You’ll have to take my word for it — that’s what it says (photo taken from moving taxi).
Give Thanks
Clouds, moon, and rabbit
Dam removal, here and along the Klamath River
Starting in 2011 with Ryerson Woods Dam, many of the low dams along the upper Des Plaines River have been removed — they hinder a healthy ecosystem, endanger kayakers, and don’t serve a purpose. There’s more on these dam removals here.
A bigger project has been happening on the Klamath in the Pacific Northwest, where much larger dams have been removed. It appears that chinook salmon are returning. Enjoy the peaceful tinkling sounds of the flowing river.
Cloud over I-90 in Indiana
Late October color at Promontory Point
Duneland Fall Festival 2024
September 14, 2024
I miss Apples Fest at Indiana Dunes National Park; it was all about apples. Now it’s Duneland Fall Festival, which possibly broadens its appeal. We arrived just at the right moment to catch the wagon ride from the parking lot to the Chellberg farmhouse. At some point, NPS replaced the ancient tractor (a Ford?) with a more modern machine. I love wagon rides.
There were several exhibit tents at Chellberg Farm, although I don’t recall if my favorite was there: the old-school apple peeler that removes the peel in one long corkscrew piece.
The farm still had some animals. The hens sported color- and pattern-coordinated vests or aprons, with one hen showing a visibly plucked wing. I asked about the purpose of their fashion statements and was told it’s to protect their skin. A spirited rooster, who was no longer there, was responsible for their condition. (Later I found people who keep chickens are familiar with this behavior and the vests.)
Overall, a beautiful day for a festival. It’s not yet fall in my book, but it’s coming.
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Butterflies and Blooms at Chicago Botanic Garden, 2024
September 1, 2024
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Followed by dinner at Blind Faith Cafe, of course.
Fires, hotdogs, s’mores, and more
August 24, 2024
First on the weekend agenda — a bonfire at Camp Shabbona Woods. The last bonfire J and I had been to there was on December 16, 2023, when the Forest Preserve folks had managed to keep both campfire and bonfire going despite a steady and sometimes hard rain.
This time the weather was nearly ideal, and more people showed up. There’s nothing like hot dogs and s’mores over a campfire while nearby it looks like the gates of hell are opening.
As evening closed in, J went on a short group hike. While he was gone I spotted some flying creatures I was sure were bats. When the group returned, they also reported seeing bats. Fires, hot dogs, s’mores, and bats. What more could I ask for?
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August 25, 2024
After a cookout at the Chellberg Farm picnic shelters, J and I headed over to the farmhouse to hear Save the Tunes. I always love a late afternoon walk through these woods with the sun glowing through the leaves and onto the path, and the mostly dry creek bed to the side.
And on that note, so ends a summer weekend.
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Hummingbirds, hornets, and other pollinators
There’d been a storm that had knocked out all the panels in the fence that separates the garden area of the Flamingo from the back area of the Park Shore. I’d taken advantage to walk over to look, and found out the Park Shore has quite a lovely backyard. Either I didn’t have my phone or hadn’t thought to take a photo. By the next morning, the panels had been restored. I managed to get an awkwardly framed photo through the gap between the fence and the framework. I love the circular bench and the fountain. It looks like a peaceful oasis. I wonder if it gets less noise than we do, with the building shielding it from the street. Less noise is good.
Today, the plan was to go to Sagawau Environmental Learning Center to see hummingbirds. I couldn’t get any good photos of them, so I started looking at the pollinators visiting the flowers — from bald-faced hornets to sweat bees. There may even have been a fritillary, but if so I missed getting a photo. I love fritillaries. They’re flashy.
Sagawau closes at 4 p.m., so stopped at Saganashkee Slough, which is vaguely reminiscent of a Minnesota lake, and Joe’s Pond, which once had a pair of trumpeter swans. Then we visited Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, where they’ve installed a signpost with distances. It even includes Niagara Falls (560 miles) and the Boundary Waters (also 560 miles). Now I want to go to both. After a stop at Maple Lake, it was time for Ashbary Coffee House and then dinner at Capri Lounge & Grill. Mmmm.
Sunset before invisible Perseids at Indiana Dunes State Park
August 10, 2024
The Perseids never became visible thanks to cloud cover that moved in with the evening, but at least sunset gave off a nice glow and showed off the downtown Chicago skyline.