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
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The moon loomed large last night

I almost didn’t take any photos of the moon because my camera wasn’t on me. Then I said to myself, “Jessica, it’s 9 pm. If you can’t muster up the energy to run into your apartment, grab your camera, then drive half a mile down the street to get a good photo of the moon, you’re getting OLD.”

I would’ve just walked the half mile, but someone threw a rock (or something equally heavy) at my car while I was driving down that stretch of road to get the camera. Plus it was past dark. I’ll just admit it: I was scared.

“Luna” means moon. That’s where the word “lunatic” comes from. If I wanted to be really cheesy I would’ve titled this “The luna loomed large last night.” Or “The lunatic loomed large last night.” The lunatic being the person who threw something at my car–not me!

If I was an artist I’d say these photos get crazier to show the moon’s effect on people. But I’m not an artist so I’ll tell the truth–I couldn’t get a clear photo so I just had fun with it.

Tags: Elgin, Grove, IL, Illinois, Kimball, moon, nature, outdoors, photography, photos
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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
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Life in Elgin Photos of the Week, June 22 - 28

Here are the Life in Elgin flickr pool photos (all photos taken in Elgin, by people who are not me) taken June 22 - 28. Click the photo to go to its flickr page.

Photo by msweber2007

Photo by msweber2007

Photo by bill_m

Photo by bill_m

Tags: children, dragonflies, dragonfly, Elgin, face paint, Fen, flickr, fun, IL, Illinois, kids, Life in Elgin flickr pool, nature, photography, photos, potato sack race, summer, watermelon, YMCA
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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
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I love you forest preserve!

Here are photos from a recent visit to Burnidge & Paul Wolff Forest Preserve in Elgin. I recently printed some of my past forest preserve photos and put them up in my apartment and several guests thought I bought them! I’m not the best photographer, so that just shows how beautiful this forest preserve is.

My favorite.

Pretty sure I was lost when I took this one.

Is it sick that I wish this bench got wifi?

The forest preserve even makes construction look pretty.

Tags: Burnidge, Elgin, forest preserve, grass, Illinois, nature, Paul Wolff, sky, trees, water
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