rita Hills – in Chile.

Sanford met the challenge head on.

“It was at a trade fair when I introduced myself to the head of their organization,” Sanford said. “They were probably surprised I would talk to them since we were being sued, but I agreed to go to Santa Rita, Chile, and meet with the owner who was a great, great, great grandson of a conquistador, and we had a lot of back-and-forth discussion. His issue was that the script in the label was too similar. So, we finally reached an agreement; if we abbreviated Santa to Sta., they’d have the right to Santa Rita and that would be OK.” In 1971, he’d planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills’ unique transverse range, where the mountains’ east-west orientation allows for cold air and fog to roll in from the Pacific Ocean – ideal conditions for pinot noir and chardonnay.

“Fifty years ago, viticulture really wasn’t of any interest in the western Santa Ynez Valley,” Sanford said.

“There was a developing interest – mainly vineyards that were planted for tax incentives. A lot of early development was commercial vineyard sites. But interest in high quality sites seemed to come later into the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley.

We were all inspired, at least I was, by the climate. I came to know the region, when I recognized the transverse mountains and the cooling air from the Pacific that they let in. I call it refrigerated sunshine.”

The climate has produced stunning wines. After Sanford sold his eponymous winery, he founded Alma Rosa

Photo provided

Richard Sanford, ambassador for Alma Rosa, was named 2020 Vintner of the Year by the Santa Rita Hills Wine Alliance. in 2005. He would sell Alma Rosa to Bob and Barb Zorich in 2015. Today, he serves as an ambassador for Alma Rosa and the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. While my last visit to my favorite AVA was too long ago in 2012, the Alma Rosa wines are as excellent or even better today, as the Alma Rosa

Blanc White Wine La Encantada Vineyard 2018 ($35) Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris had

pear, lemon … nectarine flavors and the mineral note of a wet rock in a creek on a perfect spring day. A flinty masterpiece that needed raw oysters, garlic and butter shrimp or a creamy white cheese.

The Alma Rosa El Jabali Pinot Noir 2018 ($62) has black cherry, cranberry, loamy earth, sweet tobacco spice and the unmistakable spice rack notes that Sta. Rita Hills shows off so well.

Get it while you can though, there’s a changing of the guard coming to El Jabali vineyard. Disease started to make its way through the vineyard and, after 37 years, future bottlings will feature more fruit from the new vines planted in 2015.

“Planted from the original Sanford

Rita Hills AVA and the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance.

“Without (Richard’s) vision and leadership, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and Alliance would not exist, and that’s the truth,” Longoria said. “He led gracious, productive meetings and moved everything along as it should have, we are indebted to his leadership.”

Always evolving with his Revolutionary Farming practice, Bryan Babcock marveled how Sanford welcomed competitors with open arms.

“He was always engaging,” said Babcock, whose eponymous winery makes pinot noir that is whole-cluster fermented, and has a plethora of other exciting wines. “His attitude was if you think you can make it in this crazy business, go right ahead. When you get into the wine business, you ask yourself, am I being really brave or being really stupid? Richard and Pierre Lafond were the first guys to get a vine, dig a hole with a shovel and plant pinot noir and chardonnay in the Sta. Rita Hills.”

From the barrel room of his Brewer-Clifton winery, Greg Brewer said Sanford was “like an anchor, the core and nucleus of the entire ecosystem we have here.” The Brewer-Clifton wines are well distributed, and the soil samples in the very modern tasting room help define the vineyards where the wines are sourced.

“What you mean to the Sta. Rita Hills goes well beyond the earth and transverse range,” said Brewer, who got choked up when he spoke about Sanford. “I want to keep hearing these stories, I want to be at your knee. That to me is an icon and a leader.”

While Frank Ostini joined for the entire conference, the affable owner of The Hitching Post II restaurant specializing in oak-grilled steaks, ostrich and on Monday and Tuesday the best burger in the Santa Ynez Valley, had technical difficulties. Ostini’s Hitching Post wines are also available locally; the Highliner and Cork Dancer are two that stand out. When the restaurateur and winemaker couldn’t get his mic to work, he touched both of his thumbs and pointer fingers together in the shape of a heart.

