House of Plants, Prologue

A few weeks ago, Sandra and I visited Garfield Park Conservatory on the west side of Chicago for the second time. It's a nice warm welcomed change of pace when the temperature drops outside.



Entrance

We have also visited the Conservatory in Lincoln Park, but I believe Garfield Park to be much better. It's larger and more attractively designed, yet due to its location, less people visit.

Here's a few opening blooms:



In Magenta


In White

Seeing the World in a Photograph

National Geographic began as a society more than 100 years to promote geographical knowledge, meaning not only the lands but also the peoples of the world. The magazine has been icon in mainstream America, particularly noted for its excellent photography.

Once a year, they run a contest featuring photography in three different categories: People, Places, and Nature. They had been spotlighting images from this year's contest on their web site under Photo Contest. Plus, you can look at galleries of photos from previous contests and even download desktop wallpaper for your computer screen. It's defintely worth a look and more.

National City Bank Building

When Sandra and I have visited Cleveland, we have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express downtown. The hotel is located in the wonderfully remodeled Guardian Building, formerly the National City Bank Building. The rooms are large and simply yet elegantly furnished. The entrance hall on the first floor is a throwback to an earlier time. You can see exterior images of the 225 foot building at Cleveland Skyscrapers website. On the site, there is a good shot looking from Euclid Avenue and a closeup of the upper floors and cornice.

Originally founded as "The City Bank of Cleveland" in 1845, National City was a survivor and long time fixture in Cleveland. When we visited the city in May, a branch occupied part of the main level of the building. PNC Bank bought the company last year and the name, National City, was retired and dropped from all branches in June this year. I'm curious to see if PNC kept the branch open on Euclid to keep part of National City's history alive.



The Main Lobby

They don't make banks like this any longer. From the marble and ornate fixtures, the bank lobby stands as a monument to the height of American Industry at the turn of the 20th century.



Lifting the Plane of Vision

It really is magnificent. The camera images really don't do the lobby justice. In the low light, not everything is captured in all its splendor. I tried a few photos with more light, but even that is a bit tricky.



Lighting the Column

Cropping the above image, here's a more detailed look of the ceiling and the top of the column.



In Detail

Simply amazing. If the branch is still open and you're near 629 Euclid, stop and take a peek.

Also stop by the Arcade. I made a post with images of that Cleveland landmark back in February. There is lots of wonderfully detailed older architecture in downtown Cleveland. If you enjoy history and craftmanship, visit and see.

Off to the Race

On Sunday morning, we wandered towards the lakefront to catch a little of the race in town, the Cleveland Marathon. By the time we arrived, the top marathoners had already finished, yet hundreds and hundreds were still gathered near the finish line and i don't know how many more along the race course. The atmosphere radiated lively for the 15,000+ participants.



Scene at the Finish Line

Check out, in the lower corner of the photo, Sandra checking out the race's finish.

Many of those who were gathered, came to see a friend, relative, or loved one attempt the marathon or one of the shorter races. While I'm not one who will ever understand putting the body through 26 miles, or 13 miles for the half-marathon or even 10k, of running or walking, there is something admirable and worth seeing when people cross the finish line and complete their goal, with or without people by their side.



Reaching the Finish

If you want to find out more about the marathon or the other races, check out the Cleveland Marathon's web site.

Reunion

Sandra wanted to attend her high school reunion, so we traveled to the Cleveland area in May.



Entrance to Laurel

She attended a private all-female high school, Laurel, for grades 10-12. It's a noted school, particularly for promoting women's excellence. The education is rigorous yet also helps young women achieve a sense of intellectual, emotional, and physical self-worth.

In many ways, the school has been a pioneering institution now and in the past.



Reminders of the Past

Click on the image for a larger version, so you can better read the inscription on the marker.

There were many events over the weekend, some related to the school; other events were held by alumni. The showcase was the alumni luncheon at the school.



All Back in High School


Turning the Pages to Memories

After the luncheon, Sandra wanted to show me a little tour of school--the place is a maze! The campus is several separate buildings connected by walkways at all kinds of different levels, so I can see it taking some time to become accustomed to how to get around.

One of the most central rooms of the campus was and is the Chapel, a large auditorium. Here, many school activities are held. During Sandra's time, she had to give a speech before an assembly of the entire upper school in this room.



