Happy Endings

     The reflecting sunset and pastel colored water and sky help make this picture one of my favorites.  It gives off a calm feel.  There is something about sunsets that makes everybody stop what they are doing and take a look.  No matter where you are the soft glowing sky is beautiful.  In this case, the sunset and lake were in my backyard.  

     Our yards are a perfect example of natural beauty in Southern Illinois.  When we plan to go somewhere, we step out of our houses and in to our yards.  This can be a great opportunity to take pictures and appreciate what we have.  Yards of any size all have something special that makes them unique.  It may be beautiful trees, abudant wildlife, or a lake.  Within just one of these attributes there are hundreds of possibilities. 

     I could take hundreds of pictures of the lake pictured above.  To make it a memorable picture I have to create something working with nature.  The sunset and reflection off the lake made this happen.  By keeping my distance from the lake I could fit the trees' whole relfections in the picture.  You can see each individual branch highlighted in pink, orange, and blue in the sky and water.  

     At the end of everyday we find the sun setting and ourselves coming home.  All good days come to an end along with everything else in it.  Hopefully they end happily.  My happy ending is finishing this semester's blogging.  It has taken me to places I have never even heard of before.  Through my camera lens I have seen and taken beautiful pictures.  It is only fitting that my last picture be of my ending place for the day.  It is what I saw before and after every excursion around Southern Illinois. 

Taking Pictures in the Snow

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1lljNhrYU

     This past week Southern Illinois was covered in a blanket of snow.  Some people grumbled, but others like myself, enjoyed it thoroughly.  I took my camera with me and went outside in my yard.  The snow and ice on the roads made traveling out of the question.  Sometimes we don't have to look very far for a great picture.  It can be right in our yard.

    Photographer Gavin Hoey made a very useful video about taking snowy landscape pictures.  I watched the video and picked up a couple big tips.  The link to the YouTube video is above. The first interesting lesson was properly using exposure.  If you don't adjust your exposure to the bright snow and sun, then the snow in your picture might look blue or too bright.  You have to adjust it until you can find a happy medium.  Another important thing that I didn't know was that the cold temperatures drain your camera's battery.  Try to bring along a spare or keep your camera warm!

     This is my favorite snow picture!

Artistic Rendition of the Bluffs

     Have you ever wanted to bring your pictures to life?  Drawing or painting special or favorite photographs is a fun and interesting experience.  You find yourself looking closely at the photograph, catching all of the small details in shades of color and texture.  I took one of my previous pictures of the bluffline by Valmeyer and did a pastel rendition.  

    It took multiple layers of color to get the sky how I wanted it to look.  There is no one magic color to create the sky.  Instead, I took different hues of blue, grays, and purples to transition from dark blue to light.  The trees also proved to be difficult.  Trees are not just green.  They each have their own shade and color.

    Give it a try!  I never realized how much fun it was to re-create a photograph until I tried.  Sitting down with a palette of colors and an imagination is a great way to relive and remember your photograph from the comfort of home.   

Interesting Nature and Wildlife Photography Tips

     Have you ever wondered how professional photographers seem to have an eye for the perfect picture?  I have always been impressed by beautiful landscape shots or animals caught in action.  It takes a lot of time and practice.  Florian Schulz, a professional German photographer, sat down for an interview and shared some of his tips.  I found it especially useful when he explained using all of the different lenses he has with him.  That means instead of taking a picture of his subject with just one lense at one angle, he takes multiple pictures with different lenses to get a variety of scenarios.  This video has a lot of useful tips that I hope pertain to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oGt9b2tOs0

The Adventure to Find the Stone Bridges

    On a recent blustery afternoon, I decided to take the Stone Bridge Drive.  I had a set of directions that would lead me to all of the destinations and my camera ready to go.  My sister came along to keep me company and help me with directions.  Before long we were cruising out to the countyside to find these bridges.

     My first stop on my drive was right inside of Columbia.  I took a left onto Gall Road and immediately saw this pleasant sight.  The red brick building on the right was the old Shoemaker School.  The school and bridge are both dressed up festively for the holiday season.  After a while we decided it was time to move on to our next stop.  Unfortunetly, this is where our good-luck started to end.