Without saying a word, he’d summed up the love that everyone else on the panel had spoken about.

& Benedict budwood to the Mount Eden Clone, from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, this wine reflects the long structure that only mature grape vines can give,” Sanford said.

With the Alma Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2017 ($38), there are green apple and pear flowers; and the judicious usage of oak allowed for some tropical flavors to peek through.

The Alma Rosa Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2017 ($45) is more brooding with black cherry, rosemary, thyme, sage and other herbal notes.

The guest list was loaded with Sta. Rita Hills originals.

Rick Longoria has known Sanford for 44 years; he said they “grew up together in the wine industry.”

Longoria’s Fe Ciega vineyard, which translates as Blind Faith, an ode to the winemaker’s penchant for classic rock music, was established in 1998. There are a few notable producers that purchase fruit from Longoria, and while • James Nokes has been tasting, his wines are harder to find, they are touring and collecting in the wine defined by restraint and finesse. He noted Sanford’s focus spurred the cre- world for several years. Email him at ation, growth and formation of the Sta. jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

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GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

Perfect spots for evenings with the gals, mother-daughter dinners and more

By ERIN SAUDER

H

For Shaw Media

ave you been tasked with planning the ultimate girls’ night out and are not sure where to start? Don’t worry. We’ve rounded up some of the top destinations for you and your female crew to enjoy a libation, get your nosh on, catch up on life, take a selfie, and have some fun.

SIXTYFOUR – WINE BAR & KITCHEN 123 Water St., Suite 105A, Naperville sixtyfourwinebar.com True to its name, this upscale riverfront hot spot offers 64 wines by the glass every day. You and your girlfriends can select from three tasting sizes, including a 1-ounce taste, a 3-ounce half glass or a 6-ounce full glass. Ready to nibble? You and the gals will find plenty of options to make your whole group happy. Pair your wine with the popular charcuterie and cheese plates, which are ideal for sharing.

Menu fare also includes starters, salads and soups, small plate entrees, and main courses. Gluten-free options are available. If vino isn’t a favorite among some of your girlfriends, no worries. SixtyFour’s offerings include 64 local and regional craft beers. You can wind down the evening by watching the sunset from the deck overlooking the DuPage River and Naperville’s vibrant downtown. The backdrop also makes it ideal for taking selfies to commemorate the night out with your besties. Not ready to end your

evening just yet? Pair the view with an after-dinner drink and dessert such as Creme Brulee or Sticky Toffee Pudding. Does your crew need to make it an earlier girls’ get-together? The venue opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, as well as seven nights a week. Check out the dates for live music and the special wine dinners.

COTTO A LEGNA 500 S. Third St., Suite 147, Geneva cottoalegna.com Looking for a fun spot for you and your girlfriends to paint the town red? Head to Geneva’s quaint Third Street, where you will find Cotto A Legna, which is ringed by inviting patio dining spaces. The authentic Italian restaurant and wine bar is dubbed the “perfect destination to unwind.”

Wood-fire pizzas are a specialty, but the menu also features salads, bruschetta, pastas, sandwiches, charcuterie and cheese plates, risotti, main dishes, and handmade mozzarella. At Cotto A Legna, nothing is made ahead of time. Each Instagram-worthy dish is created with the freshest, top-quality ingredients and is specially prepared for each guest. Don’t forget to raise a glass to your girlfriends. Cotto A Legna’s drink menu features white-wine varietals such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling and pinot grigio, as well as reds including cabernet sauvignon, Chianti classico and sangiovese, among others. At any given time, visitors will find eight quality draft beers on tap, as well as an array of

girls’ night-friendly cocktails, including the pomegranate martini, blackberry mojito and Bellinis.

Cotto A Legna’s decor is modern and fun, offering a warm and cozy atmosphere for you to put your stress aside, enjoy the time with your girl crew, and toast “Salute.”

ADELLE’S FINE AMERICAN FARE 535 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton www.adelles.com With a menu that features shareables, soups and salads, entrees and desserts, Adelle’s is the perfect backdrop for a fun evening out with your girlfriends.

