Hello everyone, been a while, but you know, curveballs, bumps, lemons, grey clouds, bright sun, very loud/sudden thunder, humidity, everyday beauty all happen with the life gifts that need to be acknowledged, not brushed off, and SUMMER with the long days of sun plus some rain create the explosive growth all around that is worth focusing on. I doubt anyone will say “you can say that again” :)
A HAIKU even came to mind while walking the other day:
No Rhyme or Reason
Just photos of the Season
Summer O’ Summer!
CLICK HERE for a video created from my photos of Summer Full Blooming at Morton Arboretum and Garfield Park Conservatory and Gardens, surprise, surprise :)
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| Unfortunately, one part of Summer that didn’t Bloom in the Artist’s Garden |
A few weeks ago I went to Chicago and rode the Brown Line El from Quincy on the Loop to Ravenswood Manor which has the North Branch of the Chicago River flow alongside the neighborhood. Ravenswood Manor has a cool little history and some lofty goals when it was developed. Like most things though, people were involved and they tended to tweak things to their own likings, good or bad, I don’t know.
The day I went to Ravenswood Manor it happened to be their Garden Walk day. I tried it for a few “small backyard gardens” and found just walking the streets and seeing the smaller bungalows, the river, etc. gave plenty of opportunity for pictures.
THIS VIDEO was created from my photos of the Brown Line El ride and exploring Ravenswood Manor and on a different day, taking the UP-North Metra train to Kenilworth (I like the train station’s design:) and Winnetka on the shores of Lake Michigan 15 miles north of Chicago. It’s always refreshing to see the Lake and what hue of blue is showing on a particular day.
In Winnetka, the photo below shows a HUGE estate under construction, 6 lots on the Lake, in total. If you look closely you can see 7 Porta Potties for the worker bees. That’s probably more than they had at WOODSTOCK !! :)
One of the life gifts that I mentioned above in “the opening” is my grandson Sam. He was born with Hydrocephalus and has lived well beyond the 3 months that the doctors predicted (17 yrs old now). Sam and I walked to and from the Metra Station, 0.6 mile each way from my apartment. He did it without stopping or complaining. There are a couple of busy streets to cross with signals and at each one Sam whispered “be careful” as he grabbed my hand as we crossed.
We rode the train for about 1/2 hour to Downers Grove and had Thick Vanilla Milkshakes. The pictures below might give you an idea whether Sam had a good time (me too). A Life Gift to be acknowledged !!
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| CONCENTRATION and COORDINATION |
In case you are wondering there is still a Fox River in Aurora. The winding pedestrian bridge over the River near Riveredge Park is closed all summer for construction on the east bank so that place I like to view the river will have to wait. The photo below is at the end of a sidewalk path that follows the river on the south side of downtown. I think it is a pretty cool view upriver towards downtown, always on the lookout for a canoe of Illini Indians to be headed downstream :) There have been some heavier rainfalls to the north so the river is flowing full, bank to bank.
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| Fox River on a mid August Day |
CIAO for NOW !! LET’S GET BLOOMING :)