      We continued down Gall Road winding through the countryside.  This part of the drive was scenic. Trees grew alongside of the road and at times almost formed a canopy over us.  Farms spread out before us with cows roaming the fields.  We slowed down to look at a herd of deer grazing right beside us on a hill.  They were not shy at all.  All in all this was a very pretty and scenic drive as we looked for our next turn to go into Waterloo.

     Once we were on our way to Waterloo and our next stop, the sun started to disappear before a huge bank of clouds.  I was a little worried about how the lighting would be for the next stop.  I just hoped we would have enough daylight to finish the rest of the drive.  I entered Waterloo on Il-3 and turned right onto Il-156 and a quick left onto Lakeview Drive. 

     Lakeview Drive goes past a couple of neighborhoods but soon turns into fields and trees.  The name of the road also changed into Maeystown Road.  This road leads right into Maeystown.  We had to stay on this road for a couple of miles before stopping.  This was when I realized the weather was not going to cooperate.  Huge gray clouds began to blot out the rest of our daylight.  I realized we were probably not going to finish the tour but at least make it to the next one because we were so close!

     My directions said to find Holy Cross Lutheran Church and continue a half a mile.  The next bridge would be on the left.  I did exactly that but we didn't see the bridge.  I thought maybe I had gone too far so I turned around.  We drove by in the other direction looking but still didn't see it!  It was getting so dark, though, that I had to turn on the car's lights to see.  I realized I was going to have to stop for the day.

     I was disappointed that I didn't even get to see half of the bridges.  Next time I will plan and give myself more time and check out the weather!

Monroe County Stone Bridge Drive

     I was really excited when I read about a stone bridge tour through Columbia, Waterloo, and the surrounding area.  It sounded really neat and different.  Scattered throughout the countryside, the bridges are remote and a piece of local history.  I did a little bit of research about the bridges before I went, and it helped me get a little bit of their background story.

    All of the bridges are European-styled limestone arch bridges.  The German immigrants that settled in Monroe County brought with them this design.  Midway through the Eighteenth Century they started builiding these sturdy bridges that could stand up to the weather.  The bridges were built with local limestone and placed above creeks and streams.  Time has proven how sturdy they are because they still stand perfectly today.  I knew that I had to do this stone bridge drive!

    

Nature's Precarious Creations

     Only Mother Nature can create these beautiful rock creations found all over Giant City State Park.  Scattered near bluffs and cliffs, they stand in reminder of the harsh affects of erosion over time.  Almost all of the rock pictured here is standstone.  It was formed 12,000 years ago.  It took thousands of years of folding and faulting in the geological world to create the rock formations and its scenery.

     It is very neat to walk along the trails and take in the beauty of the park.  I love how the boulder in the picture above is precisely balanced over the wide gap.  Held in place as if almost by magic, it bides its time.  That is how everything acts in nature.  It is isn't on a time schedule or in a hurry.  It slowly creates beauty like the scene above.  Trees grow slowly, leaves litter the ground, grasses start to take root over the rocks.  The picture above didn't all happen in one night.  I left with the idea that change doesn't happen overnight, but takes our time and effort to create something beautiful if we make up our minds to start the change.

Devil's Standtable

    Balanced precariously on a pillar of sandstone, stands Devil's Standtable in Giant City State Park.  Pictured here from the back, it shows how high off the ground it is.  Compared to the trees in the background it stands nearly three quarters as tall as some of the trees.  

    Years and years of erosion formed this monument.  Erosion ate away the soft layers of rock, carving out the giant gap between the cliff and Devil's Standtable.  For the adventurous soul, it offers a leap of faith and the defying of gravity if you wish to stand on top of it.  In the right of my picture you can barely see another ledge jutting out closer to it.  That is where you can make the leap.  I have never done it before, but I have seen others make the yard long jump.

    Don't feel pressured into making the leap.  You can enjoy the breathtaking view safely on top of the cliff without having to worry about falling.  The view from being above the forest floor is beautiful and satisfying.    

Exploring Giant City State Park

     The long scenic drive to Makanda is worth it.  About 4,000 acres of trees, cliffs, and rock formations make up Giant City State Park.  It is a beautiful park to go see.  Multiple trails run through the Shawnee National Forest, and fall is a great time to see the trees in their full beauty.  Whether you would like to hike, fish, horseback ride, or rappel down the side of a cliff, Giant City is the place to do these activities.

