Calendar: October 2009

Fall in Connecticut

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkins on my sister's back porch in Connecticut.

Flood September 2008

We've had some serious rainfall this weekend, with flooding in all kinds of unexpected places. We personally got very lucky; even our window well that always floods stayed bone dry this time. But lots of roads, rivers and retention ponds weren't as lucky -- or were many of my friends. Good luck cleaning up, everyone!

That said, some people don't have the sense to heed warning signs.





There was a lot more of Lake Glenview than usual!



Couldn't even get to the bridge.


That gurgling triangle of white in the middle? Is a fountain. It is surrounded by benches, usually.


The waters came down on Sunday around the lake at least.






Techny Basin was filling up all day on Saturday.


Notice the trees weren't flooded yet, and the water was actually going down to a second level in the bowl. By Sunday, it was full.


This may not seem like much...but this is what Techny Basin looks the other 360+ days of the year.


The whole set is found at Flickr.

Graceland Cemetery

Some final shots from my visit to Graceland Cemetery. The rest are available in a set at Flickr.



God really is in the details.



Reflecting Bench



Ornate Door



Cross against the trees

++++

I will be out of town until Wednesday with no ability to upload new photos. But I will be taking plenty of them, so check back next week for scenes from Laughlin, Nevada!

In Memory of Christopher

During my visit to Graceland Cemetery this weekend -- as a reminder, is located right smack in the middle of northside Chicago -- I was wandering through when I spotted this sight ahead, tucked away among the changing small trees and grasses.



Naturally, I went closer to investigate.



The stone reads, "In Memory of our Beautiful and Beloved Son Christopher." It's a family plot; there are two footstones below, with room for one more. The middle one is for Dr. Christopher Manuel, who died at the age of 39 in 2005. The second one must be his mother (I'm guessing from the birthdates listed) who died this August 2007.






From what I've been able to discern on the web, this memorial was erected in late 2006. It's one of most unusual I've ever seen, and definitely sad and haunting. I couldn't stop taking pictures of it, and thinking about how loving this family must have been, and how devastated they clearly were by his death. All graves are sad in their own ways, but this one's grief seemed especially piercing to me. Maybe it's the personal and yet theatrical style of headstone, or the way it's hidden away in the cemetery but when you're close enough you can see there's nothing hidden at all.





The verse is from an old song, "For All We Know", which has been recorded by dozens of artists over the years.

I then left Christopher.



And so he sits, facing the small still pond, playing his silent flute for anyone who comes close enough to find him again.

Guarding the Mausoleum

Spent Sunday morning wandering through Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, where many of the wealthiest and famous families are buried. It was quite beautiful, although I made a rookie photographer mistake and had my camera on the wrong setting for the entire shoot. Most of the photos didn't come out at all, but I managed to salvage a few. Lesson learned!

These were three imposing figures that guarded a large pyramid-style mausoleum. The face they used as the model on the last one is especially creepy to me.

Sad Woman, more depressing than imposing



Snake Handle, which is the kind of thing which gives me the heebie-jeebies



Man/Dog. Yikes!

Have you sown yours?

Wild Oats, taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden, November 2006.

Northern Illinois Farm

Taken in November 2006. I think it's best viewed in large.

I'm looking through these older shots this week as I start to put together my annual photography calendar. All of my family and many of my friends will already be recieving one as their traditional Christmas gift (hope I didn't ruin the surprise, haha), but if anyone else is interested in purchasing one, send me an email at kristen@kudzuplanet.com and I'll add you to the order list!

Autumn 2006

Taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden, fall 2006. Still one of my favorites.

Autumn by the lake

Fall came very late to Chicago, but I did manage to get a few shots along the lake last weekend.




Not quite the same bench as this one from last winter, but I think just a few feet away!

Even leopards enjoy Halloween!

For those of you still checking in, I am still around! I'm just getting banged around like this pumpkin right now at my new job, and so I'm still adjusting my time management. But I expect to be back soon with new photos -- thanks for hanging in there with me!

Taken at the Brookfield Zoo, November 2, 2006.

Island of the Gods

I'm back with another comparison set! This one is of the Island of the Gods at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Japanese Gardens there are made up of separate small islands in the middle of the lake that are connected by a series of bridges. There is one island, called the Island of the Gods, which is not linked to the others in order to be preserved so only the gods can walk around on it. (However, I have proof that geese like to walk around to it and on it when the lake has frozen over and they can reach it on foot.) Luckily, we mere mortals can still enjoy it from afar.


October 20, 2006



December 1, 2006



March 8, 2007


(With the lake frozen over and covered with snow, this last shot almost looks like the reverse of the first winter shot, doesn't it?)

There are two more side-view shots available in the Pairs set at Flickr. I'm looking forward to seeing it again in the spring!

Farmhouse

Taken in northern Illinois, November 2006. Moments after I snapped the shot, someone stuck their head out of the haystack by the pond in front and waved.

Click the photo to see in better proportion. More photos can be found in the Midwest Rural set.

Yellow Trees in the Sun

In the autumn and winter months, the position of the sun in the sky means that light has to fight to make its way between the high and close skyscrapers of downtown. This leaves the streets darker than the time of day would suggest, but it also allows for moments when the light hits something unexpected and illuminates it in a startling way. I love how the trees almost look like lighted matches because of this.

A Little Whimsy

My two favorite signs of 2006.

Taken up in McHenry County, summer 2006. Just a hour outside of Chicago, this is serious farm country. Great corn in the area, too.


Taken on a hike in Natchez Trace State Park, Tennessee, October 2006. I swear we did not pose this shot! Heh.

Silvery Bog

Taken at Volo Bog, November 1st, 8:15am. This is a full-color version, not converted after the fact to black-and-white. It was a month before we had our first snowfall, but there was already ice on the water. I had gone there to shoot early morning scenes while the light was good, but the sun stayed behind the clouds the whole time, burning a white space like it is here but unable to force its way through fully.