Lemonade Week

 Our long-anticipated Alaska trip did not turn out as we planned. The outbound travel (O'Hare to Sitka by way of Seattle) was very disorienting for my husband.  Fortunately we could get flights home that evening/night, including a nonstop overnight flight from Anchorge to O'Hare.   I'm calmer now as I type this but you can well imagine that at the time I was *beyond* upset.   On the positive side, once we got home his mood stabilized.  

I declared it Lemonade Week, as in "when life gives you lemons...."   We had several enjoyable day trips during a week of lovely summer weather.

On Monday we headed west to  White Pines Forest State Park in Mt. Morris and to Lowden State Park in Oregon (the name of the town).   I remember going to White Pines when I was a child and staying in the rustic cabins.  60+ years later it was not impressive.  It looked to me as though it is ready for some large-scale maintenance. I walked along a somewhat-marked and cleared trail.   We had lunch in downtown Oregon and then went to Lowden.  

The Blackhawk statue by sculptor Lorado Taft is the dominant feature.

At Lowden:

Upper right: if you go down the steps then you have to come back up.  

Lower right:  the river from the base of the steps . . .

Left:  and I got back up!

Tuesday:  I began the travel insurance claim process but got stuck.  We went to Lakewood, one of the forest preserves on this year's Hike Lake County Challenge

Upper left: fungus at the base of an oak tree, Stevens' view while I hiked.

Center: nodding onion, martin house.

Lower: woodland sunflower, a lovely pond, bellflower.

Wednesday:   Horicon Marsh is about 125 miles from home.  We were there last summer on a 90-plus degree day. This week was about 10 degrees cooler with a nice breeze.  Stevens sat in the state visitors' center while I hiked the 2.3 mile trail.   

I walked behind two cranes for a while. 

I saw a pair of swans. 

Swamp milkweed, nodding onion, false sunflower (also "rough oxeye" and "sweet smooth oxeye"--an oxymoron, LOL).  Blazing star/liatris, rattlesnake master, arrowroot, wild cucumber. 

I did not touch the wild parsnip!

Two old guys at the entrance to the visitor's center. 

On our way home we stopped in Theresa, WI, and bought some cheese at Widmer's. 

 We went to the Rotary breakfast meeting on Thursday and then went to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL.  Unfortunately they do not provide guest wheelchairs and the place is ALL walking.  I quickly implemented a Plan B and we revisited Moraine Hills State Park on the outskirts of McHenry.  I hiked the entire 3.2 mile trail!  

On Friday we drove down to Westmont (about 65 miles) to take our dear friend Pat out for lunch.  (She's my long-time ALA roommate, now living in a retirement home and no longer driving.)  Though we chat on the phone frequently it was SO good to see her in person again. 

The (metaphorical) lemonade was sweet enough to take away much of the disappointment.

Next post:  quilting progress!