Category Archives: Illinois

Spring turns into Summer

31 Sunday May 2020

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We’ve been in Lombard, IL for two and a half months, much longer than our normal stops. On June 1, when we should be flying from Athens to Vienna, we will be leaving Lombard, IL for Conneaut, OH, the last town before the PA border.

Why?

Lake Erie, for starters. We’ve never been there, and our new house overlooks the lake. There is also beach combing. Cleveland and other places threw all their trash into the lake for about a century and today pieces rounded by the water and sand wash up waiting for people like me to see them. I’m looking forward to new surroundings, and a lake for swimming.

The change of seasons has also gotten to us. Our cute house is cozy and warm in cold weather, but it doesn’t have air conditioning. Chicago has sneaky spring weather, staying cool, even chilly, into May. There’s a reason that people don’t plant their gardens until mid-May. One day, though, you open the front door and step into a cloud of hot steam. Step outside and it feels like you are breathing through a hot washcloth. Summer has arrived in Chicago! It will be hot and humid on many days between today and September. For us, it’s time to move on.

March 23, March 24, April 12, May 26, 2020

Our stay here began just before the official start of spring. We went for walks and started seeing birds, even when we had to bundle up in heavy coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. Back when the branches were bare, we got used to spotting smaller birds that we had barely seen before.

Birdwatching is made for the current times. We walk slowly, scrutinizing the sides of the path or looking up into the trees, turning away from anyone who may be passing on the other side of the path. Watching for a flicker of wings among the twigs and brambles my mind wanders, testing the cold, the wind, checking the angle of the sun. I understand how people who spend their lives outdoors know the season and the time by the feel of the day.

We occasionally stop and chat with people who are fishing or who ask what birds we have seen. Most park walkers are polite and observant of social distancing. Sometimes we meet a regular birdwatcher who points us toward a better viewing spot, or a new bird. That’s how I spotted a Blackburnian warbler.

Dupage County has more parks and forest preserves than we have been able to visit, places we never set foot in when we lived here for twenty-four years, but now we appreciate them day after day. The knoll at the center of Lincoln Marsh, its grove of tall trees ringed by a vast spread of brown reed stems, reminds me of The Invisible Island, one of my favorite books growing up.

There’s a list of the sixty-three different birds we’ve been able to identify at the end of this post. We’ve seen surprising animals, as well. I didn’t realize that beavers had made such a comeback in this region. There must be quite a few living in the Dupage River system, as we’ve seen beavers swimming by several times. One day, a beaver swam by us, and as we watched, it climbed out of the water (below), waddled into the reeds and returned with a stick in it’s mouth. It set off swimming down the river until we lost sight of it.

As the days passed, we got better at spotting woodpeckers up in the trees. I don’t feel like a walk is officially over until we’ve seen at least one woodpecker. They are so funny-looking, hopping up the tree like a colorful squirrel. The brush on either side of the path became slightly greener as the trees budded. It was a bit more difficult to see birds, but improved our spotting of warblers and kinglets.

Over the weeks, we visited more places, and through other birders, discovered the hotspots in Dupage County, like Elsen’s Hill, in W. Dupage Woods, where we saw bushes full of warblers.

There was a Great Horned Owl mother and baby at Lincoln Marsh, and the tiny nest of a blue-gray gnatcatcher, barely the size of a baseball, at Fabyan Forest Preserve. Every colorful bird is a marvel. At the top of a tree we spotted a male cardinal, scarlet red in all his glory, facing a Baltimore oriole in bright orange and black.

Now our stay here is ending, just as the goslings and ducklings are hatching. We saw a multi-mother flock of goslings on the Fox River, spreading out across the water as their mothers looked on. We must have gotten a bit too close, because one of the geese gave off a short sharp sound, and in seconds the group of more than 20 goslings merged into a single ball of fluff.

The brush along the trails has gone from a handful of gray sticks to a dense mat of green. There are wild phlox in little gaps in the trees and lining some of the picnic areas. The migrating birds have moved on toward Canada and the Arctic for the summer, leaving the permanent residents to raise their chicks, and often, to make another nest and do it all over again before fall arrives. We are moving on as well. Every day, I think about my family, and miss being able to visit them, and to hug each one. Instead, I am grateful for the company that nature has provided.

Clockwise from upper left: Eastern bluebird, Red-headed woodpecker, Swainson’s thrush, robin’s nest on our drainpipe, palm warbler.

