Tag: bridge

great day for a hike

We moved to our current home in Illinois from Michigan back in 2004, but it’s not the first time we have lived in Illinois. We first arrived in Chicago-land back in 1988. However, it wasn’t until we came back in 2004 that we discovered Matthiessen State Park.

The day started out with the typical refrain of cold, low, gray clouds, but Mr. I-Can’t-Seem-To-Get-The-Weather-Report-Right promised clearing skies and it came to pass that a beautiful, mostly sunny afternoon emerged.

One of the things I love about each of the it-feels-like-hundreds-of-times that I have visited this park is that it is always new. It’s like discovering and exploring for the first time, each time.

And I love the quiet… the sense of calm…

I am glad I made time to reflect… walk… listen to a waterfall, or the water gurgling over rocks and a stubborn oak leaf…

Thanks for stopping by.

marseilles motorcycle 2

South of the small downtown of Marseilles, main street goes over the Illinois River (the bridge on the right) just west of the Marseilles Lock and Dam (on the left.) The Illinois Waterway connects the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. This is one of a series of 8 locks, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, that control water flow from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River system.

george washington bridge

Sorry for the silent blog 🙂 Life has been busier than the usual crazy and, my dad recently had double bypass surgery. So, two days ago, I took a road trip back home to be with my parents. He is doing quite well and will be home tomorrow. In the meantime, hope you enjoy one of my favorite bridges in New York.

the verrazano–narrows bridge

This beautiful piece of engineering art connects Staten Island and Brooklyn. It has always struck me as a majestic part of the landscape of the five boroughs of New York City. I leave you with this….interesting fact from the MTA website: Seasonal contractions and expansions of the steel cables cause the double-decked roadway to be 12 feet lower in the summer than in the winter.Â