MORTON ARBORETUM & Garfield Park Conservatory Outside Gardens - MyShadowProductions #178

Howdy everybody (y’all:)!! They tell me here in Aurora that I have a slight southern accent, is Howdy a Southern greeting? 

On Saturday July 6, 2024 I went to the Morton Arboretum to see what it offered in the early Summer. I saw gardens of flowers and wildflowers and a lot of greens and a lot of “bark browns” (are those colors?) Oh, and more blue skies with fluffy white clouds.

One new flower for me (I think) was the Queen of the Prairie:

I really liked this “subtle group” of colors!

CLICK HERE for a Video created from my photos along my Sanity Walk.

I want to share my gratitude for “finding” Garfield Park Conservatory (GPC) to volunteer at one day a week (usually Wednesday 9-12). One of the coolest things is being in the Artist’s Garden (my adopted space to “work”) weeding, pruning, etc. and hear a school bus or two or three pull-up and then hear the kids laughing and talking with excitement before the bus doors are even opened :)

Here is a Video created from my photos at the GPC outside gardens over the last few months, the sun and rain have been working overtime :)

Did you notice the Hawk I accidentally captured in one of the photos?

MyShadow made a very slight appearance in the Video but MyWheelbarrow made several obvious ones :)

Now, a little about food :) Summer is a great time to make and eat Cowboy Caviar! Not too bad in Fall or Winter or Spring either :)

1 can yellow or white corn, 1 can black eyed peas, bell pepper (any color), onion, cilantro, black beans, red beans, jalapeño (remove seeds), garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, 2 Roma tomatoes and red wine vinegar & olive oil. Eat cold as a salad with salsa and avocado chunks added or mix in avocado and use as a dip with corn tortilla chips :) (you’re welcome:)

Use this recipe as a base and try an addition like ground beef, ground pork, bacon, shrimp, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, shredded cheese, sour cream, garbanzo beans, etc.

Here are a few more Public Art pieces in Chicago:

The “color” of The Picasso doesn’t contrast with the surrounding buildings as well as Calder’s Flamingo does in the previous Post (in my opinion:).

One last note, about the lily pond at GPC and the one in Denver Botanic Garden, in Denver they colored the water (black) in GPC the water is clear with gravel on the bottom. Both are a “good look” and fit their respective Gardens (I am full of opinions today :)

                       Denver

        GPC, they try to clean the green moss daily.

Have a Great final week of July !!!

GRANT PARK (a little bit), Chicago’s Public Art (a few) & FIREWORKS - MyShadowProductions #177

Hello again, middle of July already :)

On Sunday, June 30, 2024 I went to Chicago to find some Public Art that is spread around the City and to see Grant Park.

I found a few listings of Public Art installations around Chicago on the internet and I am using them as a type of photo scavenger hunt. I am not quite sure how I want to show them (in a group) but, in the meantime, I will include them individually in my blog posts as I “find” them :)

Here are a few examples:

Grant Park was in the process of being turned into a NASCAR road course for the Grant Park 165 NASCAR Race on July 7, 2024. In hindsight I should have taken more photos of the transformation but I focused on the remaining areas of the Park.

Click this Link to watch a Video created from my photos.

Then, on Wednesday night July 3rd, Aurora had its Fourth of July Fireworks show along the banks of the Fox River. I adjusted my bedtime for that night :) and was able to get a good vantage point for my Video of the Show. When I looked at my photos and videos later, my first thought was it looked like I was in a jungle :)

Here are some still photos from the jungle:

If you like, you have 2 options below for a video of the Fireworks Show:

Click Here for the Short Version.

CLICK HERE for the Long Version.

By the way, no mosquito bites or poison ivy :)

Let’s Keep Enjoying Summer !!

CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN - MyShadowProductions #176

Happy July amigos !!

On Saturday June 15, 2024 I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden which is actually North of Chicago in Glencoe, IL :)

As part of the trip I used the Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) in Chicago for the first time. It is about a 15 minute walk from the Metra Station at Union Station. The OTC is basically a newer station with additional Metra trains serving additional destinations.

My trip was a BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Metra train from Aurora to Union Station, walk to the OTC and a UP-N (Union Pacific-North) Metra train to a stop at the Braeside Station and a 25 minute walk to the Garden, about 2hrs and 45 minutes in all. Not as bad as it might sound, there are a lot of sights on the way.

Needless to say, I took a lot of photos :)

I like for the photos to give a good idea of what it is like walking the new to me paths and experiencing scenery for the first time, hope it comes across close to that.

Here is a Map of the Garden for reference:

For a walking tour of the Chicago Botanic Garden I have created 5 videos from my photos :)

VIDEO 1/5 The journey there, the entrance area, Esplanade view and North Lake views, Native Plant Garden and the Fruit & Vegetable Garden Island

VIDEO 2/5 Graham Bulb Garden, Spider Island and Model Railroad Garden 

VIDEO 3/5 Heritage Garden, Rose Garden and English Walled Garden

VIDEO 4/5 Japanese Garden 

VIDEO 5/5 Evening Island, Lavin and Shida Evaluation Gardens, walk back to the Train for journey back to Chicago and Aurora.

I didn’t see all of the Garden and next time I can include Dixon Prairie, Festival Field, Butterflies and Blooms, Grandtram Tour, McDonald Woods, Bonsai Courtyards and much more.

While walking the Garden I got used to the Cicadas “singing” and you can actually hear them in several of the Videos :)

I learned an interesting bit of info from the entrance sign at the Heritage Garden:

Padua, Italy (site of the world’s oldest Botanical Garden still in its original location) is only about 32 miles south of Fonte Alto, Italy where my paternal Grandparents were born and lived until their journey to the USA (very early 1900’s) and Springfield, IL (Village of Grandview - Starnes Park).

Have a great 4th of July week !!