Wednesday, February 4, 2009

What the heck??

Along the trail to Wildcat Canyon, we see a snow-covered, fallen log with this tail atop it. Jon said it was the left-behind tail of a raccoon that something had eaten for dinner. Who put that there???

I said he should pull on the tail and see if a really angry raccoon popped out of the snow!

He declined. Go figure . . .



Julie asked about the history of the name Starved Rock. Direct from the Illinois DNR web site:

"Starved Rock State Park derives its name from a Native American legend of injustice and retribution. In the 1760s, Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa tribe upriver from here, was slain by an Illiniwek while attending a tribal council in southern Illinois. According to the legend, during one of the battles that subsequently occurred to avenge his killing, a band of Illiniwek, under attack by a band of Potawatomi (allies of the Ottawa), sought refuge atop a 125-foot sandstone butte. The Ottawa and Potawatomi surrounded the bluff and held their ground until the hapless Illiniwek died of starvation- giving rise to the name “Starved Rock.”

A little ironic, to read this history, and find all that is left of a raccoon is his tail....hmmmmmm.

21 comments:

  1. I bet there was something attached to that tail! Nobody volunteered to pull it?? Chickens!! lol! Great find and wonderful picture!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it!! Great photo. It made me laugh and my grandaughter wanted to know what I was laughting at. Go try to explain it to a 3-year-old!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a strange thing to find! It made an interesting photo and story.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's the money shot! Wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey, thanks for the info on the name of the park. Interesting story.

    Isn't that Daniel Boone's hat? or was it Davey Crockett?????????

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great tail--er, tale! I don't think I would have pulled it either. (Whether or not it was alive, it wouldn't have been a pretty scene either way!!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Me, I'd be tempted to pull on it. Sure is an intruguing photo!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd say that fits the theme well, nice!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha! Great find, I went to that park with my older cousins who had that hat- whoever's it was.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Too funny! That was a good catch. I think I would've passed on pulling the tail, too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a tale of a tail! Though, like finding the last page missing in a book, I am going to forever feel like someone should have pulled on that tail so I would know how things ended!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Would have to pull on it with a stick I think. Just to make sure! lol Fun photo for theme!

    ReplyDelete
  13. At first glance that's so funny...until you wonder what happened to the rest of the raccoon. I wouldn't have pulled it either! Nice shot for this theme.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a great find. The name of the park reminds me of the Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'd leave that tail untouched, too. Funny picture!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That's a terrific shot! I would definitely have passed on pulling the tail!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Souns like a perverbial "Fish Story " to me. Great idea for this theme.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ummm ..... either there is something still under that downed tree, or ... or....

    Great catch for a shot!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Funny shapshot! Maybe Daniel Boone was under there!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've viewed your photo a few times and it makes me laugh over and over again - love it!

    ReplyDelete

What do you think?