Midwest birds 2020
BirdDateLocation
cormorant
Canada goose
Mallard
Wood duck13-AprChurchill Woods
Pied bill grebe30-AprChurchill Woods
Double crested cormorant8-AprHidden Lakes Park
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture25-MayLincoln Marsh
Red tailed Hawk26-MayLincoln Marsh
American Coot30-AprChurchill Woods
Caspian TernDupage River
Mourning Dove1-MayChurchill Woods
Great Horned Owl8-MayLincoln Marsh
Belted Kingfisher13-MarChurchill Woods
Red headed woodpecker25-MayLincoln Marsh
Red bellied woodpecker2-AprChurchill Woods
Yellow bellied sapsucker13-AprChurchill Woods
Downy Woodpecker8-AprHidden Lakes Park
Hairy Woodpecker25-MayLincoln Marsh
yellow bellied flycatcher22-AprChurchill Woods
Eastern Phoebe25-AprChurchill Woods
Eastern Kingbird16-MayLincoln Marsh
Yellow throated Vireo22-AprChurchill Woods
Blue Jay15-Apr506 W. Maple St.
Tree Swallow30-AprHidden Lakes Park
Red breasted nuthatch31-Mar506 W. Maple St.
Brown creeper31-MarChurchill Woods
House Wren15-MayLincoln Marsh
BlueGray Gnatcatcher23-MayFabyan Forest Preserve
Golden Crowned Kinglet13-AprChurchill Woods
Ruby Crowned Kinglet13-AprChurchill Woods
Eastern Bluebird8-MayLincoln Marsh
Swainsons Thrush12-MayChurchill Woods
American Robin
Red wing Blackbird
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher24-AprE. Branch Dupage R.
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing5-MayLilac Park, Lombard
Black and white warbler11-MayElsen’s Hill
Golden Winged Warbler16-AprChurchill Woods
Nashville Warbler7-MayChurchill Woods
Mourning Warbler7-MayChurchill Woods
Common Yellowthroat25-MayLincoln Marsh
American Redstart15-MayRice Lake
Magnolia Warbler22-MayChurchill Woods
Blackburnian Warbler11-MayElsen’s Hill
Yellow Warbler14-MayDupage River
Pine Warbler13-AprChurchill Woods
Palm Warbler23-AprChurchill Woods
Yellow rumped warbler8-AprChurchill Woods
Chipping Sparrow12-MayChurchill Woods
Savannah Sparrow23-AprChurchill Woods
Song Sparrow13-AprChurchill Woods
White Crowned Sparrow8-MayChurchill Woods
Northern Cardinal
Rose breasted grosbeak8-MayLincoln Marsh
Indigo Bunting25-MayLincoln Marsh
Brewers Blackbird14-MayDupage River
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle8-MayLincoln Marsh
Brown headed Cowbird8-AprHidden Lakes Park
House Sparrow506 W. Maple St.

Lombard’s Lustron Houses

28 Thursday May 2020

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This is a Surf Blue Lustron.

Lombard, Illinois has a particularly interesting mix of housing from every period since its founding in 1833. We are staying in a house built from a kit purchased from Sears Roebuck in 1926, and there are several of these around town, but there is another experimental type, the Lustron House, that has more than a dozen surviving examples in Lombard. We took ourselves on a self-guided tour of some of these very intriguing houses.

Lustron Houses were developed as part of the post WWII effort to construct housing for returning GIs and their families. Carl Strandlund, a Chicago industrialist and inventor, was going to build gas stations for Standard Oil, but was told he could only get an allocation of steel if he were to build homes. He came up with the idea of building an all steel house using enameled steel panels for a maintenance-free exterior, pitching his homes as a way for families to maximize their free time together.

Desert Tan Lustron house, Lombard, IL

Between 2500-3000 Lustron houses were built, and many are still standing, due to the sturdy steel panels, the same material used to make enameled cookware, though heavier. Even the roof tiles have lasted 50 years or more. These are relatively small houses, 700-1100 sq ft. and those that have been demolished were generally removed to make way for larger homes. The enameled steel construction was quite strong and durable, but didn’t lend itself to remodeling or additions. As anyone who has chipped the corner of an enameled pot knows, the chips can’t be mended. Most surviving examples are in their original form in one of the four colors that were available. On our tour, we wondered whether the relatively small size of these houses has turned some into rental properties. About half of the Lustrons we saw had minimal landscaping and outdoor maintenance.

This Dove Gray Lustron’s original front porch has been enclosed as a vestibule.
This maize yellow Lustron is for sale, in case you’d like your own.

The built-in metal bookshelves and cupboards were handy, but there was no way to add a picture hook except for magnets. This might be an excellent house for a true minimalist. Having seen all four exterior colors in different settings, we concluded our tour, intrigued by the concept. Today Lustron houses are a collectors item, though the use of steel in home construction was ahead of its time.

You can read more about Lustron Houses, why the company founded by Strandlund failed, the politics of the time, and where to find examples in 36 states.

It’s August. Why are we in the Midwest?

