Tilsy Barn

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Tilsy Barn
Homer Glen, IL

This is a close up view of the foundation, window and door of the Tilsy Barn. The 19th Century barn and the property around it were purchased by Will County to preserve and share with the community. Some residents of the area are trying to convince the county to restore the barn, others would rather see it torn down.

Right now, it's surrounded by a chain link fence and in disrepair, but if restored, it could become a window to 19th and 20th century farming.

Round Horse Barn

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Round Horse Barn
Palos Hills, Illinois

This abandoned round, single storey horse barn is on the edge of a newer housing development in Palos Hills, so I hope it doesn't get knocked down anytime soon. It's really quite large and interesting, so I hope to get back soon to take some interesting photos.

Classical View

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Classical View
Ionic Capital

Here's a view out of a large, beveled glass window in an original Carnegie Library.

Empty Nest, Emtpy Barn

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Empty Nest, Empty Barn
Orland Park, IL

More from the old barn I found in Orland Park.

Silo

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Ceiling of the Silo
Orland Park Barn

Inside the Barn

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License Plate on Barn Floor

Once inside the old barn in Orland, I found several old license plates ranging in dates from the 1930s to the 1950s. Most were recycled-nailed to the floor to cover the holes created by whatever was kept inside the barn. The floors have been worn down by decades of use and exposure to the elements, giving them lots of character.

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License Plate Patch

Forgotten Barn

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Forgotten Barn
Orland Park, IL

I spotted this barn a few years ago on my way to work. It was about a block off the main road and hidden by trees. In the winter, I could just make out a building trough the branches. I finally decided to pull over to investigate, and I'm glad I did.

This is one of those hidden treasures that I hope is around for a long time, but will probably be razed soon to make way for a fitness club.

I was sure to capture this place from every angle, including the inside. I'll post more pics all this week.

Winter Stream

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Stream In March

Stained Glass

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Stained Glass Window
Koten Chapel

Architectural Detail

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Detail over Entrance to Seminary Building
Naperville, IL

Helping Remove the Old Marble

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Chris Helping Out

Chris helped a lot today... we removed the old powder room marble tile in preparation for new 18 inch square travertine tile. The removal took over 6 hours with a tile removng tool similar to an ice breaker you'd use outside. The old adhesive was very hard to get off the floor - largely because there wasn't enough room to attack the stuff from more than one angle.

The new tiles were cut, fit and set in under 3 hours. Tomorrow I grout and Tuesday the toilet and sink get installed.

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New Stone Set, Waiting for Grout

Thoughts of Warm Places

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Clearwater Beach, Florida
Just After Sunset

Old Main

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Old Main
Naperville, Illinois

Countless puddles cover the campus as temperatures near 50 melt the week-old snow.

Snowdrift

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Snowdrift
February, 2007

Generating Power...and Steam

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Midwest Generation Power Plant
Romeoville, Illinois

The Midwest Generation Power Plant seen here on a sunny but bitterly cold day with highs right around zero.

Frozen Fireplace

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Fireplace in the Snow

Not sure if this is the only thing left of an abandoned cabin, or if it's just an outdoor fire pit, but I would have liked to see a fire in it that day.

February in the Woods

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Woods in Winter

Curving Path

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Snow Covered Path
Naperville, IL

A sunny February day with temperatures near 40 degrees made it a perfect day to get out and grab some images before the snow melts! This little hidden park was just a few feet from the place I've been eating lunch for a year - And I just discovered the path to it yesterday.

Thawing Stream

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Stream During February Thaw
Naperville, IL

Small Men or Large Snowman?

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10 Foot Tall Snowman
Created by four students at
North Central College, Naperville, IL

These students took advantage of the warm (40 degree) temperatures and melting snow to create a huge snowman in front of their dorm.

The 10 foot snowman took about two hours to build, wears a straw hat and has eyes made out of lime slices.