Grant Park +, Wabash Ave Street Art & Early Fall Colors at GPC - MyShadowProductions #213

Howdy everyone, what’s happening in your world?

Here is a collage of a recent sunrise and sunset, one of Nature’s many Free Shows :)

I have some videos to share that I have been trying to think of an interesting way to tie them all together but that’s not happening :)

With that in mind I will share them and let the pictures/videos express the “thousand words” that I am failing to conjure up.

VIDEO 1 is created from my photos one weekend day in Chicago (just happened to be the Marathon) walking to and around Grant Park and a few from the Lincoln Park area on a different day. WATCH VIDEO 1 NOW. How many people in the Video taking pictures can you count??

VIDEO 2 is created from my photos walking north along Wabash Ave from Roosevelt Rd to Ida B Wells Dr in the South Loop area. WATCH VIDEO 2 NOW.

VIDEO 3 is created from my photos at Garfield Park Conservatory (GPC) as I get a chance to enjoy the Nature after each of my volunteer shifts, it makes Wednesdays and many Fridays pretty special, grateful for the opportunity. WATCH VIDEO 3 NOW.

I mentioned in a previous Post that I had a certain area in mind to try and capture some Fall Colors. That idea is still developing slowly as the colors seem hesitant to appear and it isn’t practical for me to visit the area on a daily basis but I have some days in mind for late this week and early next week that should work ok (if Mother Nature cooperates :). In the meantime, some teaser pictures :)

 

Of course, Aurora has Colors too, here are a few views in the area, trees are starting to change daily now so I will try to give a peak at what fall looks like in my neck of the woods :) in my next Post.

Have a GREAT DAY !!!

 & 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!! 

Wait, I almost forgot, on September 28 I went to the Chicago Park District Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Brighton Park Community Campus in South Chicago. It is a nice gesture for the volunteers and members of the different Alliances/Groups that partner with the Park District for the benefit of the Parks.

It was my first time on the L Orange Line, pretty exciting, right? :)

I made a Video from my pictures and videos during the event - it is fairly long so I assume if you choose to watch it that you might want to “fast forward” a time or two?? 

There is no background music for this Video but leave your Speaker on.

As I compiled the Video I noticed that besides the entertainers there is quite an opportunity for “people watching” as well - hope you enjoy it!

CLICK HERE for the VIDEO.

 

Grandparents, Lakeview East Festival of the Arts & Morton Arboretum Meadow Lake and Lake Marmo - MyShadowProductions #212

Buenos Dias everyone !!

No, I am not traveling just felt like adding a little Español :)

In my last Post I said “Happy September” and now it is October, I seem to be getting into a pattern of one Post per month?? I am not sure that I like that but the inspiration comes when it comes :)

That being said, HAPPY OCTOBER everybody :)

Also in my last Post I said that it was the time of year when it’s too cold in the mornings and late afternoon for shorts, well that lasted about 4 days and temperatures have been warmer (at times Hot) as we have entered Fall with shorts still my go to “wardrobe”, haha.

Last month, September 7, was Grandparents Day. I already had information on my Paternal Grandparents’ ancestry and my Maternal Grandfather’s ancestry and with the help of one of my sisters and a niece I learned a little about my Maternal Grandmother’s ancestry.

Here is a quick Summary:

Paternal Grandparents - Both born in Fonte Alto, Treviso, Italy and came to USA around 1905ish to Springfield, IL 

Maternal Grandfather - Born in Lièvin, Pas de Calais, France

Maternal Grandmother - Born in the USA, her ancestors came to USA (east coast) in the late 1600’s from Inverness, Scotland and Northamptonshire in the East Midlands of England and Bromley, Greater London.

I located these ancestral towns on a map and to me it is kind of interesting how they kind of form a diagonal “line”.

I searched on YouTube for videos in the different towns and one Video was particularly interesting - “Chiesa Fonte Alto” by Sergio Rinaldo in 2021. It is a 2:18 minute drone video of the church in Fonte Alto. The same church where my grandparents were baptized and married (one of my nieces eloped and was married there as well) and I have been fortunate to have visited myself (3 times).

Here is a link to watch “CHIESA FONTE ALTO”

The picture below is a screenshot with my notes from the Video that looks in the direction of where my grandparents’ families lived:

This picture is a screenshot of Google Maps in that area with my notes:

Moving on to present happenings :), I have a couple of Videos to share created from my pictures during September:

CLICK HERE for Chicago’s Lakeview East’s Festival of the Arts

Click Here for Morton Arboretum welcoming September at Meadow Lake and Lake Marmo

I have a few “birdwatching/sightings” pictures to share from my walks at GPC:

Straight Up and away it went with the click of my camera :)

I don’t want to rush the Fall Colors but the changes that are happening now are

pretty cool already :)

Clematis Waiting to be Identified (Sweet Autumn Clematis??)