01 Thursday Aug 2019

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I always tell people that Chicago is a great place to visit spring and fall, but is to be avoided in the summer, when it’s too hot and humid, and in the winter, when it’s way too cold. Why am I not following my own advice?

We spent the year until now visiting Australia–it was wonderful.

In past years, we traveled to Europe during the summer, stopped in the US in the fall to visit doctors and family, then went on to Peru for the winter. This year the schedule was upended by our time in Australia during their summer, putting us back in the US when winter hit the Southern Hemisphere, July and August here. We need to catch up with annual exams, eye doctors, and visits to family. Our doctors are all located in the Chicago area, too. Voila! We are in the midwest when it is hottest, right now, July/August.

Days have been sunny and warm, in the 80s (since the Heat Dome subsided). The sky may be completely blue, or covered with clouds. I discovered it’s difficult to photograph the sky in the suburbs–there are a lot of wires, towers, and light poles.

There are good reasons for us to be here, beyond the need for doctor visits, and despite the weather’s cooperation or lack of it. We have friends here, and are delighted to reconnect with them.

Under the “Heat Dome”

23 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Meteorologists must spend all their down time inventing terms for the next big climate moment. “Polar Vortex”, “Snowmageddon”, “El Diablo”, and now “Heat Dome”, are some of the more recent ones. I say this in admiration, as we all feel better when the weather changes and we know we’ve survived whatever-it-was.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-a-heat-dome-happens-1.5216908

Such a long walk to the car….

In the Midwest, and much of the country (I believe), it was heat combined with high humidity that made Thursday through Saturday of the past week unbearable. Whether you got up at 6 am, or stayed up until 11 pm, it always felt hot. The humidity made the atmosphere feel like a steam room, or breathing through a hot face cloth. There was no reason to go outdoors at all, unless it was to hurry to an air-conditioned car for a drive to a swimming pool or an air-conditioned building. Those days felt exceedingly loooonnnnnngggg, because there wasn’t a reason to do anything or go anywhere.

Rain poured down in heavy showers across our area late in the day on Saturday, and the heat began to abate. By Sunday morning, it was just another glorious day of summer, with the Heat Dome safely in the past. I wonder what they’ll call the next heat wave? It’s not even August yet.

Farewell to Illinois and Hello, Summer!

21 Thursday Dec 2017

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Our extended stay in Illinois wasn’t all we might have hoped for, after all, it included a hospital stay for Jonathan (only overnight). After all the waiting for tests, the surgery itself went smoothly and he was home and sore the next day. Now, a week later, he is largely back to normal.

 

We were able to take advantage of the last week of our stay to see the Illuminations at Morton Arboretum, an event where sections of trees at the arboretum are lit with lights that change color, move, even flash to the beat of music.

Some of the intense colors were beautiful, and my favorite area was where selections from The Nutcracker Suite played while lights flashed in time to the music across the trees. The night was cold but not frigid and though many people said it would be prettier with snow, I was happy without it.

This was our last winter event. We took off early Monday morning for Lima and arrived ahead of schedule (!), at 9:25 pm. We stayed overnight at the Hotel Senorial, where we’ve been staying on our trips to Lima for the past 20 years. After some shopping and the annual handicrafts fair, Ruraq Maki, at the National Museum, we headed for Barranca. We watched the sunset on the longest night of the year. It wasn’t much of a sunset, but the furthest south that the sun will set for us.

Thanksgiving in the Heartland

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in Illinois, Lyra, Peggy

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The weather moderated for Thanksgiving. It was mild and pleasant, and we shared our feast with our friend Peggy and with Lyra, visiting from New York. You won’t see Lyra in any of the photos because she was sick on Thanksgiving Day, and we let her sit out the pictures.

I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends.

For recipes, see:http://llywindarecipes.wordpress.com

 

 

 

Inadvertent Visitors

26 Sunday Nov 2017

Posted by in Illinois, Peggy

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We are held captive by the winds of fate, and have settled for the month of November in Wheaton, IL, our former home. When we arrived here (11/3 and 11/8 respectively), we planned to stay for a week, visit doctors, stock up on odds and ends not readily available in Peru and leave for points south. We began our stay at the home of our friend Peggy. She has the best yard anywhere.

Even in November when her army of tiny Japanese maples have lost their brilliant red leaves, there is lots to see. A few brussels sprouts and some hardy kale hang on despite the bouts of cold weather that have already passed. Arches and walkways lead to hidden nooks. The sun lights the plants and makes the leaves translucent. It is a pleasure to visit and walk through. Somehow I relax just being there.

Peggy’s garden gives me a respite from worrying about test results, delayed flights, travel insurance, waivers of change fees, plans already made that have to be changed. There’s also our lack of winter clothing beyond coats. My fingers are crossed that it doesn’t snow too soon. I remember the year we remodeled our kitchen, tearing everything out the day after Thanksgiving and piling all the debris at the side of the driveway in anticipation of the arrival of a dumpster. Two feet of snow fell the next day and it took us until February to get it cleaned up. This year the days after Thanksgiving are mild and sunny, but I know it will change soon enough.