     I have taken many hikes around Giant City, and I love coming back every year.  Everywhere you turn are trees.  They tower above you.  Sometimes they are slim and are as straight as an arrow pointing up to the sky, and other times they are wide and take a couple of people to fit their arms around the base of their trunks.  

     Native Americans once lived in this area.  You can still see signs of their inhabitance in the cliff overhangings.  Looking up at the rock ceilings are blackened patches caused by their fires.  

     This is one example of the huge cliffs rising out of the forest's floor.  Spindly trees try to grow out from under them reaching for sunlight.  You can see how this would have been an ideal place to take shelter.  It offers shade from the sun, wind, and rain.  Waking up and seeing the forest spread out before you must have been a picturesque morning view.

      With over seventy-five different species of trees, miles of trails, and winding creeks, Giant City State Park is a feast for your senses.  If you are interested in visting, here is the address:  235 Giant City Road, Makanda, Il 62958.  Get out and enjoy the stunning fall leaves!

At the End of Pine Street

     Pine needles litter the trail underneath me, and the wind quietly sighs through the branches of the tall pine trees.  What an appropriate name that this peaceful street was given.  Pine Street is a small street in a residential part of Milstadt.

     I took this picture facing Pine Street with the pathway in front of me.  The trail above is part of the Pine Street Nature Trail.  I loved venturing down this part of the trail because it offered me peace and solitude.  While sitting on the bench, I had a couple of minutes to collect my thoughts and admire the pretty fall leaves.  The trees around me met overhead creating a natural archway.  A couple of lingering birds sang and flitted around the brush across from me.  

     It was when I paused on the bench to look around and sift through my thoughts that I realized that nature is one of the best remedies for a troubled mind.  I think Albert Einstein had it right when he said, "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

A Flawless Autumn Sunday

     I parked my car in an empty lot not knowing what to expect from Pine Street Nature Trail.  The trail started at the bottom of a hill and through a gate.  Leaving behind my car, I started to see and feel the outdoors around me.  The crisp fall breeze picked up every leaf making it swirl and freshened the smell of the earth.  

     The paved path wrapped around in a circle.  I started out walking to the left up a small hill.  There was an open field with young trees growing and older trees and a small creek running around the perimeter.  The creek was tucked away behind a bend.  Beside the running water was a bench.  I stopped there for a little bit.  It was a wonderful place to sit and just let the sun shine on your face.  

     In the picture above, the water is slowly moving.  It almost looks still as it reflects the brilliant blue sky and a canopy of leaves from the trees growing around it.  I also like the large tree in the top right hand corner.  The grooved bark stands out on the tree, and the roots snake out in all different directions.  

     Dried leaves littered the trail, crunching under my feet.  My walk continued on in a circle through a canopy of pine trees.  Pine Street Nature Trail in Milstadt is a perfect getaway if you need to go for a walk or in need of a quiet place to think.  There are two park entrances if you are interested in going.  The entrance at the end of Pine Street is handicap accessable, and the one off of East Laurel has a small parking lot.  I parked in the parking lot off of East Laurel.  It is beside the Milstadt Sewer Plant, but do not let that deter you.  The sewer plant will not affect your hike in any way.  In fact, I can't wait to come back again but this time with my dog! 

      

It is Still Apple Picking Season!

     Don't let the month of November fool you into thinking there are no more apples left on the trees.  Braeutigam Orchards in Belleville still has apples to be picked.  Tucked away and hidden from view, it is a quaint orchard.  You truly feel away from town and the highway as you wander through the orchard.  It is located right off of highway 15 and a mile down a twisting country road.  The address to Braeutigam's is 2795 Turkey Hill Lane.                  

     This is just one little section of the apples.  They also offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that you can pick during different seasons.

On the Side of the Trail

 

      Sometimes you have to get down on your hands and knees and lean right up to your subject.  I had my face right up to this fallen tree to get this picture.  I love how detailed the front part of the wood is.  You can see every line and weathered surface.  I chose to have my background slightly out of focus so I could make the front of the branch sharply in focus. 

