Disclosure: Today's photo was taken last fall on an unseasonably warm October afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Forthcoming Friday photos will be taken in the days and weeks to come.
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Friday, September 30, 2011
Fall Foto Friday
As September melts into October, and the leaves are turning in earnest, and there's a new chill in the air, and I find myself with an insatiable appetite for all things pumpkin or apple, I've decided to celebrate the season (and goad myself into using my camera more) by instituting Fall Foto Friday. Enjoy!
Disclosure: Today's photo was taken last fall on an unseasonably warm October afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Forthcoming Friday photos will be taken in the days and weeks to come.
Disclosure: Today's photo was taken last fall on an unseasonably warm October afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Forthcoming Friday photos will be taken in the days and weeks to come.
Friday, September 02, 2011
A Vacation Alphabet - Part 8
V is for Vistas
Colorado is full of them. But then, I suppose any state is. It's just that in Colorado, you find yourself wanting to just stand there and drink them in with your eyes. Whereas while driving through Nebraska, you find yourself looking out the window and wondering just how many more hours you have of driving through Nebraska. (My apologies to any readers in or from Nebraska.)W is for Wildlife
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| We encountered mountain goats on Mt. Quandary. We also saw a few marmots sunning themselves on the rocks. |
X is for eXtreme eXertion
Which is what hiking 14ers requires. For some more than others. When we finally made it back to the car, I looked and felt like this:
Travis, meanwhile, was still all smiles and high spirits. Which I found both admirable and irritating, to be honest.
Y is for "You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me"
Which is what I was thinking (above) when faced with the prospect of hiking another 14er just a few days later.
Z is for Zany
Which is what you become towards the end of driving straight through from Denver to Chicago, which is what we did on the way home. Thankfully, the Hubs and I make good traveling buddies. Although anyone forced to listen in on one of our silly sing-a-longs probably wouldn't agree. But then that's the beauty of us: WE think we're hilarious. :)
And that's the end of my Vacation Alphabet!
Which is what you become towards the end of driving straight through from Denver to Chicago, which is what we did on the way home. Thankfully, the Hubs and I make good traveling buddies. Although anyone forced to listen in on one of our silly sing-a-longs probably wouldn't agree. But then that's the beauty of us: WE think we're hilarious. :)
And that's the end of my Vacation Alphabet!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
A Vacation Alphabet - Part 7
S is for Street Food
A love a good open air market. The small town of Minturn, not too far from Vail, has a nice market every Saturday morning during the summer. We enjoyed wandering through the aisles of vendors, which offered wares ranging from jewelry, specialty pasta, clothes, accessories, kitchen goods, dog paraphernalia, and even "Dope on a Rope" (soap made from hemp). There were also a good number of food stalls, and picking just one was difficult. Travis and I settled on the crepe tent and shared a savory creation brimming with good things. I don't remember exactly what was in there, but I think turkey, tomatoes, spinach, and cheese were involved.
T is for Treacherous Trail
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| Descending the exposed ridge after reaching the summit of Mt. Sherman. Yikes. |
U is for Unexpected Beauty
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| Scattered amidst the Rockies' harsh terrain are little patches of color and beauty for those who will notice. |
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Vacation Alphabet - Part 5
M is for Maroon Bells
At Dave's suggestion, we took a day trip to the Maroon Bells, which are near Aspen. The Maroon Bells are touted to be the most photographed location in Colorado, and a visit there makes it easy to see why. It's absolutely gorgeous. Because we visited in the late afternoon, the sun position unfortunately wasn't the best for photos of the bells themselves. That didn't stop me from snapping away while we were there, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area a bit before the encroaching nightfall compelled us to continue on our way. 
 |
| This water rushing down the mountain was so cold it looked icy blue. |
 |
| The iconic Bells |
N is for Nature
"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."
~George Washington Carver
O is for Organic
At the Boulder Farmers Market, people take their organic produce seriously. I just took pictures of it.
Friday, August 19, 2011
A Vacation Alphabet - Part 4
J is for Journey Companion
A long road trip can be a good test of just how well two people get along. Our drive to Colorado and back was the longest road trip Travis and I have taken together, and I just have to say, there's nothing quite as sweet as having the perfect companion for the journey. Not that either of us are perfect (far from it!), but our vacation this summer was just one more compelling illustration of how we are perfect for each other. Love you, hubs.
