I prefer to move around on a bicycle as it gives you the liberty to stop and observe things. Like I halted at this bridge to take in the nature and the activities around it.
That is when I saw this great Egret trying his hand at fishing. He did try a couple of times and the success rate was something like one in five.
There is this big park with a water body and an excellent cycling/jogging track around it. (Volkening Lake)
Suits me fine as one lap around the lake adds a km to my daily target of pedalling.
You get to see many activities over here, like this man trying his hand at fishing.
He must be good at it as I did see his catch on my third lap.
You keep meeting joggers and fast walkers who are regulars over here.
I saw these young cycle enthusiasts who were trying to help each other in fixing a stuck bike
There is some exercise equipment fixed over there and at times one gets to see it in use.
It may be someone performing solo or maybe a group of students from the school nearby.
There are some who like to paint and the pretty flowers get transferred to their canvas
The thrill of maneuvering a sailboat with a remote is something different. I stopped to capture a bunch of enthusiasts having a gala time.
Spoke to one of them and he confirmed that there are no motors on them to propel them forward. It was just wind power and how you flip the sails that gives it direction. I was really fascinated by their skill, and their dedication to meet on a daily basis to enjoy the sport.
I had enough footage to make it into a ten minute video.
If you are lucky you get to see a variety of birds, like this blue heron was flying very close for a good shot
or this black bird in the bulrushes daring me to come any more close to him (probably he has a nest somewhere close by)
While pedalling alongside the main road, I observed these postal delivery vans zipping past, the only vehicles I noticed in the US with right hand drive.
They were perhaps so designed so as to allow the driver to get in and out without the fear of the oncoming traffic (where there are no road dividers) It also gives access to the postmen to reach the roadside postbox without alighting.
All that is mentioned above is capsuled into a short video so that you can see some of the action.
Then there are things that make you think from the design point of view, like why do some benches have only one armrest ?
They say that if you want to know the history of a place then have a look at the cemetery first. So one morning I pedaled down to the cemetery and found the origin of the name Schaumburg in Illinois.
The original 1842 township survey, names the grove as Sarah's Grove. Three families lived near a grove of woods on the northwest end of the township, and each family had a woman named Sarah (Sarah McChesney, Sarah Frisbe, and Sarah Smith)
At a township meeting in 1850, citizens debated new names for the town. A wealthy landowner named Friedrich Heinrich Nerge, at one point during the meeting, slammed his fist on the table and said in German, "Schaumburg schall et heiten!" ( "It will be called Schaumburg!").
At that point, the township became officially called Schaumburg
Above Black and White picture clicked by Duane Rapp
German was the first language of the majority of households until the 1950s.
The cemetery, with 2600 total grave sites, continues to receive burials today.
Lightning struck the church steeple on July 11, 1904, and set it on fire. The fire, which burned slowly downward, was extinguished by the bucket brigade.
But the steeple was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. The bell was cracked and made useless. In 1956 the Men's Club replaced the bell and memorialized the founders of the congregation by placing it as a monument on the front lawn of the church.
The Schaumburg Center School was one of the five public schools founded in Schaumburg Township in the 1870s.
Originally located at Schaumburg Road, northwest of Roselle Road, (and numbered as 54) it was moved in1981 and restored on its current site on St Peter Lutheran Church property.
This one room schoolhouse is owned by the Village of Schaumburg and is leased to Schaumburg Township Historical Society. Unfortunately I could not have a look inside as it was closed for repairs.
Made a short video of all that I could capture in the morning. The squirrel at the cemetery lawn was eyeing me suspiciously "should I share my breakfast with this guy on a bicycle?"
On the way back I noticed these birds (a Great Blue Heron and Swallow) in the grove. (things that we don't notice when we zip past in a four wheeler)
Saw this Great Egret busy trying to catch some fish, and while doing so, she makes an attempt to stand on one leg as can be seen in the video
If you cycle around at a leisurely pace (especially around water bodies) you get to see some beautiful birds.
Advisory boards are put up and it is better to follow them for your own safety.
As I did not have a monopod or tripod, I kept the camera on my cycle seat and that helped me in creating a video without any shake.
Coming back to the Great Egret, I saw her making a jab into the water but was unlucky in catching the fish.
After reading about them I got some more information, like they fly slowly but powerfully with just two wing beats per second, attaining an average speed of 25 miles/hr.
They were hunted nearly to extinction for their plumes in the late nineteenth century, sparking conservation movements and some of the first laws to protect birds.
A little further away I noticed a Great Blue heron.
These ducklings were faithfully following their mother. They looked and sounded like Canada Goose, but I am not sure about it.
There were other birds too and I am trying to identify them.
It was good to see that the tracks were being used by cycling enthusiasts (and some joggers too)
On the way back I saw this sight. I suppose they have the right of way, and drivers wait patiently for them to cross.
Today is World Bicycle Day and I hope more people will take up cycling.
