Seasons Change
Yesterday I was at the Morton Arboretum. I went to judge the Fox Valley African Violet show. It was a small show, but very nice, and nicely set up. They have some great growers and innovative designers in their club. This was the first time I was invited to judge for them, and I really enjoyed it. Got to see some friends and enjoy some lovely plants. I was sorely tempted to come home with a leaf or two, but violets are like yarn - if you don't watch yourself, all of sudden you have far more than you can handle at any given time :-D
One of the great things about the show location in the Arboretum is that as a judge, I got in for free! So, once everything was done, I took a drive around both loops of the grounds. The Arboretum is situated on the site of the old Morton mansion (think Morton Salt :-) ) in Lisle, Illinois. You can hike, or bike or drive, and since it was chilly yesterday, and I didn't have walking gear, I drove. It took close to an hour to drive both loops. Not because they are so long, but because I drove so slowly - I didn't want to miss anything, so gliding through the forest at about 1o or 15 mph is just about perfect.
I pulled over more than once to let cars pass me - they were in a
hurry and I was not :-) There are 1,700 acres of land, planted with every tree and shrub imaginable. It's really an amazing place - and I think it's at its most beautiful at this time of year. I love how the leaves change - their last hurrah before winter. The colors of the summer just past in the yellows and greens, the rusts and flame oranges of the season that is, and the reds and greens of Christmas to come.
It's about 40 miles from my house, and I was wishing I had brought my hiking gear, because you can walk for a very long time there and not see another living being. It's this amazing oasis in the middle of Chicagoland. I would like to go there more often.
Yesterday I laid a fire in the fireplace and lit the first blaze of the cooler weather. Today, I finished the red socks (the Spring Fling socks from yesterday's post) - and I watched a Bollywood movie. I can knit even with subtitles, so that was three hours right there :-D I watched Dil Se, a movie starring Shahruhk Kahn. It was very good but it is an older film - about 10 years old - and none of the songs had subtitles (most do in newer Bollywood films). I was sorry about that because I think I lost a few things, but it was a good film and very different from most others I've seen - much more serious.
Well, time to get ready for the week - the last week of October . . . oh how I hate to see October go . . .
One of the great things about the show location in the Arboretum is that as a judge, I got in for free! So, once everything was done, I took a drive around both loops of the grounds. The Arboretum is situated on the site of the old Morton mansion (think Morton Salt :-) ) in Lisle, Illinois. You can hike, or bike or drive, and since it was chilly yesterday, and I didn't have walking gear, I drove. It took close to an hour to drive both loops. Not because they are so long, but because I drove so slowly - I didn't want to miss anything, so gliding through the forest at about 1o or 15 mph is just about perfect.
I pulled over more than once to let cars pass me - they were in a
hurry and I was not :-) There are 1,700 acres of land, planted with every tree and shrub imaginable. It's really an amazing place - and I think it's at its most beautiful at this time of year. I love how the leaves change - their last hurrah before winter. The colors of the summer just past in the yellows and greens, the rusts and flame oranges of the season that is, and the reds and greens of Christmas to come.
It's about 40 miles from my house, and I was wishing I had brought my hiking gear, because you can walk for a very long time there and not see another living being. It's this amazing oasis in the middle of Chicagoland. I would like to go there more often.
Yesterday I laid a fire in the fireplace and lit the first blaze of the cooler weather. Today, I finished the red socks (the Spring Fling socks from yesterday's post) - and I watched a Bollywood movie. I can knit even with subtitles, so that was three hours right there :-D I watched Dil Se, a movie starring Shahruhk Kahn. It was very good but it is an older film - about 10 years old - and none of the songs had subtitles (most do in newer Bollywood films). I was sorry about that because I think I lost a few things, but it was a good film and very different from most others I've seen - much more serious.
Well, time to get ready for the week - the last week of October . . . oh how I hate to see October go . . .
Comments