spring

Signs of spring in Lil’s garden

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Just when I feel that winter will never end….
The miracle of spring returns,
reminding me of how foolish I was for not having faith…
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 Evening light on my little Persian lilac~  
one of many mailorder plants in my garden
 Flowers and leaves getting ready to “pop”
on my 12′ tall Northstar Cherry tree~
one of many rescues in my garden
(the tag promised only 8′ tall when I bought it ten years ago!
Must have been all the love I gave it!)
 A volunteer columbine growing in the cracks of my walkway. 
It’s from my black “Magpie” columbine~ another mail order plant. 
Here’s what it looks like “all grown up”
I try to save the seed every fall.
 Beginnings of a new branch on my Japanese tree lilac~ mailorder.
By the end of summer, this will have grown a foot long. 
In June it will be covered in huge white panicals of  “privet” smelling flowers.
It’s an odd smell and not the sweet lilac scent you would think~ but it is a pretty and durable little tree.
 
One of my favorite daffodils. This one has a sweet smell to it. 

Another view of my Persian lilac.
the two trees behind it were also mailorder~ a reoccurring theme in my garden it seems….
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birds

Sunday Driving (on a Saturday)

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 Every other weekend Steve and I take a drive through the Park or out on the country roads to unwind from the week.
(Last years Prairie grasses on the outskirts of Starved Rock State Park)
 (Back roads North west of Ottawa)
While on our drive, off in the distance we see this black cloud over a house.
(Of course I didn’t get a picture of that!)
As we got closer, we realized it was starling and grackles.
Thousands of them!
So many that the trees looked as though they had black leaves.
These pictures don’t do it justice~ they were behind us, over us~ litteraly all around us!
We both kept thinking about that old Hitchcock movie…

spring, Starved Rock State Park, winter

Pssst! Spring is on it’s way……….

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 Gray and drizzly day on the Illinois river.
River’s a little high after the snow melt
 Rt. 178 bridge over the Illinois River
g
g
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bird watching, Starved Rock State Park

Ice and Snow at Starved Rock

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We continued our search for eagles today, and ended up in the park.
A few were roosting in their favorite dead trees on Plum Island, along the Illinois River, watching for fish near the surface.
 we parked and walked to the waters edge to get this shot. would still love that telephoto lens, maybe next year….  the eagle is in the center of the picture
We’ve spent the last two weeks with the temperatures in the single digits so it was wonderful when it warmed to the forties today and everything started to melt.
 Just yesterday, this part of the river was solid ice and under snow.

 

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 my partner in crime….
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 Tree Puddles
The end to a beautiful day…….
bird watching, Starved Rock State Park

Eagles at Starved Rock

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Every winter the bald eagles congregate at the Lock and Dam on the Illinois River
at Starved Rock State Park, Utica, IL
Our Point of view is from the observation deck at the visitor center.
 It’s hard to see them in the sky here because I don’t have a telephoto lens for my new camera~ yet 🙂
 and if you look closely, there are around thirty eagles in the distant trees on the edge of Plum Island here.
 the eagles, and about a million seagulls, swarm at the back of the dam,
scooping up the stunned fish that go through the dam.
 One eagle had the good graces to land in the snow at the edge of the lock.
(still wish I had that telephoto lens)

 

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 reflection of the winter sun in the lock
 
 Seagull in flight over the lock
 the committee at the gates (lock gate)
They sat there the whole time we were there….
even when a barge came into the lock.
winter

Blizzard of Feb 2011 (the morning after)

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Some quick Pictures around my house until we dig out!
 
 

(Bear Country!)

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And then the sun came out….

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(does this change the ground hog’s prediction?)

 

because of the wind, not all places were buried….
some places got 3 feet while others,
like my little solar light, had just a few inches

 digging out so we could get out!

Daisy Path

Stop watching me! I have to go potty!

Precision Parking

snowmobile

All Done!
Now it’s time to go in and hibernate!

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Starved Rock State Park, winter

Still Winter in Starved Rock

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Yes the snow in the park is still beautiful 
but enough already! We’re ready for spring!
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Illinois River
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edge of the woods
tangled branches
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Daisy Lou

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What cha’ got there mom?
A new camera?
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Winter’s Nap

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C
Val says she’s sleeping til spring…..
C
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Wild and Whimsical

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Out of the dense tangled woods of Diningroomworkshop, steps a timid creature rarely seen here in the Midwest. 
The majestic Unicorn pauses at the edge of the adjoining meadow, raising his head to test the air before crossing to the backyard pond for a cool sip of water…..

O

This was a custom and I’m thinking of offering more like him on Etsy. He’s not listed yet, but look for him soon!
O