Took a drive through Starved Rock State Park yesterday to look for bald eagles. Only saw a few here and there along the Illinois river. Some were flying, some were perched in the bare trees over the water. This one, a juvenile, was sitting in the snow picking at what might have been a fish.
Did you know it takes five years before a bald eagle gets it’s white plumage?
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| Hubby walking along the edge |
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| 178 over the Illinois River |
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| I spy deer tracks |
It was a nice day for a walk today, a little chilly, but nice, so we got out an enjoyed it.
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| Illinois River view from Water st. Peru, Illinois |
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| 120-year-old coal-fired power plant on Water Street in the distance on the right~ destined to be torn down |
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| IL-251 Bridge Illinois River Highway Crossing the Illinois River Peru, IL |
Today was my day off, so I was happily holed up my my house, catching up on some neglected things (like my Blog) thankful that I didn’t have to drive in the snowstorm.
Then the phone rings. Okay, no big deal, a few people know I have the day off. I answer.
“Hi Mom!” my son Eddie says cheerfully. “Guess what? I’m in a ditch!”
Okay~ I ask if he’s okay. He says he’s not hurt, he just slid off the road on his way to work and his truck is fine (little S10 Chevy), no damage, he’s just stuck. Not to worry though, he’s already called the tow truck and it’s on it’s way.
Okay good. I tell him to call me back when he gets out. We hang up. A couple of minutes later the phone rings again…. “Hey Mom, Guess what? I locked my keys in the truck and you have the only spare! Can you bring them to me?”
Sigh… So much for not going out today.
He went off the road across from the Illinois River Lock and Dam Visitors Center. I grabbed my camera on the way out thinking I might as well get a few shots of the river while I’m there.
The roads were a mess, it was slow going, but I saved the day (again) and made it in one piece.
By the time I got there, the tow truck had pulled him out and was long gone. One of the people who worked at the Visitor Center was kind enough to let Eddie sit with him in his car until I got there~ Yes, there are still good people out there! Thank you Bob!
The snow was really coming down now. The Geese above were hunkered down for the night, heads tucked down against the snow. The looked quite comfortable.
And the other side of the river was barely visible.
I snapped my pictures and then we drove slowly home.
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| Starved Rock State Park, Utica, IL |
It snowed two days ago actually. This was the first time I could get out with the camera.
I must admit, I wasn’t thrilled when it started snowing because I was at work had to drive home in the middle of the storm. I am a transplanted Illinoisan and driving on snow and ice doesn’t excite me, but now that the roads are cleared and the sun is shining again, it really is very beautiful.
I love the way the light sparkles in the snow in the late afternoon sun, as in these pictures here. And the way the long blue shadows reach across the snow is very inspiring.
Yes, I guess you could say I do love the snow, from an artist’s perspective that is….
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| my tracks |
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| weeds on cliff at river’s edge |
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| Illinois river~ South Channel, looking East towards Lock & Dam |
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| Illinois river, Lone Point Shelter, (south bank), looking west toward Starved Rock |
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| Tiny Iceberg on Illinois River, Looking North |
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| Junction of Fox and Illinois Rivers, Looking East |
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| Veterans Memorial Bridge (RT.23) connecting Ottawa’s North Side to Ottawa’s South Side. |
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| Looking across the water to Allen Park in Ottawa, IL The water is halfway across the Park. |
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| This years flooding is minor compared to what we had in 2008. This light post is the same light post in the picture below (it’s on the boat docks under the same bridge in the second picture ). Normally it stands above the water. |
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| I think the water was a little deeper in 2008…. What do you think? I had to stand on a nearby hill to get this shot because of the height of the water! |
Lil's Garden Tour 