I am so delighted to have been offered a table at the Local Author Fair at Schaumburg Township District Library on Saturday, November 7th. I have never participated in one of these events before so I’m not quite sure what to expect but I know they usually have excellent attendance at Schaumburg. I might even be doing a reading!! Yikes! I better make sure I have my reading glasses with me.
After visiting the Mabrey Gelvin Gardens in Mahomet, Illinois, we met up with family at Allerton Park in Monticello. Although we went there primarily to see the gardens, we had hoped to see inside the house. Unfortunately, that day it was closed to the public so I had to make do with capturing some shots of the exterior.
The gardens more than made up for it though. The 1,500 acre estate was gifted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1942 and was one of the first properties of its kind to be gifted for public use. There are 14 formal gardens at Allerton featuring more than 100 ornaments and sculptures.
In the Annual Garden there were literally dozens of hummingbirds darting about among the flowers. Naturally I had omitted to bring my long lens with me, so I wasn’t able to get a shot of them.
This image was captured inside the double row of hedges that made up the border of the garden.
The Bulb Garden
The Brick Wall Garden
There was also a sunken garden that was being set up for a wedding, and a peony garden which would be well-worth a visit in the spring. We somehow missed the herb garden and the rose garden so I’m hoping there will be another trip to Allerton Park in the future.
I wasn’t able to spend as much time as I would have liked in my own garden this summer. We had some incredibly hot days when working outside was definitely a no-go. But most of the plants survived on limited watering and little care in the way of weeding, etc, and many are still blooming.
The zinnias, which always attract the butterflies, I grow from seed every year, but the dahlias, canna and calla lilies were purchased at the Garden Club’s annual plant sale.
The geranium was a giveaway at the Public Works Open House earlier this year. They were also giving away bags of tulip bulbs, so I’ll be interested to see what comes up next spring.
While we were downstate, visiting family, we stopped in at the Mabery Gelvin Botanic Gardens in Mahomet, Illinois. This was our first visit and, despite 98F temperatures, we walked around and enjoyed the various garden settings.
The garden covers 8 acres and is named after the wife of the founder of Lake in the Woods Forest Preserve, H. I. Gelvin. Gelvin donated $100,000 to build a garden and designed it with the help of students from the University of Illinois. It was dedicated on June 30, 1974.
The sculpture “A New Leaf” was created by Don Lawler and sponsored by Rosann Gelvin Noel.
The covered bridge was a bonus, just down the road from the gardens. This 140ft-long bridge was completed in 1965.
I’m excited to announce the publication of my latest book, Dreams, the third in The Connections Series.
“Julie Wright has spent her life carrying a terrifying, silent burden. Ever since her school days in a quiet Cumbrian village in England, her sleep has been haunted by vivid, prophetic premonitions of death. Carrying intense guilt over tragedies she couldn’t prevent, Julie channels her instinct for solving crimes into a brilliant law enforcement career that takes her all the way to Detective Inspector. But logic and forensic science can only protect her for so long.”
In between my duties as garden club president and exhibition coordinator for the camera club, I’m now working on the next story which I hope to have completed by next summer.
This has been a life-long ambition of mine, to write stories and see them published. I left it a bit late in life, I will reach the big 80 next year, but I’m endeavoring to make up for lost time and hope to get a few more done before I’m through.
It was hot and humid, just one day after the worst of the wildfire smoke had settled in our area, but it’s surprising what a difference a few hours make. We had cancelled our Friday trip to Brookfield Zoo because of the conditions, but the next day, things had improved dramatically. Cooler and with less smoke, even the animals seemed to appreciate the change and were much more active than I would normally have expected at this time of year.
This was the first chance I’d had to see the new Bramsen Tropical Forest exhibit. Covering nearly three acres, this is one of the largest primate habitats in any accredited U.S. zoo. I would have taken more pictures, but my granddaughter borrowed my camera to take her own shots.
Here are some of the pictures that she took.
The most playful creatures enjoying the clearer air were the bears. I managed to get some fairly good shots. And thanks to the rollator, I was able to get around and see everything. What a boon that has turned out to be!
I will be participating, along with other members of our local camera club, in an artists reception this weekend. Here is all the necessary information. If you are in the area and have a few minutes to spare, we would love to see you there.
Last month, when it was a little cooler, I paid a visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden to see their latest temporary art installation. I also took a walk, with the aid of the trusty rollator, around some of the gardens.
In the words of the blurb on the Garden’s website, “Evanescent is an immersive temporary sculpture that aims to capture the ephemerality and fragility of life through a familiar form: the bubble. Like the bubble, life is transient, meant to be appreciated in the moment.”
The creators of this delightful piece of artwork are Peruvian artist Renzo B. Larriviere and Australian artist Zara Pasfield. This particular installation has been shown in more than 65 cities all over the world and it certainly is well worth a visit.
These shimmering bubbles will be on display in the Garden until September 20th, so I may be able to get some more shots before the end of summer.
I was one of a very enthusiastic group from the Garden Club who took a field trip to Ryerson Woods Conservation Area last week. We were there primarily to take a tour of the new net-zero energy Education Center but also to view the native gardens there.
It was interesting to learn how, with the help of modern technology, the facility is able to generate more energy than it uses. Featured components and building materials chosen to meet net-zero energy building requirements include:
A 21kW system of rooftop solar panels, similar to what is found on a home or small business
HVAC systems and mechanical equipment with the highest efficiency ratings
Increased insulation values in the walls and roof
High-performing windows and strategic placement to help regulate temperature
LED lighting throughout buildings and parking lots
Occupancy sensors in rooms and daylight sensors in perimeter spaces
EPA Indoor Air Plus requirements for paint and materials
Collision-resistant glass windows to help reduce bird strikes
First public building in Lake County to gain Passive House Institute U.S. pre-certification
The general consensus of opinion was that if only some of these options were made more affordable, more homeowners would be able to take advantage of them and thus significantly cut down on energy usage.
We got some useful ideas from the native gardens and I managed to capture a couple of shots of the wildlife at the Welcome Center. Our next trip will be to the Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago in August.
With the aid of a rollator, borrowed from our village’s lending closet, I was able to get around much of the Chicago Botanic Garden the other day.
One hour of walking without having to sit down is quite an achievement these days, so it looks like a rollator will be on my shopping list in the near future.
I get to use this one for three months so it will be a good test to see if it (and me) can handle trips to the nature centers, zoo and other places that were always part of my ‘places to visit’ up until this past year.
a photo journal from the corner of Columbia and Pacific (Southwest Washington coast)
Framing the Ride, Capturing the Story
I just want to tell you stories...
Retired and Enjoying Every Minute of It
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
Inspired by Dogs & Nature
A photographic journey.
Some of my photographs and tales from the local area
#LivingwithLyme