Returning

Here's a look from the outside of one of the campus buildings and a walkway connection:



Time and a Place

Here's Sandra back at school:



Sandra and Her School

Two Views from a Window

My neighborhood is a pretty area with its big, old houses, mature trees, and small town retail feel. There are many occassions during which I have looked out the window in the office and I spotted something nice, a silhouette of a tree, a hue.

In May:



Stripes of an Afternoon

Sometimes it's the faint bands of a rainbow; sometimes it's the budding fires of a new day.

In November:



Before Sunrise

Being Home

Sandra and I visited her hometown, Cleveland, back in May for her high school reunion. Being back home allowed us to visit her family too.

Here is a nice photo from a sunny day in May of the Sandra with both of her parents:



Faces of Family

Circle of Light

It was an odd. The sun was beaming for stretches after sunrise, now the skies are completely overcast and gray. Winter is approaching.

Though for a few minutes in the morning, something else happened, something strange, something between the extremes. I looked outside the window at work and saw a white circle, like a giant featureless moon, in the southwest sky. It wasn't yellow, just bleached white. Yes, there were clouds covering the entire sky, yet there it was. I could stare at it for one moment in a lifetime--the sun shielded by a layer of clouds, thick enough to block the star's brilliantly destructive image, yet thin enough to let enough light from the veiled sun to pour through the clouds and create a ghostly vision of the star 93 million miles away.

Taking Some Music to the Island

On Friday, one of my co-workers asked a bunch of us "Quickly, if you were going to a deserted island, what three records or albums would you bring?" I immediately thought Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.

What's strange is that while I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd when I was younger, I don't listen to them much now. In fact, I tried to talk myself out of the pick. But, it is what I thought, so I'll stick to it.

The other two choices were expected for me: Life's Rich Pageant by REM and Moving Pictures by Rush.

So my question for any visitors is "Quickly, if you were going to a deserted island, what three records or albums would you bring?" Don't think about it much. Let me know what your instinctual choices are.

One Last Refuge

On Sunday before we drove back home, Sandra and I visited briefly the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, which is maintained by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Sevice. The centerpiece is Crab Orchard Lake, a man-made water like Little Grassy Lake. In this instance, Crab Orchard Creek, a tributary of the Big Muddy River, was dammed.



Open Look

With lots of open water, the Refuge has become a popular spot for migratory birds traveling up and down the Mississippi River basin. It's also a final winter destination for many Canadian geese. Sometimes, hundreds of thousands of birds can be found in the refuge.

Though, this was not the case when we visited in June. Yet other flyers were in the area.



Pausing for the Moment


Cropping to Wide Wings

The Refuge offers a variety of outdoor activities: hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping. For more information, check out the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Sevice's web page about Crab Orchard.



Side View


One More Look

To Carbondale

After visiting Blue Sky Vineyard, we headed north on Rocky Comfort road into the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge on our way to Carbondale. It's a very pretty and scenic drive. We stopped for a moment at Little Grassy Lake, a man-made lake created by the damming of Little Grassy Creek.



A View of the Lake

Afterwards, we checked into a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of town. The accomodations were okay, but the atmosphere is not comparable to staying at a cabin in the Giant City State Park.

Since we were in town (or closer), we decided to take a look at the Southern Illinois campus. Being in between semesters, the area seemed quiet and we parked to a look at the lake which is on campus. It's a nice little find. What was even nicer was sunset.

A front was moving through, pushing clouds ahead as the sun sank, creating one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen. The variety and depth of colors, as they reflected off the clouds, was simply amazing. I would like to say I have some photos, but we left the camera back in the hotel room. Instead, the moments will be a series of images that I will lock away in my memory.

Golf in November?

What can I say? On Friday in November, sunny with temperature in the 60s? Shots sprayed around a golf course, and a score higher than the temperature? Yes, above the 60s and that's for 9 holes.

But there is still something amazing even after I send my first tee shot slicing into the water to the right. The sun is getting low, reflecting off the pond. Geese rise, their bodies contacting the surface. For that instant, light sketches silver ovals on the water's edge as the birds lift a familiar v into the sky.

Hitting the Trail

Besides the hiking trails, there is another popular trail in Southern Illinois, the Shawnee Wine Trail. The Shawnee Hills is a recognized AVA (American Viticultural Area) established in 2006, though grape-growing dates back to 1984 when Alto Vineyards began. They released their first wine in 1987.

