East Side of Split Rock

To complete the I and M Canal, workers needed to cut through this stone outcropping. Not an easy thing to do with only hand tools and black powder. In later years, the railroad paralleled the canal, so a tunnel was carved through the rock about 100 feet from the canal itself. Much later, the modern railroad cut more of the outcropping to run new tracks between the tunnel and the canal.



On the opposite side of the towpath, Split Rock used to be a stop along the railroad. Another track ran on top of the outcropping, and a bridge spanned the canal. A pavilion was built on top of Split Rock as a place for recreation. The foundation and stairs to this structure can still be seen today if you climb up to the top.

Tulip

It seems a week or two early, but many tulips are in full bloom right now - must be due to the warmer weather we experienced this spring.

On interesting thing I noticed about this flower once I viewed the image large were the little purple tips on each anther of each stamen. It mocks the color of the petals.

Kilns

Used between 1837 and 1913, these kilns and other similar ruins are all that are left of the Black-Ball Cement Company 2 miles west of Utica, Illinois. Limestone was mined here on the site, and used to make concrete. The process included these kilns, which are still in recognizable shape for the most part.

After the cement company closed, these mines were used for making moonshine during prohibition, and then commercial mushroom farming in the 1950's.

The endangered Indiana Bat and other wildlife live in the abandoned limestone caves, which are now part of the Pecumsaugan Creek - Blackball Mines Nature Preserve.

Access is by permit only.

Walk Toward the Light

The low angle of the setting sun created some interesting rays in the clouds, as well as a bit of lens flare that illuminated the path up the dune and seemed to beacon some to walk toward the light.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Fallen

A fallen tree rests on the edge of a dune along the shore of Lake Michigan. Years of erosion has uncovered many fallen trees - some may have been buried for hundreds of years.

Spring Sunset

An April sunset is framed by a fallen tree along the shore of Lake Michigan. Winter erosion caused several yards of a tall sand dune to collapse onto the beach below. Marram Grass, shrubs and trees fall along with it, then get washed into Lake Michigan. By next week, this tree will probably be miles away.

Taking in The Sunset

On an unseasonably warm April 1st, we visited the Indiana Dunes National lakeshore after dinner. On our return walk from Kintzele Ditch, the sun had set but the remaining light created a beautiful show in the clouds. Mike walked ahead of us and stopped for a rest on a large piece of driftwood. He sat and watched the clouds for a few minutes until we caught up with him.

We could have stayed there for hours longer....

Just After Sunset

After a long walk on an unseasonably warm April evening, we were treated to a colorful sunset over Lake Michigan.

The ice is finally gone from the lake and beach, now the water just needs a few weeks to warm up enough for a swim.

4 images stitched together.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Sign of Spring

One of the first bees of the 2010 season. The survival of the entire hive is dependent upon these early bees; they are the ones who bring the hive back from dormancy.

Winter View

An evening view of Lake Michigan from atop the sand dunes of Central Beach at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. A small sun dog is visible to the right of the sun when viewed large. These little rainbow colored spots of sky occur occasionally, but it seemed we saw one every time we ventured to Lake Michigan this winter.

Searching for Fossils

Chris takes a break from photography to look for small fossils along the shore of Lake Michigan. Every time we visit, we find at least one fossil (providing the ground isn't covered in snow). The waves can be seen splashing against the mounds of ice - it was a good thing they were there, they kept the wind away from us. The mounds of ice will soon be gone, and the surf of Lake Michigan will once again pound the beach exposing lots more Crinoid stem fossils....

Buzz

Finally! The soft, buzzing sound can be heard in the woods. The weather is warm enough for some insects to emerge, and they sure are busy gathering pollen to bring back to the hive.

Spring Carpet

A carpet of Winter Aconite covers the ground in a nearby forest preserve. Each spring, these are the first flowers I see, and they attract the first bees and flies I encounter. The patch of flowers is about 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, giving the dull woods a burst of life.

Tidal Pool

Chunks of flow ice were forced under the shelf ice by heavy surf, through a small cave in the mounds of ice. The snow-like area toward the background is where the cave was formed.

With the warm temperatures lately, this ice certainly won't be around for much longer.

Head Toward the Light

A man walks out to the end of the Michigan City, Indiana east pier to view the lighthouse. The warm weather made it a perfect day to venture out along the lakefront. The harbor and Lake Michigan (as far as the eye could see) were still locked in ice. That's going to change soon, and the past few days have seen highs around 60 degrees.

Morning Sun

It's unusual when we get to the Dunes National Lakeshore early in the morning during the winter, but this weekend we wanted to beat the rain. Arriving just after 9 am, the sun was just peeking over some of the dunes, illuminating the snow and dormant Marram Grass. Cirrus clouds swirled in the sky - a tell-tail sign that rain was on it's way.

Rain didn't bother us at all, we didn't see it until we were on our way home later in the afternoon.

A Walk Along Lake Michigan

March isn't exactly the time of year one would want to walk along the shore of Lake Michigan, but last weekend was unseasonably warm. Even though the temperatures were above freezing for a few days, the huge mounds of shelf ice were still holding on to the shore, in fact, you couldn't see water anywhere on the lake.

This gives you an idea of how large the mounds of shelf ice are...



One person decided to climb onto one of the mounds - not something I would do - although it sure is inviting! This ice is extremely dangerous, and I wouldn't set foot on it without ice climbing gear.

Thursday Night at the Green Mill

For over ten years, Alan Gresik and the Swing Shift Orchestra have played to standing room only crowds at Chicago's premier Jazz club, the historic Green Mill Lounge. Open in 1908, the Green Mill has shared the sounds of almost every big name in jazz, as well as many celebrities and even mobsters.



On Thursdays from 9pm to 1am, the Swing Shift Orchestra takes the stage in the style of a 1930's live radio show complete with vintage commercials read live by the vocalists. It's a trip back to the time when live shows were broadcast over the radio waves

Alan has exclusive rights to the Balabon and Katz Theater and Orchestra collection of over 26,000 titles. He plays plenty of old favorites and standards as well as a few numbers that haven't been heard or played in over 70 years.


It's certainly worth the trip, even if I can only get 2 1/2 hours of sleep afterward before I need to get to work the next day.

Indiana Mountain Range

Not really mountains, but the shelf ice on Lake Michigan certainly looks a lot like a mountain range as seen from the tallest mountain in the range. These "mountains" of shelf ice rise over 15 feet over Lake Michigan.

It won't be long before these ice formations are a memory....

South Haven Winter

A beautiful (but cold) Saturday afternoon in South Haven, Michigan. Blue skies were not too common in February 2010, so any time the clouds parted made things all the more beautiful.

Even in the cold, people walk out to the lighthouse. Just as we arrived, a man and his teenage son were taking photos by the lighthouse. The man backed up so he could get more of the lighthouse into the image. I watched as he backed within two feet of the edge of the icy pier. I wanted to yell to him to stop, but I did not for fear I would startle him and he would fall into the icy lake.

Luckily, he did not fall in, and he got his picture.