Two Eyes and a door

Yup, I got a thing for old buildings. I had to back up when I passed this old garage door with it's boarded up windows above. The old flashing above looked like eyebrows over the face. Either that or I've been squinting through the view finder too long!!

When Grandma Babysits

I'm a creature of habit and have a set routine. But this weekend I stayed with two of my little grandbabies while Mommy had a business trip. When I got home after 48 hours with a 3 & 4 year old, this is all I had left in me. I just put my feet up, turned the TV down low and enjoyed the quiet!!

Sky Whisperers

What did the tree learn from the earth
to be able to talk with the sky?
- Pablo Neruda

Little House on the Prairie

This empty brick home used to be the center of farm before the owner passed away several years ago. Now with the buildings all torn down and vandals destroying the inside, it's just a Little House on the Prairie.

Sun flower

The Art of Warmth

When the beauty of style and function meet, something beautiful can occur. Standing Cast Iron radiators, Victorian style.

I'm Lichen the Maze

This long dead tree fungi looks like a sea shell attached to the stump of this mighty Oak Tree. The patterns put me in mind of the children's puzzle mazes in ornate complexity.

If a tree falls in a forest

and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Keys to the Kingdom

A ring of our old keys. Several doors still require these but we've taken to collecting others just for the fun of it.

French Pink Pussy Willow

Photographed on the bush with a CD hung behind for color effect.

Purple Haze

Blades at Dawn

Work begins early during the turbine construction south of Seneca, IL. Several are already finished, but towers and cranes can still be seen on the horizon.

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Cemetery

Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was dedicated in 1999 as the 117th national cemetery within the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. When fully developed, this 982-acre cemetery will provide 400,000 burial spaces. I believe it currently holds over 20,000 gravestones from Veterans of military service. It holds remains from service men and woman in all branches and from the Civil War through those from the Iraq War. Elwood, IL

This is how the back side of each grave stone is marked, recording its location in the Cemetery. Some stones have names on the back, which I means the husband and wife are both buried here. Each marker is fully engraved on it's front surface.

Three's a Pair

Cabbage Patch Doll

This sweet little doll of a Savory Cabbage is about to become a big part of St. Patrick's Day!! Shhhhh..... Don't tell!

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You've Got Mail!

Baby Grows Up

Our winter born Poll Hereford ventured into the pasture to enjoy the day. He's not as big as dad who's laying behind him, but that doesn't stop him from hoping the pasture grass would hurry up and grow.

Going Home

Some roads are just meant to be returned to. Morris, IL

Seeing the Forest through the Trees

Foggy Fields

Fog clings to the empty fields just as the sun begins to rise.

Chariots of Fire

Jet stream cross just as the sun sets, casting their shadows back into the clouds, something I've never seen before.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Just as the sun starts to rise, a flock of black birds takes roast in one of our trees.

Complementary Colors

Peach Rose

Petal after creamy petal wrap around the peach core.

Joe's Dogs & Polish

Joe's Hot Dogs and Polish Sausage in Joliet, IL I've begun collecting images of the old neon signs I see in my travels. Hard to believe, but it's a dying art.

Drip, Drop or Splash

Following this weeks theme of liquid, I finally figured out how to photograph a crowning drop. This one little image occupied most of my afternoon, so I hope the effect is worth it. This is milk on glass.

Zebra in the wilds of Farm Country

Yesterday was my 50th Birthday While I felt the love of many good friends and family, it wasn't really an exceptional day. Several miles from home, I spotted a very large chocolate colored Hog walking the ditch along the road. I pulled over and set the hazard lights to warn approaching traffic. Soon a farmer's wife pulled up with her three sons in tow and began the long 1/2 mile journey to return the wayward pig. I drove slowly along side the field, keeping traffic aware of the muddy parade the large sow was reluctantly leading. Pig headed is a term with real meaning, as the process took nearly two hours. The old girl couldn't make the last 100 yards and dad, tractor and trailer were finally called in as reinforcements.

Most people wouldn't guess that with that much lost time and meeting a new family under such stressful conditions would be much of a gift. But my best present of the day came at journeys end. Sue stood next to my open window, caked in mud to her thighs, cold and exhausted and asked very calmly if I'd like to come into the barn and see their new zebra. I looked at her with more than a little doubt I'm sure and my mouth hanging wide open. Yup she said, they in fact had just bought a Zebra from a farmer in Missouri two days ago and it was just yonder in the barn!!

I grabbed the always ready camera, plucked my way through the dark barn yard, and found this; a ten year old zebra stallion, with his donkey mate penned up inside. The donkey is heavy with his foul and it was said that the zebra follows her everywhere. Soon this spring my travels will take me past field and farms, cattle and horses, chickens and geese, and two stripped zebras grazing with a brown donkey! Pretty great birthday don't you think!! I guess 50 is not too old to see new things that you could have never imagined. I'm more than a little anxious to see what 51 brings!

Give Her a Hand

Remember when you where a kid, and they asked you how old you where? I'm this many!

Under the Bridge

Under the Bridge that crosses over the Illinois River in Peru, IL.

Doll House

Our wood burning stove done in the Fake Tilt Shift method in PhotoShop CS2. Cold raining day stuck inside. So I thought I'd work on photo technique that was mentioned earlier in this pool. This is an actual photo of my kitchen that has been reworked in Photoshop to give it a feel of a miniature doll house.

Peachs & Cream

Rose garland that adorns my antique bird cage

Tombstones

1904 & 1902 are the dates on these two grave markers.