The restaurant’s dishes are handcrafted from fresh and natural ingredients, and the variety of options will sate even the pickiest of eaters. Looking for lighter fare? Consider the shareables such as gnocchi, tempura green beans, or the Panko Portobello Mushroom Fries. Adelle’s varied salads are as fresh as they are tasty, including one that features seedless watermelon, cucumber, mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, feta, fresh basil, fresh mint, white balsamic, extra virgin olive oil and red sea salt. Entree fare includes steak, salmon, risotto, pasta, beer-brined chicken and pork tenderloin schnitzel, among other delectable items. Does your group have a sweet tooth? Consider its signature warm peach crisp with oatmeal streusel and whipped cream. Adelle’s libations include handcrafted specialty cocktails and an eclectic wine list. The expansive, flower-bedecked patio offers beautiful dining al fresco.

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

Photos provided

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS

4

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

SRC file photo

Hank’s Farm Restaurant is a favorite dining destination in Ottawa.

Hank’s Farm pairs rustic atmosphere with tasty food IF YOU GO

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com If you’re taking the scenic route to the recently reopened Starved Rock State Park, exiting I-80 in Ottawa or coming in along Route 71, you’ll pass a picturesque white barn, perched atop a sprawling hill of green grass.

You may catch a glimpse of peacocks running across the front drive, or a gazebo that seems to be freely floating above a pond. The one thing you wouldn’t notice, if not for the sign jutting above the farm’s front hedges, is that this beautifully landscaped estate is actually home to one of the most delicious, and truly unique, dining destinations in Starved Rock Country: Hank’s Farm Restaurant.

Founded in nearby Naplate in 1941, Hank’s Farm has been a staple restaurant for locals and travelers alike, for the better part of a century.

In 1975, the restaurant was purchased by the Allen family, who still own the legendary eatery to this day. In the decade that followed, Hank’s outgrew its original supper club location and the Allen family began a search for a new building. When this converted dairy barn in northeast Ottawa hit the market, they knew they’d found the

■■ WHAT: Hank’s Farm Restaurant ■■ WHERE: 2973 N. State Route 71,

Ottawa ■■ INFO: hanksfarm.com, 815-433-2540

Photo provided

Fried chicken is one of the signature homestyle dishes at Hank’s Farm Restaurant. perfect home for their famed homestyle cooking.

Hank’s Farm has fully embraced its rustic locale, adding a lake, paved walking paths and a menagerie of roaming peacocks, chickens and ducks to the 20-plus acres around the restaurant.

The impeccable rustic theming, an aesthetic that seems to have only grown more popular in recent years, is without a doubt one of their big claims to fame. When you first walk inside the barn, you’ll immediately be greeted by a cozy atmosphere, enhanced by wood-lined walls and exposed beams.

Hank’s Farm truly feels like a destination restaurant, with the warm lighting, sturdy wooden furniture, and latticework separating the dining area from the raised bar and renowned salad bar. While many restaurants try to evoke a feeling of nostalgia with a hodgepodge of antiques, Hank’s Farm’s design feels earnest and rooted in the farming tradition.

While barn dining is a great amenity, it’s the delicious food that keeps people coming back to Hank’s.

A sprawling menu of homestyle favorites is infused with casual Italian-American cuisine, a winning

combination that’s been the foundation of Hank’s since the 1940s. Longtime fans rave about items such as the chicken piccata, chicken Oscar and char-grilled steaks. You’ll also find ample pasta options and amazing baked penne, made with homemade meat sauce and three cheeses.

While the famous Sunday brunch, a bountiful buffet of delicacies and desserts, has been put on hold by the pandemic, Hank’s still offers enticing specials throughout the week. Drop by for the fried chicken and barbecue ribs combination on Wednesdays, seafood dishes on Fridays, or the ever popular Down On The Farm Fried Chicken Dinner, served every Sunday.

You’ll find some featured new menu items such as the bison rib-eye, a very lean cut perfect for beating the summer heat.

On Fridays and Saturdays, be sure to stop at Hank’s sister store, Curious Goods. This antique, vintage and costume shop can be found right next to the restaurant, along a quaint wooden walkway. Curious Goods exudes quirky charm. As soon as you see the large shabby-chic sign in the shape of a cat, and the vast selection of Halloween costumes and decor, you’ll know you’re in for something special.