A long road trip can be a good test of just how well two people get along. Our drive to Colorado and back was the longest road trip Travis and I have taken together, and I just have to say, there's nothing quite as sweet as having the perfect companion for the journey. Not that either of us are perfect (far from it!), but our vacation this summer was just one more compelling illustration of how we are perfect for each other. Love you, hubs.
K is for Kaleidoscope
That's what this sculpture reminded me of as I gazed up at it, squinting against the strong Colorado sun.
L is for Landmark (and the obligatory photos we take with them)
The alphabet continues on the other side of the weekend!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Vacation Alphabet - Part 3
G is for Grass
On our descent of Mt. Quandary, Travis celebrated when we reached tree line, because it signaled the end of the seemingly endless rocks. On the way down Mt. Sherman, my knees were protesting against the pressure of descending rock after rock after rock. (My feet weren't too happy about it, either.) Therefore, when we reached the grassy Iowa Gulch, I had to do a little celebrating of my own. That grass was beautiful, and it deserved a kiss.
H is for Hiking Gear
When setting out on a substantial trek, it's important to have the right gear. When we hiked the 23 miles around Lake Geneva on Memorial Day, I learned the hard way that my boots were really too small, and it cost me a toenail. Travis learned that no matter how much cushion his socks might provide, his boots were always going to give him blisters. And so we decided that before our trip this summer we had to invest in some really good hiking boots. After trying on several styles at REI, we both decided on Keens. My new boots carried me up and down two fourteeners, and around the Maroon Bells, without a single blister. Those are some good boots. When setting out on a day hike, it's also important to have a good pack. If I wasn't convinced before, these two mountains confirmed for me how much better it is for a woman to wear a pack designed and sized for a woman. I have the Sirrus 24 pack by Osprey; the hip belt sits at just the right place, the chest strap is appropriately positioned to not squish the girls, the size perfectly fits my torso, and all of the adjusting straps allow me to hold the load close to my body and get the weight distributed just right. I highly recommend this pack.
I is for Incredible Views
The Rocky Mountains are full of them, of course. Here are a couple of my favorites from this trip.
The alphabet continues tomorrow!
 | ||
| Mt. of the Holy Cross...can you find the cross of snow? |
 |
| Amazingly turquoise blue lake down in the valley, as seen from the ridge on Mt. Sherman |
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
An Autumn Day in the Garden
Beautiful day. Picturesque setting. Pleasant companions. What more could a girl ask for? Today I had the privilege of taking a "field trip" to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Here are a few pics from the excursion:
I don't know if it's the unusually warm autumn we've had so far, or my own ignorance (most likely the latter!), but I've never seen or known so many flowers to be in bloom during a Midwest autumn. What an artistic, creative, generous God we have!
Speaking of autumn's splendor...have you visited Kristin's Fall Festival yet over at Windy Poplars? Click on over and check it out - something new every day this week!
I don't know if it's the unusually warm autumn we've had so far, or my own ignorance (most likely the latter!), but I've never seen or known so many flowers to be in bloom during a Midwest autumn. What an artistic, creative, generous God we have!
Speaking of autumn's splendor...have you visited Kristin's Fall Festival yet over at Windy Poplars? Click on over and check it out - something new every day this week!
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
R-O-Y-G-B...
Now that I work out of a home office, days where I do not venture out of doors are more plentiful than I'd like to admit. It's far too easy to get comfortable...and lazy...indoors. Now that my favorite season has arrived, I want to be sure I get outside and enjoy it. Yesterday after work I gave myself an "assignment" as an incentive to get some fresh air: go for a walk with my camera, and capture shots that prominently feature each of the colors on the color wheel. Indigo and violet proved hard to find, but I found two blues for extra credit. Here are the things I noticed as I walked around my neighborhood on the lookout for color...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Autumn in Maine
At the end of last week I spent a few days in Maine for work. The leaves there were a little ahead of the Chicago area in terms of changing, but still a couple weeks away from "peak" color. Nevertheless, it was beautiful to spend a few days in a place where the land undulates and the trees WAY outnumber the people. This shot was taken on a misty morning, looking down the road from the home where we held our meetings.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Miscellany Monday
(1) autumn stirrings
Yesterday the hubby and I visited Morton Arboretum to get our nature fix with some hiking. While there we browsed the gift shop, which was bursting with new fall decor items. I get giddy just thinking about the ever increasing proximity of autumn. At present I am also quite pleased with our new dining room table, acquired via Craigslist, which came with a matching Lazy Susan. The moment I spied a round precision-cut leaf place mat yesterday, I new they would be perfect companions. It went on the table the minute we got home. Never mind that it's still August, and that tomorrow the temps in Chicagoland will return to the 90s (see below). In this house, autumn is stirring.
