This afternoon was very challenging with a lot of people and cars. I think families were taking advantage of the last warm few days left in the year. I started with the drive on the West side. I parked and went down a path I had never been down and discovered a pond, waterfall, and some running water in a creek. Yes, it is on the map. I never look at maps. Ask the bride . . .
I was successful in photographing the areas I never have seemed to capture the way I wanted to capture. Some involved walking the road side, so I put on my safety vest so everyone would see me. I am not the typical person who just walks and looks. I am the person who walks, looks, turns his back on traffic, and photographs. Now you see my point. I needed additional safety. It does feel weird at first being the only person wearing the vest. I have not seen grounds people wear one. Yet it did not matter. I felt comfortable after wearing it, especially on the winding road that I went to photograph the fall colors.
Here are my photographs. Enjoy, and I hope I get to do this again soon. I have a hospital thing to do very soon, and I do not know how the recovery time will interfere with seeing nature. Praying for a short recovery.
This next photograph is where you first turn left to take the short automobile trail on the West side. I actually took this one through the windshield so as to get it done quicky in case there was traffic turning behind me.
If you find their full map Online, or if you go there and obtain a free one, these next few photographs are around Lake Marmo. I did not photograph a lot of of the lake. I did that last time. This is one joyful piece of scenery when you approach it. I do encourage you to park at P17 and walk around. Find the benches. Sit, take it all in. The next two photographs were also taken through the car windshield.
You need sunshine to bring out the fall colors. This is the corner that I walked in the past, and where I keep trying to capture the right photograph. This is the bend in the road between parking P31 and P32. Though this time round I just drove, stopped, photographed out the driver's window, and drove on.
I could not choose which photograph is better, so I am showing you both that I took.
I do not know if You will, but I find myself going around the block as it were, a couple times if needed. I will see something the first time around that I wanted to photograph, but it is not like I can back up. (Traffic.) So, I will go around again. These photographs are of Lake Marmo again from a different angle. This time I parked at P28 (for the first time) and walked to the road bridge that is over the creek.
These next four photographs are of the same area, different camera positions. I love when a photograph tells a story, and also when different camera positions can tell a different story. A bit unique way to tell stories I would say.
A quick photograph of parking P28 as I walked back to my car. My car is the red one behind the tree in the foreground. I only bring this up because there is trail there.
So, I took that trail. I have always been mesmerized and engrossed in driving around the car path, stopping to take photographs, that really, I have not thought much about walking the trails. That is a sad thing to not walk the trails. Each trail has something to tell you. So I chose to walk the trail at parking P28. Sort of odd too, that now I have a bad ankle and want to walk the trails. Seems as humans, as you see things slip away, you find the time to appreciation them now from what has passed. You want to revisit to try and capture what you have missed. I have a lot of catching up to do. Being focused on the paycheck seems to have ruined some opportunities and enjoyment in life.
Yes, it is on the map, yet I never look at maps, remember? This is the dam between Lake Marmo and Sterling Pond. I walked one side along the creek. Next time I need to walk either around Sterling Pond and back, or park and walk the other side of the creek.
These next few photographs are when I actually parked at lot P31 and walked to the bend. I have seen people walk it without wearing anything safety wise. Me, I come from manufacturing. Better safe than sorry, so I wore my safety vest.
I seem to always park at P31 and walk it. Just to realize when I drive down the road that P32 is right after the bend and closer. I will try P32 next time for a different angle, shorter walk.
Now the drive around the East side, which I took the long drive path around. This next photograph is one of their mechanisms for their night light show for this season. I have tickets to go see for the nineteenth of this month.
Here I am parked at P2 and looking back onto Meadow Lake. I stopped there last time and took some quick photographs that I did not care for. This time was better. I also spent some time sitting on the bench just looking out and pondering how good life was at that moment. It was a very calming experience. Again, multiple photographs of the same scene, trying to find the right story. Could not decide on which story, so I am giving them all to you.
The bench! Do not laugh to loud. As you get to be a senior you grow a great appreciation for them.
As I left parking P2, I found it a little difficult to get out. All of a sudden there were a lot of cars, which I did not experience up to this point. Well, that very calming experience was about to get uptight. I have learned to deal with uptight by going with the flow.
The uptight being cars up tight. Bumper to bumper, traveling about five to ten miles per hour. I was glad they were going slow. It gave me time to photograph while in my car, both through the windshield and out my open drive side window. It did take longer to get around too. By the time I made it back tot he visitor center it was beginning to turn dark.
I found out later while driving down the path that the backup was being caused by people trying to find parking at the other lots along the car path. Many cars, many people wanting to stop to take a trail, and not enough parking for this inrush of people. So, cars were actually stopped on the path waiting for a car to leave. Not right, but I get it. I learned how to chill in the traffic today, and was grateful they were going slow for me to enjoy the ride. Times past traffic can speed up behind you and you have to hold your ground, keeping calm, doing the speed limit or less, to enjoy this. (In the past where I can, I would pull over to the side to let them pass. This time that was not an option. Just go with the flow.)
My chairs!!!! I say mine, but they are not mine. These are the chairs located near parking P17 where I saw an older couple reading to each other once, and wanted to bring a book and sit there and read to myself. This time the chairs were turned the other way. I will turn the chair to fit my mood at the time. I just need TO BRING A BOOK! lol I think I might put a Harry Potter book in my car now, or perhaps buy a paperback copy of 'The Taming of the Shrew' to keep in the car.
The Visitor Center. This time I took the maze to get up onto the platform. I think I need to go back and take more time sitting on the benches and photographing from this platform, and with a longer lens.
A photograph walking through the maze.
I was going to go through the Children's Garden, but found as of November 1 they close an hour earlier. Their policy is that they close at dusk. I had to brighten this last photograph up. The next time I will make sure I am there on time, because this area for children is pretty cool.
The Morton Arboretum
4100 IL-53
Lisle, IL 60532
630.968.0074
Here is a link to the interactive map.
I cannot emphasize enough about their reciprocal membership program. With a membership to The Morton Arboretum, you can also get into the Chicago Botanic Garden and use all of their benefits. (Note, special events at either place will have an additional fee.) For more information on this, and ability to get into other qualifying reciprocating gardens, go to this link.
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