 



 

     Here is another exmaple of nature macro photography.  It has been a new hobby to take close up pictures.  I really like looking closely at small detail.  I took these pictures on a hike through the bluffs.  The trail was part of the Salt Lick Land and Water Reserve.  The lighting was not really an issue in either of these photographs because I was under a canopy of trees that blocked the direct sunlight. 
    Getting down on the floor of the woods is worth the pictures.  I had to be careful of poison ivy, though!  It always seems to surround me, and nobody wants to kneel in a patch of poison ivy.

My View from the Guard Post

     I loved being up above everybody in the guard tower at Fort de Chartres.  I could see the entire fort's yard and buildings from my post.  The buildings straight across used be living quarters.  I walked through them, and I saw how the soldiers used to sleep and live.  It gave me a real appreciation of my own house and bedroom!  On the left you can see one of the "ghost buildings."  They are the wooden structures of buildings.  They give you an idea of what the buildings used to looked like in their original position. 
    I turned around to look out the other side of the tower and had a beautiful view of the bluffs in the distant.

     Across harvested fields, the bluffs rose out of the ground.  They stretched continuously to my left and right.  What looks like bare patches are actually limestone cliffs embedded into the bluff.  I carefully turned and climbed down the ladder out of the tower.  I did not want to take a misstep!  Once I had both feet planted firmly on the ground, I went off towards the next building to take a look around!

A Stroll Through Time at Fort de Chartres

     The stone walls and wooden doors decorated with brass beckoned to me as I strolled up the path to the fort.  This stronghold used to be a very important French military, economical, and government center.  Fort de Chartres looks authentic and old to the unknowing, but there is more than meets the eye.  The original fort was abandoned and then destroyed in 1772. 
     Fort de Chartres started out as a wooden fort, but then it was rebuilt with stone between 1753 and 1756.  The building that stands today is a partially reconstructed fort based off of remains of the original foundation and what it used to look like.  The park is open everyday from dawn to dusk, except on major holidays.  If you go Wednesday through Sunday, you have the chance to go into the buildings and museum. 
     My favorite site that was opened was the guard tower above the front doors.  From up top you have a great view of the bluffs and the courtyard.  Down below are the "ghost buildings" and outlines of where the original buildings stood.  Lush fields of green encompass the fort with towering trees growing around the perimeter. 
     I had a great time walking through the replica buildings learning how the early French soldiers lived.  They had a totally different lifestyle than the one we live now.  If you are interested in visiting, here is the address:1350 Illinois 155, Prairie du Rocher, IL 62277.  

  

Hill Prairies

                                                                               

     The hill prairies cling to the side of the bluff.  These native grasses sway in the wind on their oblique slope.  I walked through one on a skinny trail, careful not to step off and tread on their delicate stalks.  I had never heard of hill prairies until I visited the Salt Lick Land and Water Reserve.

     The midwest used to be covered entirely with these native tallgrasses.  Now they are few and far between.  Numerous hours of hard work has paid off for the people that have worked to restore prairies like the one above.  They must pull out invasive plants that threaten to overtake the native grasses.  

     Hidden on top of bluffs, where they like to grow, they are like a little haven.  Illinois only has about five hundred healthy and high quality acres of hill prairie.  Approximately forty percent of those prairies grow in between Dupo and Prairie du Rocher.  It is very interesting to imagine that our backyards used to be covered in grasses up to our waists.  

My Hike Up Salt Lick Bluff

     Hiking an 810 foot high bluff can look and sound daunting, but if you succeed the reward is priceless.  This is what I felt at the bottom of Salt Lick Bluff.  It is part of the Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve in Valmeyer off of Bluff Road.  Salt Lick Bluff is one of the highest points in Monroe County.  My view from the foot of the bluff was scenic, but I wanted to know what the Mississippi River Valley looked like from above.
    I decided to hike the Salt Lick Trail.  There are three cleared and marked trails on the reserve.  This one would take me up the side of the bluff and give me a great view.  Almost immediately the trail started off steep.  I had my camera around my neck, my phone in one hand, and my map in the other as I puffed up the trail.  Little saplings grew on both sides of me and tangles of small brush grew close to the ground.  A little farther up and I could start to see formations of limestone jutting out of the ground.
     I was standing on a limestone bedrock that is part of the Mississipian System bedrock.  It used to be part of an ancient seabed.  This narrow band of bluffs in Monroe County was never underneath glaciers.  Instead, during the Wisconsonian stage of Illinois' glaciation, massive amounts of windblown silt were dropped here.  These bluffs are covered in about thirty feet of glacial silt.
     My calves got a little rest as the trail evened out for a while.  I could catch little glimpses of the flat farmland down below every once in  awhile.  I was mostly enveloped in trees.  On my right, facing away from the edge of the bluff, the ground gave away quickly making a steep hill.  Tall skinny trees grew up from this ravine searching for sunight.  It was very dark underneath their canopy.
    I knew I was getting close to the summit when the trail turned steep again.  My heartbeat pulsed quickly and breathing grew ragged as I climbed even higher.  The ground became even and I could see out from a break in the trees.  Far below was the valley.  My eyes lingered on the beauty, soaking it in.

