Letterboxing!

On Sunday I went Letterboxing. I got the idea from this article in the Courier. A friend and I went followed this clue to a forest preserve I never knew existed–Voyager’s Landing.

We had to climb up and down a lot of small yet steep hills to get to the hidden box.

Finally, a letterbox!

It had lots of stamps in it from other people who had found it over the past two years.

There were two boxes hidden, but we only found one. We weren’t sure what “a sleeping giant” in the clue referred to–another tree?

Tags: Elgin, forest preserve, fun, letter box, letterbox, letterboxing, nature, outdoors, photography, photos, Voyager's Landing
Filed under Elgin, fun, nature | Comment (0)

No cuts to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources!

IDNR is threatened. Click here for an article on the topic. I contacted my representatives. Don’t really feel like getting any more political on here beyond sharing that.

Tags: Blagojevich, budget cuts, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, Elgin, forests, IDNR, IL, Illinois, nature, policy, politics
Filed under nature, politics | Comment (1)

A trip to Geneva

A week or so ago I trekked out to Geneva to eat at Urban Grille. I’m not going to do a full review of the place for one reason–I didn’t like it! My meat-eating dinner partner disagreed, so maybe it’s just not good for vegetarians. I ordered a panino that was mediocre in taste but high in price. The side salad was only greens and dressing, yet they managed to make it taste terrible. I can recommend one thing though–fried pickles as an appetizer. Yum!

After eating we visited Kane County’s most visited forest preserve–Fabyan. That made the whole trip worth while. Enjoy the photos.

Tags: Fabyan Forest Preserve, food, Geneva, Illinois, Kane County, restaurant, Urban Grille
Filed under Geneva, food, nature | Comment (0)

Treating our environment nicely.

I will spend this weekend working at the Green Festival in Chicago. It’s a great place to learn all the amazingly creative ways people are treating our earth better. If you agree with the spirit of Green Festival, but don’t feel like leaving Elgin, have no fear! Look what was printed in the Courier today:

Rain barrels and compost bins will be sold from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Elgin Public Works Department open house, at 1900 Holmes Road. The black plastic rain barrels are 57-60 gallons in capacity; feature a screened, screw-top lid and an internal PVC overflow system; and are the “Wide Overflow” model made by Chicago Rain Barrel. The compost bins are the Earth Machine model made by Norseman Plastics. Bins will cost $40 each and barrels $60 each, while supplies last Saturday, by cash or check only. Learn how to get the most out of your new earth-friendly products by attending a free seminar at 11 a.m. sponsored by the Conservation Foundation on “Creating Rain Gardens in Your Yard & Using Rain Barrels.” More information is available from the public works department at (847)697-3160, or the city’s Web site at www.cityofelgin.org.

Tags: Chicago, compost bin, Elgin, environment, green festival, Illinois, nature, rain barrel, rain gardens
Filed under Chicago, Elgin, events, nature | Comment (0)

Beautiful gardens around Gail Borden?

I’m not sure that the Courier could publish an article that would excite me more. Click here for the full thing.

Water and wind turbines, a fish-watching spot, interactive games, rooftop gardens and babbling brooks could one day wrap around Gail Borden Public Library.

…

Hornig’s design includes cisterns that would capture water from the library roof. The water would then be directed into small streams, which would turn small turbines. Another spot, toward the Fox River, could have small windmills, which also would produce a small amount of power.

That power could be used to run an outdoor electronic game. “It’s like the game Simon,” where players must touch lighted screens in time with the game, Hornig said.

On the banks of the Fox River, the plan includes a fish library — a floating wetland in the river that would provide a habitat for the fish found in the Fox. To make that area accessible to people, a glass wall would be built into the bank.

Awesome!

Tags: Elgin, environment, fish, Fox River, Gail Borden Public Library, games, gardens, Illinois, nature, news, outdoors, rooftop garden, water, wetland, wind turbines, windmills
Filed under Elgin, Gail Borden Library, nature | Comment (0)

Mosquitoes?!

Yesterday I walked around the forest preserve and thought I saw a mosquito. I convinced myself it must’ve been a look-alike. “Too early for mosquitoes,” I told myself.

Well just now I took my dog around the block and saw a mosquito! It was buzzing right around my head! Seriously? Someone tell me I’m hallucinating.

Tags: bugs, Burnidge, Elgin, forest preserve, Illinois, insects, mosquitos, Paul Wolff, spring
Filed under Elgin, nature | Comment (0)