A Sunday Afternoon, plus some stuff

It's been an interesting week with a mixed bag of happenings. Last Sunday, we visited the Nygren Wetland Preserve near Rockford (Rockton) and walked some of the trails and fields. It was the annual Wildflower Outing at Nygren, and we were not disappointed with what we found there. But, as usual, the pictures tell the story better than I can with words.

Volunteer workers were on hand to give out information as well as serve snacks and cold beverages. It was a hot and humid day, but there was a really nice breeze.

Our walk was about 3.5 miles through field, forest, and wetland. Benches are provided frequently for resting. Pat is purusing some of the wildflower literature that was provided.

Here I am standing in a field of wildflowers. My shirt is from the Aransas Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Coincidentally, Whooping Cranes, Sandhill Cranes, and Great Herons are found at Nygren during the summer. We saw Sandhills and Herons today, but no Whoopers.

Part of the trail system is built on a former railroad bed, so the walking is pretty easy. Now, on to some other stuff......................

I'm finding some time to keep the woodcarving going. This is a piece (almost done) that I'll be entering in a woodcarving show/contest in Rockford IL in August. The challenge was to create a piece that would fit inside a 2" cube. I started with a 2" cube of basswood so it seems pretty certain that the finished piece will fit inside the test cube. My girl started life just like the block she is posed on.

Just another view of the same carving.

And on a sad note, our Annie has developed a spinal injury and is having difficulty walking. Last Sunday she could not walk at all. After a week on cortisone tablets she is once again walking, at least some, but it's a weak walk and she can't do stairs at all. We'll let you know how her progress goes.

Well, that'll be all for now. Check back often.

Festivals, Chicago sights, and daily life

This is our yard during a recent thunder storm. It's been raining often here, so everything is growing well but the ground is saturated. Enough for a while!

Cody's Farm, and the Marengo Strawberry Festival was held recently just a few miles from the campground. It rained before we finished picking strawberries and we got soaked! We're kind of thinking that it was worth it anyway.

Lots of nice, red berries. They are jam now.

A Sunday trip to Iowa was in order a week ago to attend the International Woodcarvers Congress.

Lots of good and interesting wood carvings on display.

This is the Best of Show carving. Our friends in Minnesota should appreciate this.

Detail of a wood spirit carving in cedar.

This week, we took the Metra into Chicago for a day trip.

Pat, Barb & Mike Clark, fellow workers at KOA, and their granddaughter, Olivia.

We rode the Chicago Water Taxi from the train station to Michigan Avenue.

Lots of activity on the river. It's a major tourist attraction.

Walking along Michigan Avenue.

A "little lunch", Chicago-style pizza.

We could only eat two slices, each.

Dave and Pat at the Cloud Gate, more commonly known as "the Bean".

The Bean.

Reflections on the underside of the bean.

Dave and Pat at Buckingham Fountain.

Mike, Barb, and Olivia.

At entrance to Taste of Chicago.

 

Very unique interactive fountain in Millenium Park. Images are projected inside the fountain and change every few minutes.

OK. That should catch us up for a couple of weeks. Check back often for more additions.

Harvard (Illinois) Milk Days

We do what we can do in the time available to us, and as weather permits. It's been a rainy spring in northern Illinois. The Harvard Milk Days festival has been going on, as an annual event, for many, many, years. It would seem the small town of Harvard is doing everything right to make for an attractive, and well-attended festival. Like the most successful of festivals, it is a three-day event and this year that proved to be a really good thing because of the many rainy days we have had.

It's all about the cows, of course. You can't have the type of milk we are accustomed to without cows. It was great to see these 4-Hers with their well-groomed cows.

These cows don't look good all by themselves. It takes a lot of TLC and hand grooming by their owners to make them look show-ready.

Here's Pat with an older John Deere tractor. It's a 1937 model, which is even older than I am.

And here she is with a new John Deere. This one is much larger, and much, much more expensive.

And here's Dave with a new, state-of-the-art John Deere combine. For what this machine costs you can buy a pretty nice house, a new car, a pickup truck and an RV.

Daughter Angel and her girls, Erika and Sabrina, came with us to Milk Days.

Here's Erika on the Giant Slide.

Angel and Sabrina riding the Tornado.

By the way, it rained before the afternoon was over, but not before we had some fun.

Memorial Day

While many of you enjoyed a three-day holiday we were working most of the weekend. The campground was busy and there was a lot to be done. We did, however, get Monday off and since one day was not enough to go very far or do very much we went back to the Illinois Railway Museum for the Memorial Day, World War II re-enactment event. It was a good show. Above is the wagon ride with some w/e campers.

All the displays and props were from the WWII era. This is a 1941 Chevy, beautifully restored - probably better than it was originally. Cookies were served in the depot - they were oatmeal sweetened with molasses, typical of recipes during the war years when sugar was not available.

Me in a 1945 Jeep along with two Allied (American) soldier/actors.

A German soldier (actor) displaying a Schmeisser MP-40 machine pistol.

Pat riding "coach" in a restored c.1930's railroad car.

Battle re-enactment in the railway yard. Allies won.

Annie with her new "do" and Memorial Day scarf.

That's all for today.

A visit to the Illinois Railroad Museum

Our current location is at Union, Illinois, about 30 miles east of Rockford/60+ miles north of Chicago. Union is the home of the Illinois Railroad Museum - and it is special, especially if you are a railroad buff. We spent about 4 hours at the museum on Sunday. Sure to go back because it is only 5 miles from the campground and we weren't able to see all of it in one visit.

One of several trains in service during our visit. The rides are not long, but even once around the museum property is nearly a mile.

East Union did not exist until the museum created it. The station house, however, is from Union. It was moved to the museum site and restored.

Not all trains are open for inspection every day. They alternate which are open so you can see something different each time you come. Pat never did get lunch.

In addition to trains, there are also street cars. This is an electric streetcar that runs around the grounds every few minutes. Small crowd when we were on it.

One of the events of the day was a pulling demo by a local dog club. These are pretty huge dogs, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, weighing right at around 100 pounds. They can pull up to 5000 pounds! I think we discovered a whole, new subculture we were never aware of before.

The car beside us is a work cart used by track workers. It's powered by a small gasoline engine, has a clutch, gear shift, etc. Some railroad buffs collect these, restore them, and then travel around the country to meet other collectors and run their carts on outings on tracks that are made available to them.

We'll be seeing other things, and going other places as the summer progresses. Look back often.

We're easy to find, and we'll be in Union until mid-September. Let us hear from you.