                                                                               

     I had a bird's eye view.  It was late afternoon and the sun was just beginning to head west.  It was sinking towards the Mississippi River.  The river wasn't visible from here, but the distant bluffs in this picture are in Missouri.  I rested here until I got my breath back and plenty of photographs.

     The trail began to loop back to where I started.  My trip back down was a lot easier than up, but I had to stop once again to look at the view.  This next picture made me kneel down to view out.  The ground literally fell straight down to the field.  

     

     I didn't want to take a tumble right here.  The tree to the left marked where the ground stopped.  Underneath it was a row of limestone embedded into the bluff.  Row after row of golden corn stalk remains lined the ground.  Train tracks ran through the field heading north and south.  Occasionally I heard the whistle of an engine and the train would pass full of oil tankers. 

     I brushed the dirt off of my knees and continued on.  It was a physically challenging hike, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I felt alone on the bluff.  It is a silent place filled with trees and overlooks.  The only thing before and behind me was the trail.  I made it to the bottom with a smile of accomplishment.  

  

    

The Autumn Bluffline

     I had my first view of the autumn leaves today!  The trees are gorgesous in the Mississippi River Valley.  I took a scenic drive around down through the valley.  On my left was the flat farmland, barren from the harvest, and on my right rose the bluffs.   They seemed to grow straight up from the ground.  I wanted to pull over and hike right up this bluff.  As it turns out that is exactly what I did!

A Nature Macro Photography Lesson with Alessandro Zocchi

http://youtu.be/J_hj8XPCan0

  The link above is a very useful little clip on how to take close up pictures, or macro pictures, in nature. It is fun to take pictures of large things like trees, boulders, lakes, etc.  The list goes on!  I think it is easy to forget about the very small details that make up our world.  

  Alessandro calls his method the professional style because it does take special equipment.  I don't have everything he has, but I still learned some new ideas and methods.  First, never travel anywhere without your tripod.  The tripod is very important because it ensures your camera will not move.  Shaky hands can easily ruin a picture.  Also, be carful of your lighting.  He shows in this clip how his focal point is in a dark corner and the light is low.  Watch out for shadows and dark corners that will mess with your lighting.

    I like this clip because I have been trying to take some macro nature pictures of my own.  I like zeroing in on an object and getting very close to it.  It brings attention to small details that would normally be overlooked or not even seen.  

    This is one of my nature macro photographs!  I love the delicate curls and creamy yellows and whites on this flower.  In the top left hand corner is a little spider peeking out from behind a petal.  I did not even notice him until later when I was going through my photos.  The foliage in the back is slightly out of focus because my camera is very close to my focal point.  That is okay because I don't want anything to distract from the flower.  

    Macro photography is fun and not very hard to accomplish.  A little time and commitment and suddenly you will start to develop an eye for the small things in life. 

The Lone Walker

    From up above I watched this lone walker on his way around the Amphitheatre.  This one special place had drawn two very different people with different purposes to the Shrine.  I was here with my camera to take pictures and take a walk.  I am glad I went when it was still sunny and green!  Now the cold blustery autumn has arrived.

    The Amphitheatre is located at the bottom of a gentle rolling slope.  You can see the woods behind the Amphitheatre stretch out for acres.  Up above the treeline the powder blue sky resembled summer.  Those wispy clouds turned into massive gray clouds the next day.  

  I continued on my way and then went to Father's Memorial Walk.  It is a secluded wooded walkway down a hillside.  At the bottom of the trail is the Memorial wall.  The wall is covered with bronze plaques in honor of Joseph the Carpenter and all fathers.  Dry leaves blew across the path around me as I made my way to the bottom.  The leaves are still very green, they have yet to change!  