(2) peak day alert
Dear ComEd,Thank you for notifying me, once again, that tomorrow's low 90s temps will result in peak demand for electricity. I know you mean well, but rather than inspire me to greater energy conservation, your suggestion that I "set my thermostat to 78 degrees" inspires angst instead. I would love to have a thermostat. I would be delighted if it was 78 degrees in my apartment. Alas, I do not have a thermostat. I have a couple of circa-1982 wall-mounted air conditioning units that guzzle power and run constantly on the highest setting, which produces a modest output of moderately cool air that reduces the humidity tolerably but rarely gets it below 82 in here, which my landlord describes as "working great." So, thanks anyway for the notification.
Sincerely,
Sweating Suz
(3) banana bread
Monday, November 23, 2009
Weekend Highlights
What a full and fun weekend! The highlights:
Friday evening: enjoying a relaxed date night dinner at Ethiopian Diamond restaurant in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Yum.
Saturday morning: sleeping in, then making homemade buttermilk waffles with our new waffle maker. Yum.
Saturday afternoon: discovering the Garfield Park Conservatory, a leafy green gem in the midst of urban sprawl. Beautiful.
Saturday evening: sharing dinner at Cosi on Michigan Avenue, window shopping on State Street, watching fireworks on the river, and returning home to cozy up by the "fire" (a cluster of candles in the fireplace) and roast marshmallows (using the telescoping roasting forks we received as a wedding gift) for s'mores. Yum.
Sunday: having my parents over for Sunday dinner (which consisted of my first attempts at pot roast and butternut squash, both deemed a success), followed by church and a viewing of the Amazing Race.
Friday evening: enjoying a relaxed date night dinner at Ethiopian Diamond restaurant in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Yum.
Saturday morning: sleeping in, then making homemade buttermilk waffles with our new waffle maker. Yum.
Saturday afternoon: discovering the Garfield Park Conservatory, a leafy green gem in the midst of urban sprawl. Beautiful.
Saturday evening: sharing dinner at Cosi on Michigan Avenue, window shopping on State Street, watching fireworks on the river, and returning home to cozy up by the "fire" (a cluster of candles in the fireplace) and roast marshmallows (using the telescoping roasting forks we received as a wedding gift) for s'mores. Yum.
Sunday: having my parents over for Sunday dinner (which consisted of my first attempts at pot roast and butternut squash, both deemed a success), followed by church and a viewing of the Amazing Race.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Autumn at the Arboretum
While we saw lots of gorgeous fall colors on our honeymoon in New England, we weren't really able to get any good autumn color photos there, either because (a) said color was along the side of the highway, or (b) it was raining (and often, both factors came into play). Which is one of the reasons we wanted to make sure we made it to the arboretum at least once this fall - to snap a few good autumn pics, to glory in God's paintbrush, and to hear that satisfying rustle as we tromped along a forest path carpeted with color. Here are a few favorite pics from last weekend at the arboretum.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Celebrating the Arrival of Autumn
Temperatures have started to dip. Leaves have started to turn. Pumpkin Spice Lattes have returned to Starbucks. Yes, autumn has arrived, and I could not be more thrilled. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not to mention, the arrival of autumn means that my long-dreamt-of fall wedding is less than two weeks away!
In great anticipation of my upcoming honeymoon on Cape Cod, enjoy this scenic interpretation of Cheryl Miller's When Fall Comes to New England (lyrics below).
When Fall Comes To New England
Words And Music By: Cheryl Wheeler
When fall comes to New England
The sun slants in so fine
And the air's so clear
You can almost hear the grapes grow on the vine
The nights are sharp with starlight
And the days are cool and clean
And in the blue sky overhead
The northern geese fly south instead
And leaves are Irish Setter red
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England
And the wind blows off the sea
Swallows fly in a perfect sky
And the world was meant to be
When the acorns line the walkways
Then winter can't be far
From yellow leaves a blue jay calls
Grandmothers Walk Out In Their Shawl
And Chipmunks Run The Old Stone Walls
When fall comes to New England
The frost is on the pumpkin
The squash is off the vine
And winter warnings race across the sky
The squirrels are on to something
And they're working overtime
The foxes blink and stare and so do I
'Cause when fall comes to New England
Oh I can't turn away
From fading light on flying wings
And late good-byes a robin sings
And then another thousand things
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England
In great anticipation of my upcoming honeymoon on Cape Cod, enjoy this scenic interpretation of Cheryl Miller's When Fall Comes to New England (lyrics below).
