Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

corn and light

corn and light

 

Dear 1-2 inches of snow that fell in the Chicago area: Remember this? Your days are numbered.

seaside4

seaside4

Back to my favorite beach: Jones Beach, NY. For me, the nature of the shore brings a welcomed reminder of my smallness…. a sense of wonder… a sense of story…. it’s funny that I really don’t have a desire to be on the sea… but taking a walk along the shore…the music of the waves…the sea gull choirs… the refrain of the ocean advancing and retreating as my feet are swallowed up by the sand… salty air you can taste… and memories… clinging to my dad as a child while he fearlessly carried me into – what was for me – the great deep ocean…i was terrified and overjoyed all at once…. or watching my dad effortlessly float on his back as he sailed away… my mom breaking out delicious food and making sure we had sunscreen… lots of sunscreen!….. hope you are having a great weekend…

 

locks at starved rock

locks at starved rock

From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River, the Illinois Waterway is a marvel of engineering and commerce. This is Lock and Dam No. 6 and is in the National Register of Historic Places. And that’s now more than you ever wanted to know about this particular location 🙂  Taken from one of the beautiful hiking trails at Starved Rock State Park.

devil’s doorway

Devil's Doorway

Since my last two posts had us visiting Devil’s Lake State Park in Wisconsin, thought we would explore a bit. The rock formation pictured here is known as Devil’s Doorway. The geological features of the park are really a delight and easy to enjoy: quartzite bluffs, hiking trails, rock climbing, forests, and, the  lake all make up for a beautiful setting to enjoy the outdoors. My goodness! I sound like a commercial for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism!

jones beach water tower 4

Jones Beach Water Tower4

Well, my last trip home to New York has resulted in a series of images of this water tower, and the beach. I have a couple more of the shore to post, but for now, the water tower wins the draw. My parents still live in the house I grew up in, so going home is always a wonderful experience. Jones Beach State Park is a big part of my growing up years, and, I will never tire of the shore and this cool structure. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

seaside2

seaside2

Back to Jones Beach State Park for this post. This is part of a series of images were taken back in January on a rather cold and dull day, so it has been fun working with the pictures to try and find some detail and perspective. I love the shore when it is like this…quiet…deserted…salty air…loud, winter surf…time speeds away and slows down all at once…if that makes sense…..

the tree said to the light…

the lamp said to the tree

I wonder what the tree did say to the light… any thoughts?

jones beach water tower 3

Jones Beach Water Tower3

Another shot of this pretty cool piece of architecture located at Jones Beach State Park on the southern shores of Long Island.

jones beach water tower 2

jones beach water tower2

And just before you head out to enjoy your weekend, another shot of the Jones Beach Water Tower. I have a few more images coming from my trip back home this past January. The Art Deco style of this tower (this 84 year old beauty is an actual functioning water tower) is representative of the bath houses and other structures in this beautiful state park.