    

    Before I left the woods I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  This had been a great mini retreat from the world and a fun place to take pictures.  I hope the lone walker had as good of a time as I did.

    Here is the addres to the National Shrine to Our Lady of the Snows is you would like to visit.

                              442 S. DeMazenod Dr, Belleville, IL 62223

                                (Located on IL State Highway 15 east)

 

The Angelus Bells

    Every hour is marked by the deep gong of the copper bells.  The toll of the bells reverberated around me.  I sat on a bench mesmerized by the fountains surrounding the Angelus bells.  It is an easy place to sit down and become lost in thought at the National Shrine to Our Lady of the Snows.  

    My visit to the Shrine was both beautiful and rewarding!  Partialy enclosed in woods, the Annuciation Garden felt secluded.  This devotional stop is located on the top of a hill overlooking the Main Shrine.  It has a gorgeous view over the Shrine's grounds.

    I loved how alone I felt there.  This is a great place to come if you are in need of peace and solitude.  The sound of the breeze mingled wilth the splashes of the fountains adding to the peaceful enviroment.    Every once in a while a turkey vulture circled overhead riding on the warm air currents.  

    It was time for me to go all too soon.  I looked one last time at the Byzantine styled bells and went for a walk down a walking trail.  If I didn't know that I was near a town, then I would honestly think I was wandering around a beautiful national park.  The grounds are very well cared for.  There is a touch of human works and nature that makes the Shrine so alluring.  

Bleeding Buffalo

    This is Bleeding Buffalo.  He sits hidden in the Shawnee National Forest.   Many moons and suns ago he was drawn.  He is not of today's world but of a more primitive lifestyle.  It is believed that he was drawn by Native Americans that once lived deep within the mighty forest.

   This is a truly awesome place that I visited over the weekend.  On part of my volunteer hike we stopped at Bleeding Buffalo.  Our leader told us that it is a Native American painting.  The trees grow sparsely near the large rock overhanging where this painting lives.  The rock wall stretches up the hill.  Level with my eyes was the painting.  Time and weather have made the buffalo faint and hard to see, but luckily my camera was still able to pick up the image.  He almost seems to be camoflauged into the rock.  

     All in all my weekend at Camp Ondessonk left me with great memories and pictures.  There is an abundance of natural beauty to be photographed there.  I hope to be back as soon as I can!

A Hike in the Shawnee National Forest

    This weekend I had a great oppurtunity to volunteer my time at Camp Ondessonk.  Camp Ondessonk is an amazing summer camp in Ozark, Illinois, for children.  I was down there to help give back to a place that has given me so much.  

    I went for a beautiful hike off of Camp Ondessonk's property and into the Shawnee National Forest.  A small group and I walked single file down a path through the woods.  The first thing I noticed was how fresh the air smelled.  It was crisp and clear.  The trees were still green.  They are reluctant to give up their summer wardrobe.  We walked down the path clearing debris off of the path.  We were sprucing up the path to get it ready for the Fat Tire Festival next weekend.

    The path followed a small creek for a while.  Then it veered off the creek and was next to a bluff.  The huge split rocks jutted out of the forest floor.  Small skinny trees grew from the cracks in these rocks.  Looking up to the canopy of the trees, I caught glimpses of the blue sky.  Everywhere I looked there were trees.  The forest mostly had deciduous trees.  If only those deciduous trees would change their colors soon!  It must be a beautiful sight to be there when the Shawnee is transformed into fall. I can only imagine how pretty the autumn colored leaves must be.  

    Camp Ondessonk is open to the public during the off season when campers are not there.  You have to call the office to arrange your visit, though.  It is definitely worth the drive.  History, heritage, and nature all come together at Camp Ondessonk to create an extraordinary sanctuary in the woods of Southern Illinois.  

An Afternoon in the Park

   

    Instead of heading home after school, I went to the Smithton Community Park.  I had been there before to play tennis and watch a cross-country meet, but this was my first time to go there with my camera! I started on the walking trail around the perimeter of the park, and I waited for something to catch my eye.  The sun was behind the clouds and the breeze was real gentle.  On one side of the trail there was a small dried up creek surrounded by trees.  The trees followed the trail making a half canopy above me. My favorite part of the trail were the wooden bridges like the one above.  Secluded in the trees, it didn't seem like I was in a town. 