When Fall Comes To New England
Words And Music By: Cheryl Wheeler
When fall comes to New England
The sun slants in so fine
And the air's so clear
You can almost hear the grapes grow on the vine
The nights are sharp with starlight
And the days are cool and clean
And in the blue sky overhead
The northern geese fly south instead
And leaves are Irish Setter red
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England
And the wind blows off the sea
Swallows fly in a perfect sky
And the world was meant to be
When the acorns line the walkways
Then winter can't be far
From yellow leaves a blue jay calls
Grandmothers Walk Out In Their Shawl
And Chipmunks Run The Old Stone Walls
When fall comes to New England
The frost is on the pumpkin
The squash is off the vine
And winter warnings race across the sky
The squirrels are on to something
And they're working overtime
The foxes blink and stare and so do I
'Cause when fall comes to New England
Oh I can't turn away
From fading light on flying wings
And late good-byes a robin sings
And then another thousand things
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England
Monday, June 15, 2009
June...so far.
As it tends to do, now that summer is here it's already packed with activity and flying by. I just downloaded some photos from the camera and it made me realize how much we've been up to in just the past two weeks. Curious? Well, here's a little photographic overview of the first half of June:
On Friday, June 5th Travis and I joined with hundreds of other volunteers from our church to serve with Feed My Starving Children, an organization that sends nourishing meals to starving and malnourished children around the world. Each meal packet contains a chicken flavored powder with 20 vitamins and minerals, dehydrated vegetables, soy, and rice. Over 4 days on two campuses, Harvesters packaged over 600,000 meals. And, we had fun doing it!
On Saturday, June 6th we saw Gipsy Kings in concert at Ravinia. The weather was unseasonably COLD (in the low 50's), and so we shivered and huddled together for warmth as we picnicked on the lawn. We went with our friends Allison & Alex and Nate & Bethany, who helped me surprise Travis with a little birthday celebration at the end of our meal. I brought a cake and candles, and my friends distracted Travis and blocked his view while I attempted to fit 32 candles on a small cake and get them all lit at the same time (a breeze made the latter endeavor quite difficult, so I finally settled for the majority). When we unveiled the cake to Travis and began to sing Happy Birthday, we were surprised when at least 50 people seated around us joined in the singing!
Tuesday, June 9th was my small group's first "Group Serve" night of the summer. The second Tuesday of each month during our normal small group meeting time we're volunteering to help out ECFA, a great non-profit ministry located in Wheaton, by cleaning their offices. We had a lot of fun serving together the first week, and look forward to July & August!
On Friday the 12th Allison & Alex took Travis and I out to dinner at Gaetano's in Forest Park for a joint celebration of our June birthdays. We did the chef's 4 course tasting menu and enjoyed every bite. In addition to exquisite taste, Gaetano's puts a lot into their presentation. Pictured here is one of the salad plates (pear poached in spiced Chianti served with watercress dressed with apple balsamic, and a warm gorgonzola, walnuts, and mascarpone fondue) and dessert (that's ice cream, chocolate cake, and tiramisu in the flower pot!).
Yesterday morning Travis picked me up at 3:30 (in the morning - did you catch that part?) to head up to the harbor in Waukegan. From there we went out on an 8 hour fishing charter with one of Travis' friends and one of his former students. The fish were not as responsive as the guys would have liked (only 4 fish were brought in, out of 9 bites), but it was a beautiful day to be out on the water, everybody went home with some salmon fillets (which is what I'll be preparing for dinner tonight), and I got to spend some quality "shoulder-to-shoulder" time with Travis that I think helped me better understand my fiance and his love for sports that involve killing things to eat.