TOUR DE FORCE

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M

SHAW MEDIA

cHENRY – Female crossover artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood possess a magical combination of songwriting skills, a voice to die for, and looks that could launch a thousand ships. These mega stars might have company soon as McHenry County’s Lara Bell continues to make a name for herself, a news release stated.

Bell is a rising country singer-songwriter who makes her home in McHenry. During the past five years, she has graced hundreds of stages throughout the Chicago region and southern Wisconsin.

“I love playing to live crowds,” Bell stated in the release. “I try to treat every performance as an opportunity to share my music and win over new fans.”

And win fans she ■■ WHAT: Lara Bell’s Illinois does. Bell has hunconcerts dreds of likes of her ■■ VENUES: 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. music on such online 29 at Hart’s Saloon of platforms as FaceHebron; 5:30 to 8:30 book, YouTube and p.m. Sept. 12 at D.C. ReverbNation. PlayCobb’s in Woodstock; ing multiple shows and 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 21 almost every week, at D.C. Cobb’s in Bell recently perMcHenry formed at Raue Center for the Arts and The ■■ INFO: www.facebook.

Cottage, both in Cryscom/acousticlara tal Lake, Champs in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Woodstock Farmer’s Market, RocHaus in West Dundee, Scorched Earth Brewing in Algonquin, and Durty Nellie’s in Palatine.

Bell plays a mixture of original material and uniquely arranged cover songs from the 1950s to the ‘80s. Her style is a catchy and upbeat brand of music that blends the best attributes of country, folk, rock and pop.

“I like to cater to every age group and each crowd at my shows,” Bell said. “The set list is different almost every time. The best feeling is when people hear a song they love, and start singing along.”

She’s known for her musically diverse live shows.

“My parent’s taste in music was a big influence on me,” said Bell, who is 23. “I love the mixture of rock and country that my parents exposed me to.

Now I take that music and apply my own arrangements to give it new life.”

Although she is focused on bringing her music to as many people as possible by playing live gigs throughout the northern and northwestern suburbs, Bell also has trained her sights on landing a recording contract to build a national following.

“During the quarantine from the coronavirus, I dedicated myself to working on new material,” she said. “My songs are an important part of me.

IF YOU GO

Photo provided

Each one is special. Over the last year, I have really grown as a songwriter. I have one particular song I am very excited to be releasing as a single.”

To keep in touch with her growing fan base during the pandemic quarantine, Bell performed in a series of intimate concerts that she broadcast over YouTube. The response was tremendous, and forged many new connections and relationships with other local musicians who all came together during this difficult time in support of one another’s musical journey.

With restrictions eased, Bell is out playing live gigs again. Her calendar of upcoming events can be viewed at www.facebook.com/acousticlara.

If Bell appears confident on stage, it’s because, in addition to years of work as a country artist, she is also an accomplished stage actor.

“Stage presence is a key to everything I’ve done musically,” Bell said. “While I predominately focus on my country music career, I recognize that my theatrical background really helps with my

showmanship. For the last few years, I have been balancing both careers, working as a professional actress in the Chicago … area and a country songwriter. From 2018-2019, I was in about six [or] seven productions, all while working full time and performing gigs on the weekend. It is definitely a grind. But since the pandemic has awfully canceled all live theater until further notice, music has been my main focus lately, and the outcome has been outstanding.”

Bell clearly has her head on her shoulders.

“I want to see where my music career can take me,” Bell said. “You have to have confidence to succeed. And you can never succeed, if you don’t try.”

In addition to her singing career, Bell teaches voice, piano, guitar and ukulele through the Lara Bell School of Music.

“Music is like a second language,” Bell said.

“Anyone who puts their mind to it, can learn music.

I love sharing what I’ve learned. Music is a gift that keeps on giving.”

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

Country singer-songwriter Lara Bell sets her sights high

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS

6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND

Surfing dolphins and ‘Love Island’ return

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

A different kind of Brighton Beach story, “Lingua Franca” follows an undocumented trans Filipina immigrant on a quest to find a way to stay in the U.S. to continue working as a domestic caregiver. For all its timely buzzwords, writer-director-editor-star Isabel Sandoval’s third film (on Netflix) is introspective and subtle and well worth a watch. It’s no wonder Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing snapped it up to help put it out in the world.