    The trail looped up to a beautiful lake complete with a dock and fountains.  I stopped at a bench to take a look around.  It made me wish I had a book with me because it was the perfect spot to get lost in a story!  

    I did a complete lap around the trail and decided to call it a day.  The park has tennis courts, multiple baseball diamonds, a playground (with teeter-totters!), skate park, and basketball hoops.  There was something for everyone there.  If you are interested in visiting this park, then here is the address .

Smithton Community Park:

Memorial Street, Smithton, IL, 62285

    I had a great walk through the park today and right before I got in my car I saw this! Of course I just had to get a picture.

Looking Down From the Top of the World or the Top of a Mausoleum

           Even if you do not like cemeteries, Eagle Cliff / Miles Cemetery has something else to offer.  It has a gorgesous view!  Set on top of a giant hill you can look down on the countryside.  Fields of crops are divided by rows of trees.  The ground is totally flat until you reach another giant hill, or bluff, off into the distance.  Stephen W. Miles liked this view so much that he decided to build his own mausoleum into this hill!
          He hired Major Yrasillion to build his tomb.  Mr. Miles wanted marble so he sent for marble all the way over in Italy.  It was transported from New Orleans up the Mississippi River by a steamship.  Major Yrasillion went to work and created an oddly beautiful tomb.  It had an intricate exterior and the interior had fifty-six vaults.  It was built in 1858.  This was also the same year that Miles died.  It wasn't ready for Miles yet, and I am unclear whether Stephen Miles was buried in this cemetery or somewhere else. 
          Sadly, vandals vandalized the mausoleum and cemetery throughout its history.  They stole the original wrought iron fence in front of the mausoleum and tore things up pretty badly.  They tipped over tombstones and sray painted.  They even vandalized the inside of the vaults.  Thanks to volunteers in 1963 and any groups that have helped out since, the cemetery has been restored.  The mausoleum was fixed up and is open to look at.  All of the vaults are empty now.   
          I think this historic little place in Waterloo is a neat place to visit.  It offers a great view and a history lesson.  Time seemed to stand still here.  It is interesting to think about how many families must have come there stricken with grief as they buried a loved one.  Looking out at this view, though, must have given them hope and comfort.  I felt myself standing in their shoes but trapped in the present day.  "Time moves in one direction, memory in another." -William Gibson
          My two pictures here had the sun coming in from the west.  It created the deep green trees and hazy sky in the top one and below it was shining directly on the mausoleum.  This picture shows the front of the mausoleum as it goes into the hill.

          Driving away from the cemetery I gave it one last look.  It was empty and quiet.  Maybe this is an unlikely place for anyone to visit, but I think it has so much to offer.  Please treat this special place with the utmost respect it deserves. Treat the graves with honor and respect.

 

Frozen in Time - Eagle Cliff / Miles Cemetery

        
            Two thousand memories swirled around me.  Only about four hundred and sixty still had names and dates.  This is Eagle Cliff / Miles Cemetery.  Nestled in farmland and old trees lies the final resting places of over two thousand people.  The years have not been kind to this dear old place.  Weather and vandals have been harsh to the cemetery.  Many graves like the ones above are weathered and barely legible.  The cemetery has a story to tell though, one filled with a strange joy and heartbreak.  The story started with Stephen W. Miles.
            He was born on November 30, 1795 in Cazenovia, New York.  He lived up north for his childhood and early adult life.  He earned a liberal education and became a very proficient violinist.  The War of 1812 called him away.  He returned a veteran and received a warrant of land in Monroe County, Il for his service.  Stephen moved his life to Southern Illinois.   Soon afterwards he met the love of his life and married Lucretia Shook.  Together they had three children.  One can imagine he lived a very comfortable life.  His neice described him as "a government surveyor, who had settled on a 5,000 acre tract of fertile land in Eagle Cliff, Il."  Stephen was financially very well off for his day and age.  Looking out over his land he once said, "For miles and miles, it is all Miles."  The proud man used to once walk these very grounds. 
         This is just a little bit about Stephen.  Along the way this cemetery became a public burial ground.  Families began to bury their beloved lost ones as early as 1800.  Some graves were marked with just rocks and others were not even marked.  Sleeping here are seventeen marked veterans of five different wars.  These brave men fought in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Blackhawk War, Mexican War, and the Civil War. 
          Why is this lost piece of history so enticing?  It is the beauty and mystery of the lonely place.  The cemetery starts out with just a couple of graves but then widens into row after row of graves.  Woods flank both sides blocking out any distractions.  Tall stately trees grow randomly between graves casting patches of sunlight.  There is a lovely memorial created in honor of the unmarked graves and found tombstones that do not have a grave.  It asks us to remember these people who are "lost forever in time."  Next to it is a lovely stone bench that one can take a moment to ponder their history. 
          The picture I took above was taken near the beginning of the cemetery.  I like how the sun came out to light this picture.  Originaly it was an overcast day.  I knelt down to be almost eye-level with the graves.  This way I could capture the weathered tombstones and dappled sunlight.  The pictures I took that day now live on.  I've added their memory to my life.

