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We also had the reveal for the 2024 round robin!  There was so much interest that there were two ...

I was intent on trying to see the blue jay that flew across the path and nearly stepped on this little guy.  He slithered away fast. (Young garter snake.)  

Yesterday the AAUW Exploring Culture interest group enjoyed a tour of the Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home in Mettawa.

I helped with set up and brought Stevens to the banquet.  It was great to see some long-time friends. 

The old guys: Nate, Phil, Stevens

Jack was a charter member of the club and an avid golfer. He came up with the idea of the golf outing that has become our signature fundraiser.  He passed away in 2003.  His widow and their four daughters and their families ...

Hike Lake County 2024 is a wrap!  They allow a wild card, meaning a 2-mile hike at any forest preserve not on the list.  On Friday afternoon we went to Van Patten Woods which is close to home. To change things up I went in the opposite direction from usual.  

There were many monarchs and other butterflies flitting about.  One of them stayed still long enough for a photo.  

Bumblebee on goldenrod, Carolina horse nettle (also called Radical Weed or Tread Softly).  Wild cucumber, giant hyssop.

I hope we can do the final trail ...

Top: water lilies at Half Day, thistles, Jack-in-the-Pulpit seed bundle. Middle:  burning bush seeds, river ...

I planned to do the Hike Lake County trails systematically, starting with those farthest away and ending with those closer to home.   That didn't quite work out -- the most-farthest is yet to come -- but we did go to the next-to-farthest as well as two others sort-of-far.  Two on Friday:  Cuba Marsh and Heron Creek.  

Ripe blackberries at Heron Creek.  I left my cap in the car.  If I'd had it I would have harvested more than a handful. 

One on Sunday:   Fourth Lake/Millennium Trail.  This was something of a cop-out because it was mostly an asphalt path ...

Lower right is white snakeroot, a poisonous plant. When cows grazed on it they absorbed the poison When people drank their milk they contracted milk fever.  Here's the story of Anna Pierce, the white woman who learned about the relationship between the plant and the sickness from Native Americans. 

I had a woman's club board meeting Tuesday afternoon, so no walk.

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I took up HLC in 2020 as a pandemic exercise.  Each year I've overachieved by doing all of the designated trails.  Regular readers know I keep going all year.  

A couple of these are new.  Some are close to home, others are at the opposite corner of the county.   

It rained off and on yesterday but the sun is out today. Tune in ...

These are scarlet lobelia or cardinal flower.  I've found them in only two forest preserves (here, Sedge Meadow Canoe Launch)  though surely they grow in others.  The red is really red!   

There are trails on both sides of Green Bay Road. This time we went to the west.  

From upper right rattlesnake master, which has such other-worldly flowers!  St. John's wort, eastern bottle brush grass. early goldenrod ("early" is part of the name, and it is!), a buried wheel rim likely from ...

Lupine, wild rose, spiderwort, cup plant, Canadian anemone, dame's rocket, daisy fleabane.  

Wildflowers at Pine Dunes Forest Preserve on Saturday:  blue wild indigo, blue-eyed grass (up close), spiderwort, longbract wild indigo, shagbark hickory, cow parsnip, white wild indigo, hoary beardtongue, blue flag iris.

I remember how long the 2-1/2 mile trail loop seemed when I first walked it. Three years later it's a nice distance.

It rained yesterday and showers (and cool temps) are in the forecast today so we may not make it to the Memorial Day parade.  

Today is eclipse day.  Though I'm writing this post beforehand I hope to get some photos to add this afternoon.   

We two Rotarians had Kiwanis pancakes at the Moose lodge -- that's cultural diversity.   I bought $30 in raffle tickets and won three baskets.  (I've already donated one to another community group for their upcoming spaghetti dinner fundraiser.) 

 We enjoyed a concert Sunday afternoon.  Great covers of Sinatra and other classic vocals.  

My program had one of the winning stickers for a door prize, a dessert from a local bakery.  

In the studio:  a quick start-and-finish:  a placemat ...

On many days Stevens will declare right after lunch that he's ready to go out.   A good habit for both of us.  

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In the studio:  the I Spy ...

Fall foliage is on display here in northeasternmost Illinois. We enjoyed walks to Illinois Beach State Park, Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve, and Pine Dunes Forest Preserve.

It's not as breathtaking as northern New England but it is pretty darned beautiful!

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 I need a better name ...

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You are well aware of the saying "measure twice, cut once."  The corollary is "design twice, sew once."  

I was reminded of the corollary as I ripped out a half-dozen blocks and replaced them. I did fuss with the block arrangement before I sewed the rows and I did look to see if the adjacencies worked once the rows were sewn -- but when it came to sewing the rows together I saw too-much-of this or too-much-of-that.   Now I feel better!   Blocks are 6" finished so this is 60 x 72 ...

Clockwise:  Obedient plant, jack-in-the-pulpit, ironweed, hyssop, nightshade, yellow jewel weed. 

With the brisk northeast breeze I was glad I brought my windbreaker.

Bull thistle, cutleaf coneflower (also called green-headed coneflower), ironweed, scarlet lobelia.

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My quilting month was ...

I finished hike #9 for the annual Hike Lake County challenge.  Independence Grove  is more like a city park than a forest preserve. It is really crowded on the weekends (I know from previous visits) but this particular Monday afternoon it wasn’t very busy. The hiking “trail” is a blacktop bike path.

Mountain mint, evening primrose, joe pye week. American white waterlily, elderberry "lace," goldenrod. Dogwood.

"Something yellow" was my stated One Monthly Goal for August.  I'm counting this quilt and Borderlands ...