That's Brent Manning talking to Marc Miller at the Illinois Conservation Foundation Hall of Fame induction and dinner at Pheasant Run in St. Charles. Or, put another way, the longest serving head of the IDNR and the former DOC talking to the current IDNR director.

(BTW, maybe I should have should them from the other side with Manning on the right and Miller on the left.)

All joking aside, that's an encouraging sign that maybe there can be enough of a bipartisan effort to pull the IDNR and ICF through tough times. I sure hope.

Joel Brunsvold, another former IDNR director, also attended and lent his support. Mark Spangler, the new ICF director, made his first big public appearance. There was an encouraging link there too as the first ICF director John Schmitt, who served under Manning, also attended.

More on the dinner and stuff I picked up later. Some of it may be spread over the next week or so as I do follow up checking..

And a big congrats to Denny Sands (above right), the force behind Shabbona Lake being whatit is on his induction into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame. He was one of four inductees. Click here for more on the four inductees.