Well, at least it's the first one I found! It seems they are quite tolerant of people this early in the year -perhaps they are so intent on gathering nectar that they can put up with a human.
It's a sharp contrast to what is to come in August, when bees and wasps are easily disturbed.
The colors in the sky are always their best 15 minutes before sunrise or after sunset. Yesterday was no exception at this old farm in Orland Park.
This weathered corn crib has been around for quite a long time, and I'm sure it's had thousands of similar sunset backdrops.
This vertical lift bridge was built in 1902 to span the Des Plaines River in Joliet. The movable span is 361 feet, and has been in the raised position since 1980 when it was abandoned by CSX.
From this angle, one might think that most of Joliet, IL lay in ruin. I guess that's not the case, but even one of the casinos burned down!
The historic Joliet prison was completed in 1858 for a total sum of $75,000 (and convict labor). Designed by William Boyington, the same architect who designed the Chicago Water Tower (you'll note the similarity), the prison is built of limestone quarried directly from the site.
The nearby Joliet Ironworks, in the foreground, was abandoned in the 1930's. Overgrown and forgotten until recent years when it was turned into a park along side of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor.
Locks 3 and 4 of the Illinois and Michigan Canal are located in Joliet, Illinois, and are only a few hundred feet from each other. The drop in the terrain here was over 10, so it required two locks to safely negotiate the elevation change.
This extreme drop creates a waterfall at lock 3, where the lock gates used to be.
Well, at least in the nearby woods!
This little pollinator is busy gathering nectar from the first flowers to bloom in these Illinois woods. The flower is called Winter Aconite, and is an early spring wildflower. Each year I find these flowers in the woods around the same date - March 19 or 20.
These chunks of ice - most larger than basketballs - were tossed ashore by the high waves of Lake Michigan. The shelf ice seen between the sand and the water, was around 100 feet wide, so imagine the wave action that moved these pieces of ice all the way onto the sand.
With the weather the way it has been, you'd think all of the ice would have melted by March 15th. Not so along the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan. The cool air temperatures, cold water and abundant shade provided the perfect place for some remaining shelf ice. Exploring what was left, I came upon a two foot opening in the ice and peered inside.
I found an ice cave about 10 feet long with thousands of sharp icicles hanging from the inside. The cave was illuminated by a small window at the top, through which the nearby woods could be seen.
From this cave, it's easy to see why shelf ice is so dangerous. What appeared to be a solid, 10 foot tall, by several hundred foot long block of ice, was actually hollow inside. Walking on such a thing, even in extremely cold temperatures could prove fatal. The ceiling of this ice cave was only an inch thick in places; the weight of a person would easily have broken it. Falling in at this time of year would have caused injury to the person who fell through, but if it was out over the frigid lake, the fall would be directly into the ice cold water. Even if you survived the shock of immersion in the freezing water, the unforgiving, icy walls would make the climb out impossible.
After a long, muddy walk through the woods and across three streams, I arrived at this point in Illinois Canyon. I was disappointed that I couldn't get any further (without getting very wet and cold), because I wanted to see what was inside that part of the canyon. I could hear falling water, so I expect there was another waterfall.
I'll have to wait for spring to explore this more.
In the midst of junkyards, railroad tracks and old dumping grounds, just west of the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal lies a newly created park - Dellwood Park West. This 175 acre park was formed by the Lockport Park District a little while ago, and it is helping the area return to a natural state. Formerly a dumping area for an old steel mill, this area has some bike/ walking trails, a few ponds for fishing, old building skeletons, and some limestone mesas.
The woodlands and limestone savanna are slowly making a come back from the decades of misuse. Situated right next to the Illinois and Michigan Canal towpath, this park can be visited on foot after a half mile or so walk from Dellwood Park in Lockport.
Been under the weather for a while now, but I managed to snag a shot of Lock 2 between rains storms yesterday after work. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was carrying a lot more water due to the recent rains, causing some whitewater near the historic locks in Lockport, IL where the canal narrows.
Ottawa Canyon is one of the many canyons in Illinois' Starved Rock State Park. Last weekend, while it was still cold around here, I ventured out to a few of the canyons on the east side of the park to capture the frozen waterfalls. This time of year, crowds aren't a problem. On my entire four hour hike, I came across one other person - 6 canyons and one person!
This waterfall is approximately 30 feet tall, and if you look closely, you'll see blurred water falling from the ice on the left.
The ice is probably gone by now, as the temperatures have risen considerably over the last week.
A car fire is extinguished by Michigan City, Indiana firefighters. Nobody was injured, and no other property was damaged in the Super Walmart parking lot. See, I told you I took my camera everywhere..........gives me something to do while everyone else is shopping.
Looks a bit more like moonlight! I'll have to use this for Halloween.
Fast shutter metered directly on the sun partially hidden by clouds, helped to create this eerie looking sky.
Taken at the Joliet Iron Works.
Nothing beats seeing nature wake up, problem is you have to get up pretty early to capture it. - Get up, get dressed, get the gear together, drive to your destination, get the gear out, hike to a spot and wait. That means 4:30 am this time of year.
Will it be cloudy? Foggy? That's part of the fun, and you never know what you're going to see. Most of the time I set up and discover something else I'd rather capture - like this: the Illinois and Michigan Canal just before sunrise. You often find the best colors just before sunrise or right after sunset.
The look on Dan's face says it all! Take a hill, add some snow - instant fun!
This hill is one of the many at Dellwood Park, in Lockport, Illinois. Not much snow left, just enough to make it slippery.
A calm winter afternoon along the historic Illinois and Michigan Canal about a mile east of Lemont, Illinois. The trails in this area of the National Heritage Corridor run between the canal and several water-filled quarries. It's quite remote here, and you can't help but feel as if you're miles away from civilization.
Several foot bridges (and even a log or two) allow you to cross the canal to walk along the towpath on either side.
Driving home one evening, I spotted an abandoned farm I haven't come across yet. I stopped and checked out the farm, and when I turned to leave, I spotted this sky.