Or if you’re looking for something completely different, venture over to Amazon for the British black comedy “Get Duked!” – a wild satire about some teenage stoners on a camping competition in the Scottish Highlands who discover they’re being hunted.

Infused with a hip-hop energy and a solidly anarchic spirit, “Get Duked!”

is the directorial debut of music video a little bit of joy and some fun.” director Ninian Doff. The great Eddie It’s Saturday night fever with Megan Thee Stallion. The rap star, Izzard co-stars.

– Film Writer Lindsey Bahr who launched two No. 1 smashes this year with “Savage” with Beyoncé and “WAP” with Cardi B, will hold Music her first live virtual concert at 5 p.m.

R&Beef: “The Boy Is Mine” collabSaturday, Aug. 29. The hour-long show orators Brandy and Monica are the is being produced by Live Nation and latest on the battle list of the epic tickets cost $15. The concert will mark “Verzuz” series. The R&B darlings, the rapper’s first performance since who won a Grammy for their 1998 she was shot in the foot last month duet, faced off via Instagram and Apple Music from the Tyler Perry Stu- after a party in the Hollywood Hills.

– Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu dios in Atlanta. Both stars, who have butted heads in the past but reunited in 2012 for another duet, have had Television Whether the new season of CBS’ their share of hits throughout the last “Love Island” includes any version two decades, establishing themselves of love remains to be seen, but it’s as R&B royalty.

Katy Perry says she’s been “on a real definitely not on an island. Bowing emotional, psychological and spiritual to pandemic concerns, the competijourney – to find my smile” in the last tion series moved from Fiji to a Las Vegas hotel. The producers say that three years since releasing her “Witness” album. It’s why she named her stringent health and safety rules are new record “Smile.” The pop star, who in place, with cast, crew and staffers is pregnant and engaged to Orlando tested and isolated before production Bloom, sings about eating a slice of started and regular checks planned humble pie on the album, describing throughout the season. “Love Island,” “Smile” in an interview as “a record with host Arielle Vandenberg and full of hopefulness and resilience and narrator Matthew Hoffman, debuted

Monday, followed by nightly episodes.

A two-hour wrap-up airs at 7 p.m.

Saturdays.

A variety special combines music, comedy and lots of celebrities with a serious goal: to help women regain entertainment industry jobs lost in the pandemic. CW’s “Women in Film Presents: Make it Work!” (now streaming) features prominent women in entertainment, sports and politics, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Alfre Woodard, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger.

The best of the best star in “Planet Earth: A Celebration,” which promises eight of the “most extraordinary” sequences from “Planet Earth II” and “Blue Planet II.” Among them: bottlenose dolphins surfing for what appears to be the sheer joy of it, as narrator David Attenborough describes it, and, on the less playful side, a snakes versus iguana showdown. The special, debuting at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, on BBC America, AMC, SundanceTV and IFC, includes new narration from Attenborough.

– AP Television Writer Lynn Elber

7

By PAM OTTO

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Spider’s silken home funnels food deliveries

A

ah, the joys of summer. With the latest hot spell, the signs of the season are undeniable.

Cicadas are buzzing, prairies are blooming, and spiders, bless their little cardiac marks, are everywhere.

(Fun fact: A cardiac mark is a line near the base of a spider’s abdomen that lies right above its heart. Pretty neat, huh? But it gets even cooler. In some species, if you get close enough and look hard enough, you can actually see the spider’s heart beating beneath that mark. Amazing!)

With so many webs covering so much of our local landscape, I thought it might be helpful to take a look at some of the spider groups you’re more likely to encounter. In an occasional series running into fall, we’ll spotlight various families, genera and even a species or two that just might weave their way into your own cardiac marks. Er, hearts.

We’re going to start off with a genus I’m sure you’ll recognize, if not by the spider, then by their webs.

Agelenopsis, also known as the grass spiders, have been super busy this summer, slinging their thick mats of white silk across wide expanses of shrubbery, grass and groundcovers, extending onto porch steps and deck supports and even the dark recesses of garages and sheds.

