locks at marseilles il

marseilles il

Taken back in June of last year when we were having record rains. These locks are located at Marseilles, IL. A series of 8 locks enable shipping between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

In other news, decided to change up the theme of the blog. Would appreciate any feedback, or, if you have any WordPress themes you would like to recommend…

Also, in case you might be wondering, ‘rutakintome’ is pronounced “are you takin’ to me.” What can I say? I am a New Yorker and Robert DeNiro fan.

lonely tree

lonely tree

Happy 2016 everyone! Well, from the weather side of things, the end of 2015 looks a lot like the significant flooding we had about 7 months ago. December was unusually warm and ended with a wintry mix of ice pellets, followed by flooding rain. Due to our flight being cancelled, and the resulting backlog, I was not able to get to Haiti. We hope to go in May. This is a lonely tree wondering why the Illinois River is so high….again. Here’s to warmer times…. cheers!

happy new year

happy new year

I am leaving for a missions trip to Haiti on Dec. 28 and won’t return until after the new year, so here is my last post for 2015. Thank you WordPress family for your visits, your kind comments and for your encouragement. You are all an incredibly talented bunch! Looking forward to the journey with you in 2016. Happy New Year!

new year time

waiting for winter

I&M

We are having an unusually warm December… the I & M Canal seems to be quietly waiting for winter to arrive…. I would rather see the warmer trend continue.

grateful

i am grateful for steps… the journey… gold and grave…

iandm6

i am grateful for breath… the rhythm… singing out loud…

iandm5

i am grateful for light… the assurance… darkness cannot abide…

iandm4

i am grateful for love… love and friendship… i am not alone…

iandm3

i am grateful for mystery… all that is unkown… i will trust the author…

iandm2

i am grateful… for you…

iandm1

i really don’t know clouds at all

i really don't know clouds at all

Working on a poem for this one…but not quite there yet, so, for now a nod to a favorite song from Joni Mitchell.

when all there was was You

planted by the waters

when all there was was You

the TREK life

the trek life

The TREK life on a beautiful summer morning overlooking the Illinois River….

cute little guy

little tug boat

river road

a little morning glory 2

river road