Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – On Mackinac Island

This week, Cee is looking for places people live for her Fun Foto Challenge and, browsing through the photo files, I’ve opted to go with some shots that I took on Mackinac Island a few years ago.  The island, located on Lake Huron in Michigan, is primarily a resort area and relies heavily on its picturesque houses and hotels to draw tourists to its shores. While I’m sure many of the residents take off for warmer climes during the winter months, there are still a good few people who live here year-round.

For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Places People Live.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Just For Fun

The subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week was set for us by Patti, and she is looking for some fun.  Whenever I am looking for a little fun, I head over to my eldest daughter’s house. For many years I hosted every kind of family celebration imaginable but now she has taken over the task and is doing a first-rate job.  Last year she initiated a new celebration, the family fall festival, and we had a lot of fun, so this year we looked forward to the date with eager anticipation.

The day started out well. The sun was shining and we were able to enjoy all the outdoor decorations which were primarily geared towards the forthcoming Halloween festivities.

 

Someone was on hand to do a bit of face painting while the grown-ups prepared the food.  Luckily we didn’t need to use the grill as it seemed to be haunted, and I got a fright when someone tapped on the window by the kitchen sink and I look out to see who was there.

Then it was time for all of us to head over to Kregel’s Pumpkin Farm. We had a great time there last year and this looked to be just as much fun, with some family members trying out a new rolling activity while others had a go at the giant slide. By this time, the dark clouds were starting to drift in but we were fairly confident that we’d stay dry as there seemed to be no rain in the forecast.

It was then that things took a turn for the not-so-good.  We had hopped on the hay wagon for a ride out to the pumpkin patch and had just made our selections as we stood about discussing the merits of various types of squash when it started to snow.  And not just snow. The wind picked up and howled across the field! And there was a blizzard but not gently falling snowflakes.  These felt more like shards of glass pummeling us. We all piled back on the hay wagon and the driver set off.  I don’t have any shots of these events as by this time I had bundled my camera underneath a rather inadequate jacket, so you’ll just have to picture the scene for yourselves.  The wind had reached such a velocity that I thought the wagon was in danger of tipping over and the cold was almost unbearable (many of us were just not suitably dressed for this wintry onslaught.) It’s a strange thing but as horrific as that slow ride back to the farm was, we were all laughing!  Even in the worst conditions we were a family, together, out to have some fun and by gosh, we were determined to make the best of it!

By the time we got home, the blizzard had stopped (naturally) and we settled down to enjoy the rest of the day. Unfortunately the camera wasn’t functioning too well after being caught in the storm so I abandoned the picture-taking for other fun pursuits.  For more on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to Just For Fun

Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge – Steps

I’m a bit slow off the mark with Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge this week so I’m taking steps to remedy that right now.

Here are some steps at the State Capitol Building in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

And some steps inside the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For more on Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge go to Steps: Indoors or Outdoors.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Getting Around

This week, Cee is looking for ways to get around for her Fun Foto Challenge so here are a few things that people drive (ride, pilot or captain.)

Two images captured downtown on the Chicago River. With all the traffic on the roads, sometimes the quickest way to get around is on the river.

A horse of a different color; one on the carousel at Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota and the other at Arlington Park Race Track in Illinois.

And two cars on display at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois.  For more on Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge go to Things People Drive (ride, pilot or captain)

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – A Sign of the Times

Change is all around us, as Amy points out in her choice of subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week, and the trees are once again taking on their autumn colors while there’s a chilly nip in the air first thing in the morning, but it’s not only the seasons that are undergoing their annual transformation from summer to fall.  As Bob Dylan once pointed out, “The Times They Are A Changing.”

On a recent visit to Volo Auto Museum we were rather amused and, admittedly, somewhat shocked by the sentiments expressed in this collection of vintage advertisements displayed alongside the cars.  It’s good to know that some things have changed for the better.

I can relate to these ads. For many years, I lived in a house with three smokers and there were times when you could hardly see the other side of the room for smoke. My parents were able, with a tremendous amount of willpower, to eventually change the habit of a lifetime, and quit cold turkey.

However, despite the change in certain attitudes, it’s sad to see that there are many that remain, to a certain extent, the same.

My husband was clearly influenced by ads such as the next.  For our first wedding anniversary he bought me a fancy electric mixer.  I was upset! I had hoped for something a little more romantic and made him take it back. Subsequently he allowed me to choose, within reason, my own anniversary, birthday and Christmas presents.  For our 25th anniversary I asked for a paper guillotine to trim photos.  He was upset!  He thought my choice was somehow symbolic.

My grandfather might have agreed with the next ad. For most of his life he spurned lean meat for pure fat until, with advancing years, he developed high blood pressure and heart problems. I think that even then he was unwilling to concede that his poor health was linked to a bad diet, but eventually wiser heads prevailed and he was forced to change his daily menu. Unfortunately the change came a little too late to do much good.

 

For more on this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to  #15: Changing and/or Changeable.

 

Pull Up A Seat – At Cantigny Park

Arriving a little late to the party, I’m finally pulling up a seat at a relatively new photo challenge over at XingfuMama.  It’s always nice to find a seat in a picturesque spot and, going through the photo files, I see that I have not only sat on some of these seats but also taken pictures of them.  So for my first submission here are a few shots from my most recent visit to Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois earlier this year.

Cantigny Park is undergoing extensive renovations which are likely to continue through next year but there is still a lot to see. It’s hard to imagine how you could possibly improve on a place as lovely as Cantigny, especially the gardens, but they are certainly giving it a try. I miss some of the old features and it will take some time for the new plantings to get established but I think eventually the place will come together and continue to be one of the brightest jewels in the Chicago suburbs.

A Photo A Week Challenge – Whimsical

 

Nancy Merrill is looking for a bit of whimsy for her Photo A Week Challenge and I came across a whole garden-full of whimsical characters on a visit to Mosinee in Wisconsin recently. These were the pictures that I managed to take from the sidewalk outside the house, which luckily was on a corner lot.

I’m assuming that the person who lives in this house is the one who made these creative pieces.  I tried Googling to see if I could find out anything about the artist but no luck, so if you live in the Mosinee area and know anything about these whimsical sculptures I’d love to hear from you.  I had a car-full of impatient people waiting for me otherwise I might have rung the doorbell to see if anyone was home.

 

 

For more on Nancy’s Photo a Week Challenge go to Whimsical.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Windows

This week, Ann-Christine has chosen ‘windows‘ as the subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and, looking through some recent photo files, I found two window pictures that I took at the George Clayson House in Palatine last week and one taken in downtown Wausau in Wisconsin, that I thought would fit the bill.

For more on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to #14: Windows +.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Looking Up at Kites

This week, Patti is encouraging us to Look Up for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and I was certainly doing that at the Chicago Botanic Garden Kite Festival recently. Despite the fact that there was almost zero breeze, the kids (and many of the dads) were able to get those kites flying, making a very colorful show.

For more on the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge go to #13 Look Up.