Grandview Drive, Peoria Illinois, at the peak.
One thing I missed living in western Kentucky, as beautiful and rolling as it is, was the splendor of Fall that Northern Illinois and up into Wisconsin brings. This shot is from Central Illinois about 3 hours south of me along the Illinois River. The leaves are falling already and mid October will be the peak of the colors where I’m at, with end of September, first week of October at the latest in Northern Wisconsin 300 miles straight north of here: the real “Up North” to us here in No. Ill.
Looking to be a good clear day, bright sun, brisk air, changing leaves….calls for a walk in the woods and the prairie. Can’t seem to get in a fired up groove this morning to research and comment on something important in the secular world at the moment. Too pensive, too relaxed. I could play the age card this morning.
Fall has always been “Magic Time” for me, new school years, winter and hockey on its way, the sheep are breeding to bring on another crop of lambs in the dead of January/February winter. Meeting a whole new crop of students now every Fall is fantastic. And the love of my life married me 20 years ago as well and somehow we have made it thru a rather trying set of distances both physical and mental to be here together again for the duration. I’m a lucky sonofabitch in a lot of ways.
Late Summer into early September in Northern Illinois has its own signature smell. The weeds on the roadsides are drying out in the late Summer sun and as the leaves just start to change it just smells different, unique, like no other time of year…fall’s coming.
One of the signatures of Fall up here by “Yankeeville” (Chicago) as some of my more conservative acquaintances from KY less than affectionately termed it, is the sumac changes first:
Sumac.
It’s a short branchy plant maybe 6 foot or so, not much bigger, grows on the roadsides and sunny open slopes. It is the first to turn, followed by the maples. Beautiful. Go for a drive and a hike and check some out I think will be the order of the day. Got a list of the usual chores a mile long as always but I dont think Ill make much dent in them today.
I cant bring myself to critique or research or analyze anything heavy this AM, maybe not today.
The only “business” I need refer to and comment on is that Fall so far has been magic time for this blog, it hit 100,000 views a few days ago. Phenomenal.
I had hoped to get maybe a few thousand views by the end of the year or so, a few looks every day and hopefully a couple hundred a month in time…never had a exact number on it, no real target or deadline so this is just fantastic.
Can’t bitch or gripe or expose or ridicule this morning.
Just “THNX”!
And go enjoy the beginning of the best time of year.
Northern Illinois, early Fall.
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