My Sunday Adventure

          Today I took a step back into time.  I disconnected myself from the Twenty-First Century and walked into history.  I visted the most quaint cemetery in Monroe County.  I went to Eagle Cliff/ Miles Cemetery.  My uncle suggested I go there because of the beautiful scenery and history.  It was full of both.
          Located off of D Road in Waterloo is the cemetery.  Start on HH Road in Waterloo, then take a left on to D Road.  You need to continue down D Road until you see the cemetery's sign.  Turn right into the driveway.  This is about a five mile drive.  Its gravel driveway follows a cornfield till you enter the cemetery.  There is a small clearing for parking. 
         It is open to the public during the day but prohibited to visit at night.  It has a couple of old stone benches under towering old trees.  I will give you the history and description tomorrow.  This is a must read for anyone who loves Illinois history!

Where to Next

        I can't wait to start taking fall pictures!  Trees have their own sense of fashion.  They like to wear green for a season and then move on to next season's fashion.  We know it will be filled with gold and fiery red.  It is a little too soon for these pictures though.  My goal for this week is to find and capture the lingering summer beauties.
         I am not sure where I will go next.  I want to find a little park this week and photograph it.  I am really excited for a new city park in Belleville to open.  It is called Gass Park.  Hopefully in a couple weeks I will be able to visit it!  I just have to wait for it to be completed.  Until then I am open to suggestions! Next post I promise I will have a picture!

The Bend in the Road

The Bend in the Road

This sets the tone for the farming region of Belleville, Illinois.  Flanked on both sides of the winding country road are typical crops --  corn on one side and on the other side soybeans. The road fades into the cornfield and down into the belt of trees.  I took this picture in the evening light.  I like how the green and blue hues were made soft.  The clouds fanned out to both sides of this picture. This road is on the way to Freeburg about to cross Richland Creek.  For those who have never driven it, it is Schiermeier Road.  

         I wanted this to be my first upload because I don't know where this blog will take me.  I hope to take pictures of local parks, countrysides, and wherever else I end up.  For a long time I thought where I lived was boring.  The monotonous life in St. Clair County was boring and bleak.  I always wished to move away to someplace more exciting like the mountains or the ocean.  Over the summer I learned to appreciate where I live.  There is a lot of hidden beauty that no place on earth shares.  Here we get to experience four unique seasons.  Spring brings flowers and life, summer creates lazy dog days filled with sun and water, fall comes with chilly mornings and swirling leaves, and winter comes to us with mysterious shadows and sometimes blankets of snow!  I want to be able to capture these places.  Hopefully we can make time in our busy lives to get out of the house and sight see.  Vacations don't have to cost thousands of dollars and involve days to get there.  Getaways can simply be hopping in the car and heading out to Giant City, the bluffs in Valmeyer, or a local park.  Let's travel this road together!

Introductions and Nice to Meet You's!!

         Welcome to my blog!  This is my first time to do something like this.  My goal is to share my pictures and thoughts through my blog.  Photography is a hobby to me.  I started getting into it when I took photography through 4-H.  It unlocked the door to freezing time.  I learned how to capture memories.  Also I learned about f-stops, lighting, composition, and everything that goes into taking a good picture.  I am by no means an expert, but I am willing to learn! Please bear with me, and I promise to share the beauty of Southern Illinois.