Wood Sculpture Fox Ridge Starved Rock State Park 2011 Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Continuing the Starved Rock Retreat story... Part 3
Apparently the Park has various artists sculpt the dead trees. They were all over the place and much more interesting than any Elvis on Black Velvet paintings I've seen on other journeys. The Fox Ridge is directly in front of the Lodge.
What an interesting way of handling the death of trees. There were bears and other forest creatures tucked in here an there. If it weren't for the heat I would have looked at them a bit closer.
The following pictures are of the Lodge "lobby." What you see is very close to the reality. Though a large space, it has been decorated into conversational areas of various sizes, some with tables and chairs and others with comfortable sofas. The huge stone fireplace is magnificent. And like the grand canyon, no picture (of mine anyway) can do it justice.
As is our way, we stayed in the lobby most of the time...reading (The Chief), me on the internet via iPad 2 and people watching (the two of us). I am a bird watcher, but when without birds, I slip into people watching quite easily.
Cozy Sofas in the Lobby Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Double Lit Lobby Seating Area Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Corner Lamp, Window and Logs Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
I would describe the decor style as rustic Arts and Crafts. Such a warm and inviting feeling. The log walls providing a safe place to dream and not worry about the wooden foxes and bears lurking outside.
Vast Space Made Cozy Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Beams, Lights and Flag Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
The Lobby's warmth is almost sucked up by the massive stone fireplace. And yet, it still belongs where it stands. Perhaps with a fire blazing, the continuum would flow from the floor, up the stone slabs to heights unseen.
Stone Slab Fire Place Reminiscent of Citizen Cane Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Stone Slabs Burn Like The Setting Sun Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
White and Yellow Lighting Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Yellow Lights In Shadow Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Early meals in the immense Dining Room allowed us to hear our own conversation. The menu had variety and the food was warm and good.
Wooden Chairs Waiting in The Dining Room Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
Tables by The Windows Photograph by Sharon W Jensen
A short promenade, so to speak, about the Lodge and visions of foliage, cabins, and flowers appear.
Always saving the best for last. The Chief gazing out the windows from another world.
We both felt like we belonged in this place. A quiet, restorative place. And, so...we will go back.
Post Script: I would just like to mention again that the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) were responsible for building this beautiful lodge back in the thirty's. This was one of the government programs to help create jobs for the many unemployed during the Great Depression. Thank you to the men who built log cabin castles and to FDR for providing work for those men.
Winter: Nine Mourning Doves on Patio Fence 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Winter: Two House Finch Sitting On Patio Fence 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Winter: Grackle In Crab Apple Tree 2010. Photo by Sharon.
"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn." - Henry David Thoreau.
It was a beautiful beginning to our winter, that snow storm. But, never-the-less, it was the tidings of a cold and lonely season til spring. And, then we filled the bird feeders in the late afternoon on a sunless day.
The next day was like Christmas. Coming into the office, sipping my morning coffee...looking at my empty patio: no flowers, no birds, no activity to my eye.
I turned my eyes to my computer, thinking of spring. And I looked up again. What was this? A Mourning Dove? Two Mourning Doves? Grackles out the other window eating the crab apples. Sitting on the patio fence two House Finches with their reddish tummies.
I was awestruck! The final count on the Mourning Doves was nine. They are always in twos. I couldn't find the tenth but it had to be there somewhere.
There was not the usual scuffling for places at the feeders. Taking turns at the feeder, the waiting line was puffed out to several unrecognizable balls of feathers.
I must have taken 30 photos. Some didn't make the cut. The birds stayed longer than they normally do in the summer. It must feel good to have food nearby while sitting on the fence in the sun, with feathers puffed.
And, they came back later in the day. All of them. And, the next day and the next.
They must know how much they are welcomed here and how much joy they bring... all for a few seeds.
Cone Flowers in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
The pictures you're viewing were taken yesterday. The day after my blog showing a patch of snow on a roof. I love waking up to this beauty. Especially since it was unexpected...at least for me. If I had looked at the weather radar map and seen the huge blueish monster heading our way I might have guessed. But, I didn't.
So, here we really do have our first snow storm of 2010. The pictures are before any plowing or much traffic, car or dog. No yellow snow here. No ratty dismal dirty grays. Just fluffy dazzeling white beauty.
If you were to go back to my blog beginnings and look at the photographs I took from my windows, you'd see the glorious passing of this year's season.
Enjoy.
Bird Feeders in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Blue Glass Globe in Winter Snow 2010. Photo by Sharon.
Fall Geraniums With Prairie Grass 2010. Photo By Sharon.
Fall Geraniums in Patio Pot 2010. Photo By Sharon
Linden Tree Fall 2010. Photo By Sharon.
Linden Tree Fall One Day Later 2010. Photo By Sharon.
Tree Across The Road Fall 2010. Photo By Sharon.
The memories of Fall are of color, scent and sound. Varying shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Wisping trails of smoke signals from down the road. Crunching foot steps through the piles.
Cardinal in The Shadow of the Linden Tree photo by Sharon
House Sparrow on Fence photo by Sharon
Mourning Dove on Fence photo by Sharon
There is so much life on our patio. The butterfly is beautiful. The butterfly previous to the photo was a bright yellow. He danced merrily between the cone flowers and other wild flowers. He danced so merrily that I could not capture a photo of him. I'm ok 'cus I saw him. But, I apologize to you.
The house sparrow is a beauty. In my Peterson Field Guide it is noted that these are city sparrow and are usually covered with soot. No soot on this dear one. I have other pictures of him that I will share later. At first I had thought him to be a Chipper Sparrow, but with a close up shot I was better able to identify him.
