Happy Halloween

tank photos

A retired Sherman guarding a local park.

 "You're sure he was in the turret?" I asked my 9-year-old son.
He was telling me about a classmate who claimed he got inside the old Sherman M4A1 tank that guards the local park and pond from geese infestations (a losing battle, if the goose droppings are any indication). We had climbed on the tank before, but I knew the turret and driver hatches were welded (or rusted) shut. The door to the engine compartment in back was open, but it didn't go anywhere. There was no access to the crew area from there.
Now the friend was telling him there was a way inside. I decided the only other way in would be through the escape hatch on the bottom. I had never dared to crawl underneath the behemoth before. We had to check it out.
Named after Gen. William Sherman, who ripped a path of destruction through the South during the Civil War, the Sherman tanks were thrust into the battlefields of World War II. They blasted Nazi Panther tanks in North Africa and Europe, and the allies hammered out about 50,000 of them into the 1950s when they were replaced by Pattons.
Our local Sherman (serial No. 68148) is a model M4A1, one of the few lines with a cast metal hull. It was built in 1950. according to the plaque, which means it didn't see any WWII action. Watertown Arsenal is mentioned, but I don't know if that's where it was built or just refurbished. After it was decommissioned, it was relegated to the silent fleet vehicles, cannons, aircraft and other hardware placed in parks as monuments.
It was a short --- and goose poop-free --- crawl across the concrete pad to the escape hatch in the belly. The door had been removed.  Enough light was coming in through the vents, view ports and the hole for the missing front machine gun that flashlights weren't necessary. Graffiti and fast food wrappers were testament to the fact that others had found their way in before we did. Small piles of gravel had accumulated below holes where people on the outside had dropped pebbles.
Two seats remained, although in bad shape. Assorted levers also survived, and one still opened a small turret window. Dirt and rubble aside, crawling around inside gave me a fell for what it would have been like inside a functional weapon. I have ridden in an armored personnel carrier before. But inside the Sherman I could imagine the claustrophobia of being crammed together with three others inside an iron can filled with explosive ammo. It must have been terrifying to be inside when it got bogged down and caught fire in the heat of battle. The APC, in contrast, had a direct path to a big exit door in the back.
It's been years since I've wedged myself into caves on spelunking trips, and I've picked up some aches and pains since then. So after a bit of exploring the tank, I started the slow, deliberate process of working my way back to the escape hatch. I was just passing through the drivers area when my son called out from the turret.
"There's a dead rat in here."
"OK, don't touch it. Leave it alone," I responded. "Do you think it's real?"
"It has fur, and I can see a tail," came the response. He said it was in some sort of shelf.
I didn't know what he was looking at, and I wasn't excited about the prospect of dragging my own aching carcass back up for a look. So, I decided it was better to assume he was right, there was a deceased rodent festering away inside the tank.
"Just don't touch it, and start heading out," I continued. "We've been in here long enough anyway."

It was time to put that escape hatch to good use.

For more photos of the tank, see our photo gallery.

Arch Park

More to come

On the banks of the Mississippi River, across from the Rock Island Arsenal and tucked between a bike path and train tracks, stands an odd collection of concrete arches and towers.

The structures represent a sampling of different architectural designs that graced the area at one time of another. There are curved metal trunks paying homage to Native American wickiup huts of pre-Colombian times. There's also the trussed roof of a Civil War era fort. And giant triangles representing ... I can't remember.

My favorite was the historical brick tower that stands above it all. It looks like part of a medieval castle, but its is supposed to conjure up images of Victorian buildings.

The Midwest doesn't have many castles.

I kept scoping out the different features of the tower's bricks trying to figure out a good free climbing route.

The kids climbed on the shorter pieces, but I thought tackling the tower would have been pushing it.

 

Photo of the week: Bug quiz

Mantis or Walking Stick? Thi Kreen? Or something else?

Mountain Lion in the Land of No Mountains

Talk about lost.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources staff confirmed they found a mountain lion in the eastern part of the state in recent weeks. The beast was photographed by a trail camera.

The DNR's press release picks up the story here:

“We want the public to know that we have a confirmed photo of a mountain lion, but we don’t want to alarm the public,” said Vince Evelsizer, a DNR wildlife biologist. “When it comes to mountain lions, Iowa tends to be a place to pass through, but not to stay. It is very likely this animal will keep moving, if it’s even still in the area, and will keep to itself."

(It's probably looking for a mountain. Or maybe's he's looking for Hawkeye Point, the state's highest hill, elevation 1,670 feet.)

The photo was taken from a wooded area along the Wapsipinicon River in the eastern part of Clinton County. DNR conservation officers were able to confirm the location where the photo was taken by matching the surrounding landscape to what is shown in the photo, according to the press release.

DNR officials went on to say the mountain lion is likely a young male that has been pushed from its native area by older, dominant males. They have the ability to move several hundred miles in a short period of time, said Evelsizer. The lion likely came from a state west of Iowa.

(FYI: The Rocky Mountains in Colorado are about 800 miles away.)

While the DNR gets many reports each year of mountain lion sightings, only a very small percentage are ever confirmed by the department. Most sightings are mistaken identity with other animals such as bobcats or yellow coated dogs.

“But in this case, we’ve got a pretty good image from the trail camera. I don’t have any doubt on this one that we have an image of a mountain lion,” said Evelsizer.
According to the DNR, only 19 people have been killed in mountain lion attacks in the United States in the last 150 years --- none have occurred in Iowa.

The DNR offers the following safety tips. Generally a mountain lion will sense human presence before humans know they are in the area and the mountain lions will quickly vacate the area. However, if one has an unexpected rare encounter with a mountain lion the following is recommended:

• DON’T RUN! Running will stimulate certain animals to chase you (like a dog that wants to bite you, especially if you run).
• Stand tall, look big, puff up, lift your coat over your shoulders.
• Take control of the situation. Scream loudly, throw objects.
• Gather children in close and slowly back away keeping your eye of the animal.
• If attacked, fight back vigorously with sharp objects and poke the eyes of the animal.