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.