I think the photo of the cardinal is a figment of my imagination.
The house finches have truly taken root here. Sometimes there are four to seven of them on the one feeder, while three or four wait on the fence or on top of the feeder. Most are babies and the parents are still occasionally feeding them.
If someone comes out of the house, they all fly into the linden tree with a big swoosh. Once in a while I can look deeply into the leaves and see one or two sitting there.
I look out my window, see the birds, twitter with excitement and then tweet. So much better than FaceBook.
Okay, you say...How did I identify a Brown-Headed Cowbird when it has no head?! Easy peasy. I got to see the brown head before I shot the above nice crisp picture with the cone flowers and rock sculpture.
Brown-Headed Cowbird Out of Focus But With Head by Sharon
So, just for you non-believers, who require proof, I've published the fuzzy picture above which does actually show his head.
So, now you know everything. 1) It is a Brown-Headed Cowbird and 2) I have to take a lot of pictures to get a good one. Actually this is true of all professional nature photographers (ahem).
Continuing Cardinal Saga
By the way, while working on these photos I could hear a Cardinal chirp chirping away. So, they're here, just not making themselves visable to me. Oh well, there's hope.
Clematis in bloom with wild flowers appearing...through my window
The Clematis is one of my favorites. This particular one does very well where it is situated. Wild flowers were added a few years ago from a mix we bought while motoring to the West and back. The mix was quite varied, but as the years pass, the hardier ones start to take over. Okay with me. The yellow flowers were preceded by a smattering of white, shorter ones. The view changes daily, sometimes minutely, but changes. A few of the flowers that come up might be called "weeds" by some. Not by us. The types of flowers we buy to plant are designed to attract humming birds, finches and butterflies. Even so, I'm always pleasantly surprised when they actually show up.
Granddaughter Marisa 8th Grade Graduation
Marisa, my beautiful granddaughter, graduated from 8th grade this week. That means she will be a high school freshman in the Fall OMG! She is a fantastic young woman. A good student, loves and excels at softball, and is all heart when playing her trumpet. She has many friends, some of whom I am guessing are helped by her strength of self.
Photo from MS
The day began with me having blood work done and getting my annual mammogram. I have to note how the medical field and its technology is changing. The blood work I had done, now only requires 1 medium size vial. I've been getting this test for 10 years or more and until the last few years it required about 7 large vials. So, yep, lab technology has become more sophisticated.
Because I have a history of Breast Cancer my mammogram is done at the women's cancer treatment center at my hospital. This means that as soon as the x-rays are taken, a radiologist is there to read them and give me the results immediately. What a difference that makes! Boy, let me tell you, once you've had a diagnosis of Breast CA any waiting time or repeated x-rays cause extreme anxiety. I might be smiling while waiting, but inside I'm saying "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh shit!" Everything was good. Loud cheering of joy is acceptable.
By the way, these tests were done at two different sites. What that means is I had to get in and out of the van twice. My fibromyalgia was acting up, so that made the process more difficult. But, because I'm tallish and we have a van, I figured out that I could pivot myself around on the seat and both feet could just touch the ground. Then I could stand on both legs at the same time while getting out. And the reverse for getting in without too much pain.
I thought the following video was hilarious. But my sense of humor can be a bit weird at times. I'll tell you this: I know someone who would love to do it. Enough said. (I took this off Roger Ebert's twitter. He's weird, too.)
The two pictures on top are of our patio this summer. I wish it would look like that all year!
The third picture is of my neighbor's tree across the street. It's quite lovely with both dark clouds and sunshine.
The fourth photo is our glamorous golden Linden tree.
..............
Have you ever had a pain pill that gets rid of all the pain? No, morphine is not included in this discussion. I've certainly had pain pills in my life. Not many worked the way I would have liked. Is there a reason for that? Is something written somewhere on a rock that pain shall always exist as least minimally? Something that says the pill will take some pain away, but not all...or, if you really beg, it will make you sleep your life away.(I apologize to burn victims, etc who truly, truly know pain on a completely different level than this world.)
There are those who have never endured chronic pain. They have no idea what I'm talking about.
I can't think of anything I've taken that takes the pain totally away without putting me to sleep and therefore not knowing that I suffer. I think this is known in the medical world as the Michael Jackson Effect
Vicodin. I can understand why Vicodin is so popular on the street. It doesn't take all the pain away. But you don't care.
Today Fall is obviously on its way. It is cloudy, raining lightly. The trees are losing their chlorophyll and showing their true bright colors. There is beauty in the drabness splashed with color.
Well, here I am...you looking in and me looking out. I'm doing a trial blog. My retired "office" is located in a corner room of the condo I live in. Lucky me, I have two windows to look out of to watch the world go by.
I've always liked looking out of windows. Home, Car, bus, train...whatever. I think this started with my great grandmother (Big Granny) who was pretty much confined to one room in a third floor apartment. She lived with my grandmother. In the room were her bed, sometimes a commode, a parakeet, a rocking chair and most importantly a window.
She would rock in her chair most of the day. As a little girl, when I was there, I would sit on the floor by her side and watch as she laced the outdoor window sill with bread crumbs. Sure enough birds would come by for her tidbits. Sometimes she knitted. I could have sat there all day - watching, looking out her window.
And now, as I grow older, with my computer (another window) on my desk I look out my window over a patio with wild flowers, bird bath, and bird feeders. Sometimes, as I look out, I feel like the luckiest person in the world.