Most of the wines are made with varietals that often are seen in the Midwest, but not widely planted in the more well-know regions like California. These grapes include French-American hybrids like Seyval, Chardonel, and Chambourcin, some native varietals like Norton (though evidence suggests that Norton might have some hybrid roots), and the grand grapes of Europe, vitas vinifera, like Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

Check out some of these posts from last year talking about the grapes and the wineries:
Chambourcin and Orlandini Vineyard
Seyval Blanc and Owl Creek
Traminette and Von Jakob

On the Friday of our trip, we visited several of the wineries on the west side of the Trail: Inheritance Valley, Hedman, Von Jakob, and Alto Vineyards. They all offered several wines, not all are first rate, but going to the vineyard is worth a taste. Most offer a set limit of free samples, usually about five, though weekend visits may cost a small fee. If you stop by, make sure you try Alto's Port. It's not in same league as traditional Portguese offerings, but for the price, it's quite tasty.

We had a nice lunch at Hedman's and then later stopped at Starview, one of the newer wineries. Starview has some nice wines, but both Sandra and I agree the price to quality is bit higher than some of the other wineries.

On Saturday, we stopped at Owl Creek. Before entering, I noticed something circling in the air.


Spy Aloft

I thought it was a hawk and I'd like to say it was hawk, but when I was going through the photos, I noticed the head.


Spreading Wide

I had the realization that maybe this wasn't a hawk and I had a suspicion so I did some internet investigation. My conclusion is that it was actually a turkey vulture. Of course, vultures don't come across as being the most elegant of birds, but it did look majestic floating high above with its wings spread wide.


Over the Trees

Cropped Look

We then entered Owl Creek and tasted several wines. Again the Seyval Blanc was excellent and we bought some bottles. That's the norm. We hit the trail once a year, so you buy something everywhere. The question is "how many?" That answer is what separates the good wineries from the average ones.

And unlike the Spring of last year, this was June and the grapes were looking plump already.


On the Vine at Owl Creek

Another Look

We then visited Orlandini, which is a bit off the well-traveled path. If it weren't worth the visit, it would be easy to miss the turn-off to the winery and not care. But it is worth it, since the winery offers some of most reasonable prices for its selections.

Afterwards, we headed to Blue Sky Vineyard.


Sandra Heads to the Villa

What can I say about Blue Sky? Well, the owner spent some coin to build this place. It has a large outdoor seating place, a man-made pond, a site for weddings, and by the way, a heavily-staffed tasting room. Lunch was unimpressive, and while the wine is good, it's perhaps a bit pricey. One standout, however, is Blue Sky's Cabernet Franc, it's an elegant wine around $20, that easily matches the quality of most Californian efforts in that price range.


Vineyard at Blue Sky

Blue Sky was our last stop on the trail, but if you want to discover more about Shawnee Wines, check out the Trail's web site.

Back to Trillium

We didn't want to make the full 2 hour hike along Trillium, but Sandra and I did want to take a look.



The Green Season

Yes, the area was dressed in green and lots of flowers were in bloom. As a comparison, check out my post from last year about Trillium.



Blooming in the Light

In fact, all the growth crowded the trail in spots.



A Trail?

You can see the bluff in the background and the trail to the lower left. In center, you can notice several wildflowers in full bloom. The insects were simply enthralled as bees, butterflies, and others were flirting from one flower to the next. It was a bit of a tight squeeze passing along the trail, because we didn't want to disturb the flowers with all their flying guests.

We went only a little ways along the bottom portion of the cliff and then turned around. It's amazing how life finds space...



View of the Bluff

...even along sheer faces of rock.



A Tree Grows


The Root of the Matter

Trillium was the last trail that we visited on the trip as we headed out of the park for another type of trail.

Arrowwood Self-Interpretative Nature Trail

After checking out, we stopped by a short trail that starts and circles near the Visitor Center to the park.



A Younger Forest

While Arrowwood is not stunning compared to some of the other trails, it gives a different look because the area, which was cleared, was allowed to return to forest several decades ago. The result is more openness where light finds space to reach the forest floor compared to the older, mature forests. Also along the trail, there are signs naming some of the more common features of the park: tree species, etc. For a short jaunt the trail is worth the time.

Leaving the Lodge

In the morning the next day, the humidity was up. It even affected the camera lens when we left the air-conditioned cabin.



Foggy View

The cabins were booked Saturday night, so even though we were staying in the area for another day, we had to check out of the Lodge in the morning. For big city travelers, the accomodations are reasonably priced at just under $100 a night. We had a 2 room cabin, which offers a lot of space, with a separate living area, bedroom, and bath area. This also includes a refrigerator, that is very convenient. With the built-in pull-down bed, these cabins could easily be used for a small family.

