McHenry County Blog

I found these at the closed Bennigan’s in a traffic island.

Are they snapdragons?

Whatever these yellow flowers are, they are from a better day, because they were growing in grass, not a flower bed.

Labels: Bennigan's, Flowers, Message of the Day

You know my color blind eyes like yellow.

I see it with the intensity that normal folks probably see all colors.

Imagine my amazement when I say this yellow violet underneath the big red oak tree in our back yard.

Then, I found two more blossoms near some daffodils next to the helicopter pad (the brick patio where the yellow pansy appeared).

I remembered that I bought a yellow violet plant from a Meridian Street neighbor a couple of years ago, but I can't remember where I planted it.

Wherever that was, it must have spread much like the other violets in our yard have.

Every time I get a pitch to kill all the broad leaf plants in our year, I think of the violets that would disappear.

We have

Labels: Flowers, Meridian Street, Message of the Day, Violets, Yellow

These purple flowers are popping up all over the neighborhood.

They spread quite well.

I should plant more this fall.

The only problem is that I can't remember what these flowers are called.

Can anyone help me out? I think they start with an "s."

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Flower expert Pat Kennedy identifies the flowers: "Those purple blue flowers are called Siberian squill."

Labels: Flowers, Message of the Day, Purple

So, McHenry County Democratic Party Coroner candidate Dave Bachmann sends me a picture of a new car with the following message:

“Thanks to Keely the cat...
“I took her advice today...
“brought home a new toy before the tax rate changes!
“Such a DEAL...

So, how am I to know that it's his car, that he hasn't picked the picture off the Saturn web site?

Sure looks like it came from a web site, unless McHenry County has developed an ocean front view recently.

My reply:

“If you want me to believe it, send me a picture with your kids in it.”

Bachmann's March 31st reply:

“Okay.. but I pick it up tonight at 7pm.. I will take the photo at the dealership in the shop under the lights...and send it to you tonight! Its going to be Black with black and red leather seats. Saturn Sky Redline Turbo!“

I sent another instruction:

“Holding the artificial flowers.”

Then, pictures arrive with the following subject line:

“Memo from : SpongeBob Square Pants and Morris and Laura Bachmann”

“Dear Keeley the Cat:

"We took your advise and beat the Tax Hike.

"Our dad gave us the keys now, because he is afraid of what the taxes might be like when I turn 16.

"Along with SpongeBob, we enjoyed our ride thru Crystal Lake. We stopped in Woodstock at the 'Krusty Crab' for some Krabbie Patties with the money we saved!”

Bachmann wanted me to put in something about his usually being serious, but needing to have fun every day, but I won't do it.

Even bloggers have some self respect.

Another communication:

“I'm normally not a cat person... I've only see maybe 2 cats in my life I admire.. Keely is beautiful...I could own a cat like that....plus she gives good advice!”

Keely is insulted. He is a he. At least he started out that way.

Since that guy Bachmann isn't around, Keely will take out his frustration on his scratching post.

Then, when I didn't post a story on March 31st, Bachmann started getting nervous:

“Why do I have this feeling that I have an April Fools day joke coming my way???”

The car was purchased from Saturn of Lake Barrington. The salesman's name is Dan Allaire.

Labels: Dan Allaire, Dave Bachmann, Flowers, RTA Sales Tax, Saturn, Saturn of Lake Barrington

I observed that Democratic Party McHenry County Coroner candidate Dave Bachmann deserved the award for

"Shameless Use of Children and Imagination to Gain Public Attention for One's Campaign,"

but published this picture of his kids holding flowers inside in front a fireplace anyway.

But, yesterday, I said what I was looking for was

“The first flower that blooms from a bulb planted in the soil in anyone's yard this spring.”

So what did I get shortly after I posted my article late Sunday afternoon?

Another picture which might—if one want to stretch things quite a bit—meet the conditions above.

It made me smile, even chuckle.

I can't wait until Bachmann starts sharing his funeral director humor.

You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it.

Labels: Dave Bachmann, Flowers, Laura Sanchez Bachmann, Mauricio Sanchez Bachmann

In the

"Shameless Use of Children and Imagination to Gain Public Attention for One's Campaign,"

Democratic Party McHenry County Coroner candidate Dave Bachmann wins first prize.

I mentioned that I would run a picture of the first flower of spring in McHenry County.

Here are his children Mauricio and Laura Sanchez Bachmann holding fabric flowers.

He writes they are the first flowers in Hebron.

Let me be clearer on what I am looking for:

The first flower that blooms from a bulb planted in the soil in anyone's yard this spring.

As usual, the picture may be enlarged by clicking on it.

Labels: Dave Bachmann, Flowers, Hebron, Laura Sanchez Bachmann, Mauricio Bachmann, McHenry County Coroner

If Crystal Lake had not been liquid and waves crashing into the bottom of Dick and Marilyn Vogelman’s South Shore Drive pier...

If one could see not the color of the wilted flowers...

a Crystal Laker could be excused for thinking it was still winter.

There were snow showers that briefly looked like a blizzard.

The wind was gusting so hard that there were foot high white caps on Crystal Lake near the Main Beach.

It was chilling me as I sat in the Crystal Lake Kiwanis meeting at back room at the Colonial Cafe on Wednesday.

The wind was gusting so hard that there were foot-high white caps on Crystal Lake near the Main Beach.

And the poor daffodils, which had been so beautiful on Tuesday, had gone limp when the temperature dipped below freezing.

With another night of sub-zero temperatures, I wonder how low they can go.

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As usual, all the photographs can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Labels: Crystal Lake, Flowers, Waves, Wiind

And the color is yellow.

That’s the color of my flowers of choice.

The reason is simple.

I have a hard time seeing pastels.

Even red gives me a problem.

That’s probably because I am red-green colorblind.

Hint: be wary of me at any intersection where the traffic lights are not vertical.

In any event, I like yellow flowers because I can see them vividly.

If the other colors are as vivid to other people as yellow is to me, we live in a beautiful world.

Labels: Colorblind, Flowers, Lakewood, Message of the Day, Yellow