It’s a Wonderful Slice 2021!
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(December 19, 2021) Here we go again, folks. Strap in for It’s a Wonderful Slice 2021. Here’s how it works. The radio host guy (that’s me) takes a beloved holiday film and edits the bejeebers out of it. Then he invites some friends to play various roles. (They will never get their reputations back, by the way. But he doesn’t tell them that.) He throws scripts at them the day before the taping. They read through the piece on Zoom in one take. He airs it and takes the next two weeks off. Nice work if you can get it.
So, on today’s show, that’s what we’ll do. Meanwhile, what does this have to do with horticulture or the environment? Not a whole lot. Just the way we like it.
Actually, that’s not exactly true. You’ve seen most our all-star cast on the show in the past. As usual, Peggy Malecki plays Mary. Ron Cowgill from Mighty House Home Improvement Show is back to play Uncle Billy, Ernie, Sam Wainwright and others. Nationally renowned gardening expert Melinda Myers also returns to play God (because God, as we all know, is a woman), Pete, Mr. Welsh and Ma Bailey.
We welcome newcomer Veronica Hinke, Public Affairs Officer & Public Services Team Leader for the USDA Forest Service at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, who will be playing Violet, Janey, Zuzu and assorted roles. After an absence of several years, Lisa Albrecht, owner of All Bright Solar, returns to play St. Joseph, Tommy, Bert and others. Last, but certainly not least, our buddy Skeet from our primary sponsor Bartlett Tree Experts handles the roles of Peter Bailey, Martini, Harry and the guy whose tree gets hit by George (who else could play that role?)
We think you’ll be entertained.
A writer’s writer
However, before we get to the silliness, I have a question. How come I didn’t know about Cindy Crosby? Moreover, why didn’t I know about her writing? Crosby is a naturalist, lecturer, instructor, blogger and author who has contributed to more than 20 books. Incidentally, that’s just in her latest career, her fourth or fifth. Her books include Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History, The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction, and Tallgrass Conversations.
You can see a lot of her journalism background (one of those previous careers) in her writing. In other words, she’s a writer’s writer. From Chasing Dragonflies:
Our lives seem short. But the human life span is endless compared with a dragonfly’s. Although the nymph may live underwater for as short a time as a few months or as long as seven-plus years–and the average life span of an adult is about a month–the life of a dragonfly in and out of water is a dicey proposition. Consider this: dragonflies, both in the nymph and adult stage, eat one another. So, not only do dragonflies have to worry about frogs, birds, and fish snatching them, they also have to keep one eye on their relatives.
Chasing odonates is also a Wonderful Slice
Today, we’ll talk about odonates (dragonflies and damselflies). But we’ll also talk about life. In winter and in general. Crosby wrote to me,
So many people think of winter as the “off-season” in the Midwest — a time to stay indoors. It can be difficult to get off the couch and get outside. I’m giving a program this month on “Winter Prairie Wonders” to several groups (The Prairie Naturalists, The Morton Arboretum)—-the program is a series of prairie readings, art images, and prairie photography to remind folks (and myself!) about the joys of exploring the prairies in December, January, and February…The days seem so short. The world news is grim. We need the hope and solace of these walks outdoors.
Since she spends so much of her time in the natural world, we will probably touch upon the situation at Bell Bowl Prairie. The latest reports are grim, just as Crosby writes above. To share our journey, a dear friend will join us. Mac Austin is the co-author, with Kathleen Thompson, of several wonderful books–including The Face of Our Past, and Examining the Evidence. More important to our conversation, however, she is an Illinois Master Naturalist and budding odonate chaser.
It’s a Wonderful Slice and odonates. I can’t think of a better way to end our show year. See you in 2022.