Outside, there is a pool on site and the observation deck on the water tower to see the countryside. The food at the Lodge restaurant is good. It's definitely American with a Southern slant. The place offers the best-tasting, bursting with blueberries pancakes that I've ever had. To give you an idea about dinner, I generally don't like fried chicken, but theirs is very good.



Front of the Lodge

Plus, the service is friendly, and staying at the Lodge puts you in the middle of the Giant City State Park, yet you're still within 30 minutes of Carbondale and the locales on the Shawnee Wine Trail. It's a great spot. Giant City Lodge is a place that we will likely come and visit again and again.

Night in Giant City

Color After Sun


From Tree to Open Sky

We drove to back Post Oak later that day, on the whirlwind of looking for deer and stars after sunset. We didn't see any deer and the skies weren't pefectly clear.



At the Pond at Night

Still there were lights from cars on the road heading home from dinner at the Lodge and flickers flashing into the night.



Post Oak Night


Creating Trails

I couldn't catch the moment with the camera, only a mere streak, but the nights after sunset were amazing. Flashes from fireflies lit the trees of the state park. Not just along the ground and at eye level, but all the way to the tops of the trees, the little insects flew and broadcasted their signals. Hundreds at a time strobed to create a twinkling forest.

Post-Post Oak

Post Oak is a nice little trail, not quite the same adventure as several of the other trails, like Giant City, Indian Creek, or Trillium, but still worthwhile. After circling along the trail, we returned to the pond, which is definitely a highlight, so I could try and catch some photos of dragonflies. I wasn't successful, but we did sneak up on a little reptilian sunbather.


Soaking in the Rays

Spotlighting a Star

The turtle had definitely spotted us. When we moved too close for its comfort, it dove back into the water. At this moment, one of the more surreal moments of the trip occurred. While we standing on the bridge, a chorus enveloped us. Loudly. Eerie and almost a bit threatening.

Bullfrogs!

They didn't make a sound when we first approached the pond, but during the return forty minutes later, they started their croaking in all directions around us. We were surrounded. We couldn't see them, but they could see us. For minutes, they kept loudly vocalizing, while I tried to catch some more images. There was something in the sound, its edge, the perspective of standing on a bridge across a pond with little unseen creatures all around.

Nature.
Yes.

Post Oak Nature Trail

On the next day, Friday, in the late morning, we stopped at the Post Oak Nature Trail. It's a short, handicap-accessible pathway, that is paved and planked in many parts, though there are some areas that could use some repair.

At the beginning of the path, a large pond stretches. We paused for a while and took in the water.


Sandra Studies the Water

Lots of plant life fills the shoreline. Even the water's surface was teeming with growth. So was just below the surface. We could see little air bubbles rise in places. Some oxygen-breathers definitely call this pond home.

Of course, where there is water, there might be one of my favorite insect subjects.


Resting for a Moment

There were many varieties of dragonflies, black, red, orange, blue, patrolling the air space above and around the edge of the pond, but they were also very elusive on this day as I only snapped a few decent shots of the flying insects.


Beads of Water and Wings

Looking More Closely

In the meadow next to the water, I found this one pausing for a moment and quickly tried to catch a good image:


Among the Blooms

Cropping Out Some of Green

After minutes and several attempts to get more photos, we continued on the trail. Cutting across the pond and then alongside a meadow, the path entered a mature forested area.


Planes of Focus and Forest

Just like Indian Creek, there were many spiders. Though unlike the previous trail, the spiders on Post Oak weren't constantly trying to make webs across the trail. You had to look to the sides of the path to find them and sometimes you had to look really close to see them.


On the Web

So Small

For a stretch, the trail follows along the edge of the bluff. Though here, we were actually on the top, not far from where the Devil's Standtable formed. In a few spots, you could get this perspective of being high above the forest floor below, and sometimes you could also see how time was splitting the rock apart.


Opening to the Forest Below

Again, where the light reached, flowers sprung up. Here's an image from alongside the trail of a very plentiful wildflower:


Common and Wild

Here, Sandra and I figured out the mystery of the little black insects that were hovering above the trails. On Indian Creek, the mystery began and the discovery was made on Post Oak.


Pausing on a Leaf

Fireflies in the daytime!


Yes, a Firefly