After ten days with Peggy we rented an apartment for the rest of the month, and another for the first two weeks of December. Are we moving back to the US? That’s not our plan, but we are waiting to get Jonathan a clear bill of health. Here’s our latest home base:

We are on the second floor, right side. The photo on the right is the view from our front door. I’ll add a few pictures of the interior the next time it is presentable.

The days are growing shorter and shorter just when we hoped to be switching hemispheres where the days are growing longer. The last time I noticed how low the sun was on the horizon, it was in Norway above the Arctic Circle in June 2016, and the sun dipped low over the horizon but never set. This is the opposite. The sun is low over the horizon until 11 and after 2pm. We have been traveling for three years and I seem to have forgotten about the short days of late fall. By 3:30 pm the afternoon is on its way out, and the sun has set by 4:30. Still, we’ve had a couple of lovely sunsets on these late afternoons.

Here we are, making the best of a new place. There are lots of places to take a walk. The neighborhood streets yield surprises. There is a path that connects two neighborhoods where the road does not. In a corner of the cul-de-sac on one side, beside the walking path to the next street, someone has decorated their back yard with chandeliers. The glass drops are tiny wind chimes when the wind blows, prisms sparkling when the sun is out, quirky and charming.At first glance, you may not notice the decorations in the trees. Perhaps the sound makes you look again and you see all the chandeliers.

It’s another place that can cheer you up just by being there. Who knows what else we may find as we continue to explore.

The Invisible Week

20 Friday Nov 2015

Posted by in Illinois, Lillian

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I completely fell down on my obligation to the blog world during our week in Wheaton. I have almost no photos despite a very full schedule of events.

We arrived from NYC on Wednesday night, collapsing onto the soft bed provided by our good friend Peggy. Thursday, Peggy hosted a Caribbean dinner as part of our local AAUW’s Spice Routes interest group. There was a groaning board of dishes from all over the Caribbean and more than 20 participants. The program is kept to a brief period in the kitchen when each person explained the dish they brought. The rest is experimentation with knife and fork. I loved catching up with friends. (Did not take one photo.)

Our oldest daughter Amanda arrived from LA later in the evening, and the following day we went out to Dekalb to meet up with our colleagues at the NIU Anthropology Department and the Pick Museum of Anthropology at NIU. Another large group sat around O’Leary’s in Dekalb chatting about work and family. Emily and Tim brought their new baby Clara–an absolutely darling baby. (Again, not one photo.)

Bright and early on Saturday we left for Champaign to see our youngest, Lillian, and her boyfriend Neil. We shopped, took a walk, talked a lot, admired the pets (rabbit Gizmo and parakeet Green) and played Trivial Pursuit (I won!). Jonathan grilled steak and veggies and then drove back to Wheaton. We managed one picture. Hooray!

11.14.15 family champaign

 

Amanda, Lillian, Neil, & me

 

First stop in this round of travels-LaGrange, IL

09 Saturday May 2015

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During the month of May 2015, from the day before the closing on the sale of our house until the week after Memorial Day, we are renting an apartment in a (very nice) two flat in LaGrange. We found it on Airbnb, the owners live upstairs and so far it is both comfortable and convenient.

DSCN0479sm

We have managed to put our own stamp on the extremely clean and orderly surroundings.

DSCN0480sm

All the cardboard boxes are ours. The desk has a wireless printer–a very handy amenity. There’s also a nicely equipped kitchen.

Ghost of times past

09 Saturday May 2015

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We are out and the house is officially sold. Here are some of the photos I took before we got in the car to go to our rental house.

The kitchen without the butcher block island.

The kitchen without the butcher block island.

The study stripped of desks, book cases, chairs, pictures and a lot of miscellany.

The study stripped of desks, book cases, chairs, pictures and a lot of miscellany.

Upstairs bedroom overlooking the street where the girls used to sit on the roof.

Upstairs bedroom overlooking the street where the girls used to sit on the roof.

Small bedroom.

Small bedroom.

 

Upstairs bathroom that we completely remodeled.

Upstairs bathroom that we completely remodeled.

Upstairs hall looking east to the street.

Upstairs hall looking east to the street.

Linen closet upstairs.

Linen closet upstairs.

Master bath that we added when we moved in.

Master bath that we added when we moved in.

18th century tiles I bought in Delft the year we moved in to the house. I love the differences you can see even though they were both made from the same design template.

18th century tiles I bought in Delft the year we moved in to the house. I love the differences you can see even though they were both made from the same design template.

Back stairs leading up.

Back stairs leading up.