The temperatures are cooler, many of the leaves on trees are turning colors and the air frequently has the crispness that speaks of approaching fall and winter. Summer’s heat spells have left and there is nothing like a good crisp morning to help us get energized for the outdoor adventures ahead, so here we go! Please note, friends, that several of this month’s adventures require advance tickets available online. This includes Tower of Power, Tom’s Farm Market, the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and the “Go Ape” experience in Bemis Woods, so please plan ahead.

We’ll start our adventures, this evening, Sunday, October 1^st, at one of our favorite venues, the MacIninch Art Center, www.AtTheMac.org, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, where Mike Jerel, whom you’ll recognize from “The Voice”, will perform as the new lead singer for the legendary Funk, Soul and R&B band, Tower of Power. This band has been touring the world since 1968, pushing the creative edges of funk and soul with a distinctive, horn-driven sound that resonates across the decades. The band is so versatile and well respected that they have played on albums with Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith and Josh Groban. I have loved these guys since ’68, and I can’t wait to hear how they sound today. This promises to be a great show.

It may not seem like it’s harvest time already, but it is, and Halloween is only three weeks away, so today, Saturday, October 7^th, let’s gather the kids, and a bunch of friends with their kids, and all go out to Tom’s Farm Market, https://tomsfarmmarket.com, 10214 Algonquin Road, Huntley, IL, for a full day of family fun. They open at 10:00am, and we’ll let the young ones pull us right into the Straw Maze, and watch while they clamber up and down the Straw Mound and the Spider Web.  After that, our family groups can each make our very own scarecrow, decorate it and consider how to place it for maximum effect at home.

It’s time for lunch, I think, do you agree? Cheryl’s Cafe has a nice variety of lunch salads, soups and sandwiches.  We’re going to need a couple of tables, and here are some menus. Hmmm, half of a bowl of soup with half of a turkey-horseradish sandwich sounds like just what my growling stomach needs. How about you folks? I see a bunch of small hands going up for the mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches from the kids’ menu. BLT, you said? That’s always a good choice. Soups, some wraps, and some cider donuts to finish; it looks like we all have everything covered.

OK, kids, what would you like to do next? There’s a huge corn maze; why don’t you all see who can get through while making the fewest turns? Don’t get lost, and don’t lose your younger brothers and sisters.

Do you hear them? They all sound so excited! While they are navigating, we can sit strategically near the exit and sip some coffee or hot chocolate while we chat and catch up. Do you believe it? Here they are already. Hey, kids, is everyone accounted for? It sounded like you were all having fun.

Now let’s gather our tribes and pick out Halloween pumpkins for carving and for pies. Remember, kids, we have to have room for the scarecrow in our car, so don’t be grabbing one of those really huge pumpkins, OK? We’re almost done now, but we just have to let the kids go through the petting zoo of farm animals over near the barn. I love doing this, especially with children. They can start to appreciate the amount of effort that it takes for farming families to grow and harvest the food that we city folk so readily take for granted.

Well, this has been a lot of fun, and just think, tomorrow you can finish your decorations with your very own scarecrow!

Somehow Autumn weather and the changing colors of the leaves invites and inspires us to be in the woods. This morning, Saturday, October 14^th, at Bemis Woods Forest Preserves, 1100 Ogden Avenue, Western Springs, we’ll “Go Ape” with an hour of axe throwing, hearing and feeling that solid “thank” as you stick an axe in the target. Technique is more important than strength, and there’s someone to guide us as we learn. Ready? Throw!  Whew! Wasn’t that fun?

Now we’ll head up into the trees! It’s an hour-long experience of various obstacles, ziplines through the trees, mid-air rope-bridges, and beautiful Autumn Forest views, all designed to get our hearts pumping while building love of the wild outdoors. Mission accomplished!  Today has been truly excellent, thanks for joining us.

