Day 168 - Visit to Allerton Park

I finally had the opportunity to drive out to Allerton Park in Monticello this evening [to read the details about Allerton, please visit my SOOC Saturday Blog entry at shirleybehindthelens].

I enjoyed my evening there, even with the heat, humidity and mosquitoes.



A couple more pictures from my visit:


There was a wedding earlier in the day.


Some flowers at sunset:


I didn't have time to visit some of the parts of the park (like the sculpture at the far end of the park), so I'll have to go back. I'm thinking the fall.... then winter .... then spring again.

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SOOC Saturday - Visit to Allerton

I found myself in the most unusual situation this afternoon - no kids, no husband for the rest of the day and into the evening. So I made the most out of my temporary solitude by watching "The Top 100 One-Hit Wonders of the 80's" on VH-1.

Really, it was a step back in time to my high school and college years. So much fun.

But once the three hour show wrapped up (I bet you are curious what song took the #1 spot - I was, that's why I had to watch the entire show!), I drove out to Allerton Park in Monticello, IL.

Without going into too much detail, Allerton Park was once the private residence of Robert Allerton, now a part of the University of Illinois. The 1500 acre property includes extensive gardens, sculpture and art. I had hoped to visit the park "someday", and today was that day.

I'm sharing a couple of SOOC captures tonight - both from the peony garden (I'll have to go back next spring when they are in bloom):




I had a wonderful visit, and was glad to finally have the opportunity (and time) to experience the beautiful gardens.

Since it's SOOC Saturday, I'm linking to Melody at Slurping Life. There's still time today and tomorrow to share your SOOC captures there.

Edited to add:
The #1 One Hit Wonder of the 80s was..... "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners.
I know you know the lyrics -

Poor old Johnny Ray
Sounded sad upon the radio, he moved a million hearts in mono.
Our mothers cried and sang along and who'd blame them.
Now you're grown, so grown, now I must say more than ever.
Go Toora Loora Toora Loo-Rye-Aye
and we can sing just like our fathers.

Come on Eileen,
I swear (well he means) At this moment you mean everything,
With you in that dress my thoughts I confess verge on dirty
Ah come on Eileen.

These people round here wear beaten down eyes
Sunk in smoke dried faces they're so resigned to what their fate is,
But not us, no not us we are far too young and clever.
Remember Toora Loora Toora Loo-Rye-Aye
Eileen I'll hum this tune forever.

Come on Eileen, I swear, well he means
Ah come on let's take off everything,
That pretty red dress Eileen (Tell him yes)
Ah come on let's, ah come on Eileen, please.

#2 was "Take on Me" by Ah-Ha (a total 80s classic)
#3 was "Oh Mickey" by Toni Basil

So there you go! Have a great day!

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Mosaic Monday - Scenes From Allerton

A mosaic of a handful of the pictures I took at Allerton Park yesterday. For more information about the park, you can check out yesterday's SOOC post.



Mary from Little Red House hosts Mosaic Monday - you can check out the other beautiful mosaics there today and the rest of the week.

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Lilac and Peony Season

I like all things lilacs - the color, the flowers, especially the heady fragrance. I did a quick search on the blog for the word “lilac” and it turns out I’ve churned out many images and words over the years with similar sentiment. I always find time to capture their spring blooms and this year is no different.

 

 
After an overnight frost warning, tiny dew drops formed on our lilac bush as the morning sun melted away the thin film of rime. The cold didn’t damage the flower buds, instead leaving glittering spectacle that caught my eye (while I was washing some dishes!).

 

 
Growing up, I associated the lilac with my birthday at the end of May, their blooms coinciding with each passing year. In Illinois, they bloom earlier so my birthday flower has been supplanted by the equally beautiful peony. The early varieties started blooming in the last week or so. Locally, Allerton Park showcases peonies in a massive garden so I headed there last weekend, hopeful to catch a beautiful sea of blooms.

 

 

 

 
The cooler weather slowed the emergence of blooms so the garden has not peaked yet. This merely means I will visit again in the coming weeks - I’ll probably visit at least two more times!

 

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The Daily - September 10, 2023 - Sunday Hike Day

Left the house at 7 with My and Yahsin for our “Charlie hike” at Allerton. Brenda signed up for yoga in the Meadow there so she drove separately. Charlie knows when my friends show up, she’s going out into the forest for a long hike - she loves it!

 

 

 

 
We hiked for 2 hours - we saw some deer, late summer yellow woodland flowers and some little mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 
As expected, our post hike spread did not disappoint. I didn’t make anything but brought charcuterie meats and cheeses along with a wooden board - voila, another elegant spread! My baked plum cake, Yahsin brought hard boiled eggs, fruit and nuts. The weather was absolutely perfect for our Al fresco meal. We are certainly spoiled!

 

 

 

 
I spent the rest of the day relaxing outside with Charlie - we played ball and took another long walk with Nancy and Janice. Finally, Erica arrived back from her travels and Charlie was quite happy to have her mom at her side.

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Along My Run | 9 - October Marathon and Beyond

October culminated in the running of the Chicago marathon and my subsequent recovery period. After the Illinois marathon in April, I dipped into a bit of a post-race depression, but this time I didn't let it happen. I think the shorter days and dark mornings made it easier to let go of the expectation to get up and run. I simply decided to relax more and gave myself permission to take it easy.

I also didn't run any long distances the two weeks leading up to the Chicago Marathon, due to plantar fasciitis in my left foot. As a result, I don't have many running photos from October (so I included the photos from the start of November - I needed two more photos to make it an even 10).

