A Splendiferous Day of Natural Beauty: Photos of Colorful Trees, Recuperating Birds and a Sleeping Turtle

One of my favorite things about living in Glen Ellyn--a western suburb of Chicago--for 12 years from 1995-2007 was my proximity to the Morton Arboretum.

I would only go, at most, once a year and almost always in late October, when the leaves on the trees represented a kaleidoscopic symphony across the color spectrum.

So, now living in Skokie, it was a pleasure to convince my friend Ken to take a ride out to DuPage County to visit the arboretum (officially in Lisle) on Saturday.

Afterward, I took him into Glen Ellyn, to see where I used to live and to stop by the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, which I also have long enjoyed.

We also ate at another longtime favorite of mine, the Seven Dwarfs Restaurant in Wheaton. I'll spare you a picture of my Francheezie, but here are several photos from the Morton Arboretum and the Willowbrook Wildlife Center.

All photos by Seth Arkin, copyright 2014. Please do not repost without permission, or at least attribution.

When the Whip Comes Down: Capturing a Day at the Races

I can't claim to be the biggest horse racing aficionado, nor much of a bettor.

But the Arlington Park racecourse has always been a pleasant place to spend a nice summer afternoon, and having not been there for a few years, I decided to go yesterday.

With many of the races sporting reduced fields, supposedly due to scratches emanating from turf races being switched to dirt due to soggy conditions, odds on nearly all the horses were rather low.

So I tried my hand at a couple exactas and trifectas, but only won on a single Show bet that paid out a dollar or so (the horse actually won and paid $15). And after 5 of 9 races, I decided I'd had enough.

But it was a nice few hours and I always enjoy taking photos of the thoroughbreds. Here are a few of the best from Sunday, June 30 at Arlington Park:

A Good Day for the Roses

Someone somewhere once said that every now and then one should just stop and smell the roses.

While in truth, my sense of sight was more exuberantly engaged than my sense of smell, this is essentially what I did on Saturday, as I took a stroll through the bloomingly beauteous Chicago Botanic Garden with my mom.

I wasn't overtly seeking emotional rejuvenation or spiritual awakening, but after day after day spent
applying for jobs, coping with interconnected challenges (of both a tangible and cosmic nature), being consistently disillusioned by the corrupt economic and political system and--as if I needed any more affirmation that things are really screwed up--noting the atrocious jobs report released on Friday, well let's just say that on myriad levels it was good for me to walk outside on a picture-perfect day and soak in the sumptuousness of nature.

As the photos below should connote, it's an idyllic time of year to visit the Botanic Garden, located in Highland Park, as roses of many colors are in bloom. In addition to the flowers, plants, trees, ponds, luscious landscapes, etc., I also enjoyed seeing the Railroad Garden, populated by sculptures of U.S. landmarks similar to the Chicago-centric ones in the Wonderland Express indoor exhibit last winter. Following the floral pix, I've included some of the Railroad Garden as well.

Adding to any overt and covert emotional nourishment, my mom and I followed our Botanic Garden jaunt with some great BBQ at Real Urban Barbecue in downtown Highland Park. Then on Sunday, another day of glorious sunshine, I took an excursion with my friend Ken to Oak Park, for a rare chance to tour the home where Ernest Hemingway grew up and hear great stories from a guy who knew Hem's family. And I once again enjoyed some great BBQ, at the erstwhile Russell's (in Elmwood Park).

Now it's Monday again and I'm back at my desktop, with the obstacle course of life again offering considerable encumbrances. Nothing has really changed in regards to what is wrong with the world, but it certainly was nice--and beyond--to have been, via such a kaleidoscopic spectacle of nature, reminded what is right about it.

And here are the pictures to prove it:

As mentioned above, below are a few photos of the Railroad Garden, featuring sculptures--all made with natural materials--of local and national landmarks.

A couple Bonzai trees below, and a family of swans.