Wednesday, October 18^th, is free day at Shedd Aquarium, https://www.sheddaquarium.org/, 1200 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.  Let’s go. Take the day off and meet us there as soon as the doors open at 9am. Once inside, let’s head over to the Abbott Oceanarium and spend some time with the Beluga whales. Then we can see and learn more about sharks in the Wild Reef tanks. This is interesting: many different sharks can’t ever stop moving; they must swim to keep water flowing over their gills in order to breathe.  Wow! I can’t imagine having to keep moving just to stay alive. There’s a lot more to see at the Shedd: jellyfish, octopii, penguins, and a whole section on the Great Lakes.

Let’s take some time today, Saturday, October 21^st, to pay a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum, https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie. Every once in a while we need to remind ourselves of the scale of man’s inhumanity to man. Holocausts have not stopped; Russia’s brutal treatment of Ukrainian civilians, and the abhorent kidnapping and removal of over seven hundred fifty thousand Ukrainian children, remind us daily that this type and scope of brutality continues to happen. We must continue to take action every time to stop genocide where ever it appears.

I specifically want to go through the Take a Stand Center, which will guide us through four interactive galleries that take us through contemporary social justice issues, here in the US and around the globe. There are other exhibits to examine; each, I’m sure, will open our hearts and minds in ways that will inspire us all to work for positive change in the world. After that, let’s gather nearby at Ruby of Siam, https://www.rubyofsiamskokie.com/, 9420 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, for some very authentic Thai food, and a long, gentle conversation about what we’ve just learned, how we’ve been affected, and how we can change our daily lives as a result.

We know that it’s a few days early, but it’s Friday, October 27^th, which is close enough to Halloween. We’re throwing the party this year, so put on your best costume and come on over. You can expect a big bunch of spooky surprises in addition to great food and drinks, quiet talk and loud music. How about a best costume contest? Our doors will open about 7:00pm and we are really looking forward to having you join us.

Today, Tuesday, October 31^st, might be Halloween, but we’ve had our party so today let’s take advantage of a free day at the Field Museum, https://www.fieldmuseum.org, 1400 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. There are a host of new exhibits so let’s go first to the “First Kings of Europe”. Among the wonders we will experience in this exhibit are the oldest known human-made gold objects, known as the Varna treasure, which were created over 6,000 years ago and uncovered in a grave. We will also see Bronze Age masterpieces of swordmaking and armor, so we can ponder over the amazing intelligence and masterful skills that allowed ancient smiths and artisans to create these pieces using only hand tools, steady hands and sharp eyes.

There’s also a solid gold crown, glittering with a wreath of gold leaves and a likeness of Nike, the goddess of victory. It was worn by a Thracian prince! Also from Thrace are some pieces from the “Borovo Treasure”, part of a feasting set once owned by King Kotys I, who was murdered in 360 BCE. Archeologists are still searching to discover how the treasure got to be buried where it was discovered.

In the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet, we’ll pass by Sue, the T. rex, of course; how about a good look at this beast, a giant ground sloth called “Megatherium”? I sometimes wonder how such big, heavy and apparently rather slow-moving animals survived surrounded by predators, but since modern sloths seem to have adapted, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that Megatherium did too.

But one of the most fascinating sets of fossils here are those of the Tully Monster, which was discovered in Mazon Creek, Illinois. It has been a mystery to paleontologists for over 60 years. Although recent research has provided some possible answers to questions about its structure, abilities, and genealogy, many questions remain.  How did this river dweller eat through that long, skinny, crazy-looking mouth? Or would you call it a “probiscus”? Let’s take a long look and perhaps speculate on our own, hmm?

There are so many exhibits to check out, things to see, and so much to learn, we could stay here for a month and not be finished. Look, here’s a model of Lucy, the oldest known ancestor to humans, who lived 3.2 million years ago, and information on all of our known ancestors and distant cousins. Did you know that most humans have genes that have been traced back to Neanderthals? (Neither did I, until now.)

Well, readers and dear friends, we’ve made it safely through another month, despite those vicious teeth threatening us from the jaws of Sue T. Rex. November is upon us, and we’ll keep our spirits up, and our eyes open to adventure wherever we go.  We’ll see you next month.