1. Flip on the Lights , 2. This is the Day You Have Made. I will Rejoice and Be Glad in It, 3. It's a Perfect Day to Run Chicago, 4. Golden Days - 3 easy miles today , 5. First Movement , 6. Enjoying Fall , 7. Beautiful Morning for a Trail Run , 8. Looks Can be Deceiving - Steep Hill Ahead, 9. Cold but Golden , 10. Contrasts

Two weeks after the Chicago race, I ran a 6-mile trail race, held at Allerton Park. It was the perfect way to follow up my marathon - running something completely opposite - a trail race vs a road race, through a forest preserve instead of the city and a very small pool of participants (although it felt very crowded, especially at the start).

It was a perfect autumn day for a trail run.






I love running in the fall - the temperatures are ideal, the air crisp and the leaves crunch underneath. I experienced something new running Sunday morning - watching, hearing and feeling the leaves gently rain down from the canopy above as I passed underneath. Just another reason to lace up and run outside.

Some other things to note - everyone seems to be commenting on my pink running shoes (on Instagram and Facebook)! I bought new shoes to add to my rotation - these are Hoka Cliftons, a highly cushioned yet lightweight shoe. The heel to toe offset is still low (5mm) and similar to the Brooks PureCadence, which I consider to be my main running shoe. I decided to try the Hoka brand, since they appear to help with plantar fasciitis. I have a fairly new pair of Saucony Kinvara5 which I am still getting used to (they are a bit on the stiff side). My last pair of shoes are pretty specialized - Goretex lined Inov8 Roclite Trail shoes that I wore during last week's trail race. They are waterproof, great in the rain and snow and of course, on a muddy trail. Can a runner have too many shoes? I guess not!

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New Photography Challenges - Engagement Session

As I look back at the years of photos I've taken, I see how the tools of my hobby have changed, I see how the sharing platforms have morphed, and how my abilities have grown. That growth only continues by taking on new challenges, constantly learning and adjusting.

I no longer carry my DSLR with me all the time. I no longer strive to take a photo every day. In reality, I'm less focused on photography and as a result, I feel less creative, but that's OK - it's where I am in today's stage of life. Even though I'm less focused on day to day photography, I still love the feeling of seeing and making an image. I enjoy working with people to create images they will cherish. So I've been taking photos of people via photo sessions. My subjects are long time family friends and sons and daughters of friends. My strategy is to photograph people I know, who have a personal connection to me or my family.

Last month I took on a New Challenge, an Engagement session with Andrew and Alessa



I had never worked with an engaged couple. Sure, I've done the high school prom photos, but these are certainly more intimate and meant to be treasured for years to come. Alessa is a friend of my daughter's, so there's the personal connection. I think I met Alessa once during a campus event (it was at a bar, and no, I don't recall meeting her, but she remembered meeting me).

I asked Alessa to use Pinterest to document and communicate her ideas and preferences for these photos. That was a tremendous help to me and allowed us to execute numerous poses in several locations at the venue, Allerton Park.





Alessa and Andrew were great to work with, even on this chilly fall day. I did learn something for the future - to make sure the subjects have appropriate clothes for the shoot. At one point, it became evident to me that Andrew was really cold and uncomfortable. This transferred to the photos in his stiff body language and forced smile. We adjusted by moving to a sunnier, less windy area and he put on his coat. I tell folks that if they aren't comfortable, that will translate into the photos.

I enjoyed the challenge of photographing this fun couple and if presented with another opportunity, will certainly do it again.

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Finding Calm

I'm at a loss for words given current events. My heart aches, so I retreat to that which brings me solace: Flowers, nature, the outdoors, ambient sounds of gurgling water, the birds and even the buzzing insects.

I met with running friends last weekend at Allerton Park to take photos of the peonies in their full glory. Through our running connection, I learned a few of us also shared a passion for photography. This was the first time we gathered for a photo-centric outing and I suspect we will do this again in the future.

Choosing to hold our outing on Sunday evening meant less crowds, nice evening light, and by chance, no wind...

This is Yahsin - she shoots with film and develops her own photos. This is something I plan to take up once I retire. You can see the expanse of the Peony garden - we are lucky to have this gem a short drive away from town. This was my first visit with the flowers in bloom. I made a visit several years ago, during the summer.

We found calm in the presence of beauty, nature and the singing mosquitos.

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MIchelle S, Class of 2021 - Fall and Winter Looks

We thought the Class of 2020 bore the brunt of the global COVID pandemic. Certainly after months of remote work and learning, mask wearing and other precautions, life would resume "back to normal". We, however, failed to recognize how long the virus would continue its impact and who knows what "normal" will look like going forward.

 
Michelle, Class of 2021, is making the best of the situation. An avid runner, she ran cross country on her team's modified fall season and was named to the All-Area Team. Michelle displays a casual and sporty calm in her demeanor and she is most comfortable when down to earth scenarios. Her family hails from a farm in Indiana so the rural, prairie setting was perfect for our fall session. Photos taken at Allerton Park in Monticello. 

 

 

I'm good friends with Michelle's mom, and she mentioned how much fun it would be to have photos taken during a fresh snowfall. We received a decent amount of snow last weekend, so we headed to a friend's backyard and held photo shoot number two.

 

 

It wasn't actively snowing, but with some help from friends, we made it lightly snow. 

 

 

Behind the scenes, trying to make it snow - another friend with a long cleaning brush, knocking down snow from the tree tops. Michelle's mom took this photo.

 

 

Good luck to Michelle on the remaining school year - perhaps with the availability of the Covid vaccine they will be able re-start the regular High school events in the spring.

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