And finally, last night we had our second-to-last premarital counseling session. Cindy has made dinner for us each time we've met, so this time I volunteered to bring dessert, which gave me an excuse to throw together a pretty summer trifle. We've really enjoyed our sessions with Dave & Cindy and feel like they've been beneficial, giving us a lot to think and talk about as we prepare for marriage. Last night, however, I had a hard time focusing on what was being said, formulating answers that made sense, and not getting defensive about probing questions. Lesson learned: PMS + only 4 hours of sleep + 8 hours in the sun + premarital counseling = not a great combo. I am thankful that everyone took my out-of-nowhere tears gracefully in stride. :)
Though not photographically documented, during the first half of June we were also busy with Travis' big move out of the house where he'd lived for several years. Most of his things are now in our guest bedroom, from whence they will be integrated into the rest of the apartment. Between now and the wedding, Travis will be living with a co-worker in Oak Park who offered him an extra bedroom.
And what will the rest of the month include? Unpacking and putting away Travis' things, more get togethers with friends, my birthday celebration (Travis has something cooked up!), the meeting of the parents, and some hard core wedding planning.
On Friday, June 5th Travis and I joined with hundreds of other volunteers from our church to serve with Feed My Starving Children, an organization that sends nourishing meals to starving and malnourished children around the world. Each meal packet contains a chicken flavored powder with 20 vitamins and minerals, dehydrated vegetables, soy, and rice. Over 4 days on two campuses, Harvesters packaged over 600,000 meals. And, we had fun doing it!
On Saturday, June 6th we saw Gipsy Kings in concert at Ravinia. The weather was unseasonably COLD (in the low 50's), and so we shivered and huddled together for warmth as we picnicked on the lawn. We went with our friends Allison & Alex and Nate & Bethany, who helped me surprise Travis with a little birthday celebration at the end of our meal. I brought a cake and candles, and my friends distracted Travis and blocked his view while I attempted to fit 32 candles on a small cake and get them all lit at the same time (a breeze made the latter endeavor quite difficult, so I finally settled for the majority). When we unveiled the cake to Travis and began to sing Happy Birthday, we were surprised when at least 50 people seated around us joined in the singing!
Tuesday, June 9th was my small group's first "Group Serve" night of the summer. The second Tuesday of each month during our normal small group meeting time we're volunteering to help out ECFA, a great non-profit ministry located in Wheaton, by cleaning their offices. We had a lot of fun serving together the first week, and look forward to July & August!
On Friday the 12th Allison & Alex took Travis and I out to dinner at Gaetano's in Forest Park for a joint celebration of our June birthdays. We did the chef's 4 course tasting menu and enjoyed every bite. In addition to exquisite taste, Gaetano's puts a lot into their presentation. Pictured here is one of the salad plates (pear poached in spiced Chianti served with watercress dressed with apple balsamic, and a warm gorgonzola, walnuts, and mascarpone fondue) and dessert (that's ice cream, chocolate cake, and tiramisu in the flower pot!).
Yesterday morning Travis picked me up at 3:30 (in the morning - did you catch that part?) to head up to the harbor in Waukegan. From there we went out on an 8 hour fishing charter with one of Travis' friends and one of his former students. The fish were not as responsive as the guys would have liked (only 4 fish were brought in, out of 9 bites), but it was a beautiful day to be out on the water, everybody went home with some salmon fillets (which is what I'll be preparing for dinner tonight), and I got to spend some quality "shoulder-to-shoulder" time with Travis that I think helped me better understand my fiance and his love for sports that involve killing things to eat.
And finally, last night we had our second-to-last premarital counseling session. Cindy has made dinner for us each time we've met, so this time I volunteered to bring dessert, which gave me an excuse to throw together a pretty summer trifle. We've really enjoyed our sessions with Dave & Cindy and feel like they've been beneficial, giving us a lot to think and talk about as we prepare for marriage. Last night, however, I had a hard time focusing on what was being said, formulating answers that made sense, and not getting defensive about probing questions. Lesson learned: PMS + only 4 hours of sleep + 8 hours in the sun + premarital counseling = not a great combo. I am thankful that everyone took my out-of-nowhere tears gracefully in stride. :)Though not photographically documented, during the first half of June we were also busy with Travis' big move out of the house where he'd lived for several years. Most of his things are now in our guest bedroom, from whence they will be integrated into the rest of the apartment. Between now and the wedding, Travis will be living with a co-worker in Oak Park who offered him an extra bedroom.
And what will the rest of the month include? Unpacking and putting away Travis' things, more get togethers with friends, my birthday celebration (Travis has something cooked up!), the meeting of the parents, and some hard core wedding planning.
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