Black Squirrel & Clematis on Fence

The MAZE in Child Wild at GPC

Coppertone Stonecrop

Lavender 

Mexican Bush Sage (The BLOOM keeps getting better!)

I have mentioned from time to time a few YouTube channels that I follow regularly. If you are interested in places that you most likely will never visit then I have a few suggestions for the “next best thing” to a trip there :)

I have made screenshots from a couple of the YouTube videos and added notes on the location and the YouTuber and I have added a Link to their channels as well. Hope you give it a try, a TV screen or at least an IPad are recommended.

Watch the Video Here (be patient please, the best is at the end :)

WATCH the VIDEO Here

That’s all for now or before I know it November will be here, haha :)

FALL is HERE - ENJOY !!

Clouds, Random Photos & GPC Artist’s Garden 2025 - MyShadowProductions #211

Happy September everyone!! 

That time of year when some days its too cool to wear shorts in the morning or late afternoon but maybe 12 to 3 it’s ok for shorts, quite a dilemma for someone like me :)

This summer there have been many days with “hazy” skies due to smoke from wildfires in Canada along with stretches of humidity over 80%+. I am lucky that it didn’t affect me physically but for some it was a problem.

Lately though, either the winds have changed or the wildfires have been put out, and with some nice heavy rains the sky at times has been a very radiant blue (in Colorado a friend calls it ink blue) and maybe in Chicago it is Cubs Blue :)

I recently took some pictures just because of the Cubs Blue Sky and the Clouds and coincidentally have some other recent pictures that have clouds as well. So I thought it would be a good idea to make a CLOUDS Video to share. The video starts off in Aurora and ends in Aurora but the others at Garfield Park Conservatory are pretty cool, thanks to Mother Nature. 

(The Video includes 4 pictures from a place that I “scouted” on Saturday, hope to go there in October for fall colors, can you spot the 4 pictures?)

Let’s watch the CLOUDS Video!

Summer at Garfield Park Conservatory is filled with a “Riot of Colors” (another Colorado friend’s saying). There are many outdoor Gardens at GPC: City Garden, Bluestone Terrace, Orchard Garden, Demonstration Garden, Front Entry, Pollinator Beds, High Voltage Garden, Child Wild, Lily Pools (closed this year for evaluation of the pools not holding water), Gravel Garden, Sensory Garden (closed this summer during construction in the adjacent inside Children’s Garden), Quaking Aspens, Spring Daffodil Ribbons and at least 3 more areas I haven’t learned the name of :)

Front Entry

Gravel Garden

City Garden Triangle

Pollinator Beds

Child Wild

Bluestone Terrace

Orchard Garden

Sensory Garden Under Repair

Demonstration Garden

Oh, and there is the Artist’s Garden which introduced me to the GPC outside gardens. I still get to help there as often as I like and also have the flexibility to help out in the other gardens as well.

Summer in the Artist’s Garden includes a display of flowers based on a theme. Last year it was George Washington Carver and this year it is centered around Alfredo Ramos Martinez, a Mexican Artist.

I took random pictures from the time in May that the Tulips were removed until just recently and the Growth of the Flowers is pretty cool to see !!

I even made a Video, haha, from my pictures including a 7 minute Walk Through the Artist’s Garden because the weather has already started to change and we all know what happens after that :) In the Video I moved the camera a little too fast at times, remember, work in progress :)

CLICK HERE for ARTIST’s GARDEN SUMMER 2025. 

I didn’t have anything to do with the designing, planning, planting, watering, pruning, dead heading, signage, etc., that was taken care of by GPC Professionals. I was glad to help with weeding and cleaning the surrounding areas and the perennial beds in the garden as well as an occasional raking of the paths (kind of a favorite of mine/mind, get it?)

Now, it is time to share some Random Photos of things that have caught my eye and of course need to be shared and sometimes commented on in search of “humor” :)

Kohlrabi at the Food Pantry

Learned of a new Melon at the Food Pantry

Random Bride & Groom in Chicago (a second later the picture would have shown the bridesmaids as well) maybe next time? :)

Northern Illinois Corn Field - wouldn’t that make an exciting Video from tilling the field to planting to growth stages to harvesting?? Maybe??

My Green Line Stop for GPC

Not my Barbershop but I like their Sign :)

Dawn Redwoods in Chicago area, GPC & Morton Arboretum 

Are RR cars a good place to get advice? Probably not :)

Colorful Squash at the Food Pantry

Bananas in Horticulture Hall @ GPC

In my previous Post I mentioned the Mexican Bush Sage that wasn’t blooming, well it looks like the blooms might come after all, a “late bloomer” like me :)

Bloomin’ Good News :)

Ciao for now and let’s keep 

BLOOMING ALONG :)