The size and strength of these flat, expansive webs are impressive, for sure, but what’s really nifty is the little tunnel at one end. That’s the spot the web’s creator weaves just for herself. (That’s right, the architects of these remarkable residences are females; male grass spiders are more nomadic, spending their summer nights on the move in search of a mate.)

Bedecked with a longitudinal stripe down their back, grass spiders often are mistaken for wolf spiders, since certain types of wolfies have the same marking. But there’s a big difference between the two. Grass spiders are web-based critters, while wolf spiders are ambush predators that eschew webs in favor of pouncing on prey.

If you compare abdomens (and I realize, for some folks, that’s a really big if), you’ll notice that grass spiders have two projections at the rear.

These structures are called spinnerets and are the grass spider’s web-spinning organs. Wolf spiders lack these structures.

I tell you, if I were a spider, Agelenopsis is what I’d want to be.

That sheet web with the funnel at

Photo provided

Grrrowwrrr! A grass spider, medium-sized at best, casts a long shadow from its tangled web at the base of a deck in a photo courtesy of Marita Katzbeck. one end is a great place to hang out. It provides privacy, as well as protection from the elements. Even better, when it’s time to eat, meals are easy as pie.

A silken barrier just above the funnel functions as a nearly invisible food-snaring net. Unsuspecting insects tumble into the net, then fall smack down in front of the waiting spider – kinda like having a pizza fall down from your living room ceiling.

With one major exception. While pizzas need little subduing, insect meals require a little more work.

When a bug drops in, the grass spider rushes out of her funnel and delivers a swift bite, injecting venom into the six-legged “pie.” She then drags her “pizza” prey back into the funnel for a quiet dinner at home.

Dining indoors instead of al fresco gives the spider a couple advantages.

One, she is not exposed to other creatures who might consider her prey of their own. And two, other insects can’t see what happened to their comrade, thus increasing the chances, for the spider, of more food falling from the sky.

While female grass spiders are

pretty well provisioned, males have it a little tougher. Web-spinning is not their forte. Dancing, though, is.

Female spiders of many species have well-deserved reputations for being cannibalistic. Larger than males, more than a few have been known to snack on their mates after courtship wraps up. Saddled with this threat, male spiders have come up with a fantastic repertoire of activities all designed with the singular purpose of self-preservation.

Some species physically restrain the female’s fangs, so they remain safely out of the way; certain others present the females with a nuptial gift – a wad of silk that may or may not contain a succulent prey item inside. Either way, the female remains occupied unwrapping her present and thus unlikely to sink her fangs into her suitor.

Male grass spiders, however, neither have modified structures for defeating fangs, nor are much good at wrapping presents. But boy, can they dance.

When a male Agelenopsis encounters a female’s funnel web, he begins a

series of movements intended not only to announce his presence, but also lull the female from a state of high alert to eventual quiescence. He quivers his legs, which causes the web to vibrate, and sways his abdomen in a sort of belly dance. These movements result in a release of chemicals called pheromones that cause the female to become passive and lets him get down to business.

Although grass spider activity is nearing its peak, it’s a pinnacle that’s short-lived. These entertaining spiders have a one-year life cycle that culminates with the production of egg sacs. Mom and pop fade away, their dancing days over, and the wee ones bide their time.

With the return of warm weather, little grass spiders will burst forth and the whole cycle – bug pizzas, pheromones and all – will begin once again at a shrub or lawn or deck support near you.

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

GOOD NATURED

SHAW MEDIA ILLINOIS

8

LIVE THE HARBOR L I F E

Shaw Media Illinois / ShawMediaIllinois.com • Saturday, August 29, 2020

Slip into

summer deal $500 sliprental

for the remainder of the season. It will be credited to your account should you sign up for the 2021 season

Concierge dock service

Fuel and pump out

Pool and Tiki Bar

Finish your summer out on the water at Heritage Harbor! Single load slips and private dock rental, only $500 for the remainder of the season

2021 full season apply the $500 as a credit Â

Call the marina office at 815-433-5000 ext 3 to take advantage of this great offer!

Limited Availability

SM-LA1802286