The season's first significant snowfall blankets the dunes along the Lake Michigan shore. While it wasn't too windy at the time this photo was taken, it was when the snow fell, bending the Marram grass in the direction of the drifts.
Tiscornia Park. St. Joseph, Michigan
The colorful, sunbathed canyon walls reflect in the shaded stream running through Illinois Canyon at Starved Rock State Park.
Walking through this canyon is interesting. You need to cross this winding stream at least three times, and the sunlight only hits tiny portions of the ground at a time.
A peek at the St. Joseph, Michigan inner lighthouse through the icicles formed on the pier railings. These rails often become completely covered in ice and can be surrounded in ice over 4 feet thick.
Interesting color in the water. The water turned green about 1/2 mile from shore; probably sand kicked up by the waves.
Yes, winter! Sunday the weather was unseasonably warm in Northern Illinois - in the 40's. No leaves in the trees or flowers on the ground, but Illinois Canyon remains colorful throughout the year. The layers of color in the stone walls bring life to the winter months.
Less than a week later, this canyon is covered in snow. Winter has finally reached Illinois.
Two barges moored using steel cable and tires - yes, tires - big truck tires. The tires act as shock absorbers between the barge and the mooring point. Called "snubbers", they take a bit of stress off of the steel cable when the barge surges and pulls on the cables.
Notice how stretched the group of five tires are. These barges will be unloaded at a company located at the confluence of the Illinois River and the Illinois Michigan Canal's steamboat basin, the end of the I and M Canal. LaSalle, Illinois
Prior to finding this, I noticed a few groups of tires tied with steel cable over an inch in diameter. I assumed they had washed up on the bank, but then I found more tied to the shore. These were probably placed in specific locations just to moor barges waiting to be unloaded.
Cowles Bog trail runs right along the foot of a dune, right at the transition from Oak savana to wetland. Cowles Bog isn't a bog at all, it's a fen, a wetland with a source of water that is not acidic, but rich in minerals.
One portion of dune progression is easily seen here where the trees turn from Oak and Maple to Birch on the edge of the wetland.
An interdunal pond tucked away between coastal dunes and a conifer woodland provides water for teams of animals. Evidence of this activity can be seen by the thousands of animal prints in the soft mud surrounding the pond.
On a hike just off the beaten path - following a narrow animal path - I came upon a beautiful interdunal pond. Even though it was only a few hundred yards from a well traveled area, the number of animal prints and absence of shoe prints proved this was not a place often visited by humans.
Dune succession is evident here as the Oak Savanna behind me opened up to this pond between coastal dunes. On the other side of the dune a conifer forest is holding fast, and just beyond is Lake Michigan.
An interdunal pond is a small body of water formed in the "valley" between coastal dunes. The water collects in the low areas and provides a great habitat for small animals as well as wading birds. There are several in this area and many at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
The Standard Service Station in Odell, Illinois along historic RT 66 has on display a vintage price sheet. It's difficult to imagine prices like this, plus, instead of the common 9 tenths price, it's 7 tenths including tax.
An old gas pump stands in front of the service station, and can be seen reflected in the window of the top image.
This piece of driftwood reminded Chris of the painting "Starry Night" by Van Gogh. He found it on the beach during a New Year's Eve walk at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
A view through trees and roots of the Sag Quarries and St. James of the Sag Bridge Church. A bit of ice on the shady parts of the water are the only signs of winter so far this season.
The moon in the afternoon sky as seen from the Indiana Dunes National lakeshore. A warm day for December 31 in northern Indiana.
A nostalgic barn painted to advertise Meramec Caverns, a roadside attraction in Missouri. Between Dwight and Odell, Illinois, along historic RT66.
A roadside attraction along RT 66, the Ambler Becker Service Station in Dwight, Illinois has been preserved for travel buffs.
Complete with vintage gas pumps, and the hose cars used to roll over to ring the bell to signal the attendant, this station brings you back to the 40's. I wish they had vintage gas prices too.
Built in 1891, by the Chicago and Alton Railroad, this station still serves Dwight, Illinois' Amtrak customers between Chicago and St. Louis. These people were heading toward Chicago three days before Christmas.
Downtown Dwight, Illinois, near historic RT66
One of the most interesting windmills I've seen can be found in Dwight, Illinois, just off of historic Rt. 66. Built for pumping water on the Oughton Farm, this windmill was designed to be attractive as well as functional.
Built in 1896, the windmill is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A view of Rock Creek near the confluence with the Kankakee River. Both the Kankakee and Rock Creek flow through limestone canyons carved over the centuries by the waterways.
Mt. Baldy is a living dune, meaning the winds move constantly blow the sand to the leeward side of the dune, causing it to "move" inland. Due to the traffic on the dune, grasses do not grow and therefore do not hold in the sands.
The dune is moving at a rate of about four feet a year, and in the process is burying the woods adjacent to the dune. The parking lot is also in the path, and may soon be buried as well.
Here's a photo of the dune in 2008. You'll notice the same trees, yet the evergreen is completely buried.
On the windward side of the dune, water erosion is also contributing to the movement. The Michigan City harbor piers are starving the beach for sand, so not much new sand is deposited on the beach. After storms, large logs are often uncovered along the dunes, probably buried for centuries under the sands.
The spring of 2011 marked the beginning of an attempt to save Mt. Baldy. Areas were roped off to prevent people from trampling grasses and eroding the sands. Let's hope these actions will help preserve Mt. Baldy for generations to come.
Holiday shoppers roam the Marshall Field building in search of the perfect Christmas gift at Macy's on State Street.
Our annual trip to view the Walnut Room Christmas tree took place on Sunday. As usual, there were lines waiting to view the tree, and lots of people waiting to eat in the Walnut Room.
Since Macy's took over the State Street Marshall Field store, lots of things have changed, but this tree remains festive.
