Wednesday 5 October 2022. Divvy Ride from Chicago Union Station to McKinley Park

It was 76 degrees, sunny, wind SW 8 mph at about 2 pm. Took Amtrak to Chicago and had coffee and snack at Peet’s,

sitting outside by the river, just east of Canal Street. It was so beautiful outside, I decided to take a Divvy bike to my destination, my childhood home to visit my Mom. The traffic was moderate, but I was super-cautious.

Rode Clinton Street south

and jogged east to Canal,

then southwest on Archer.

The first bike I chose near the train station was a little noisy and the gears would slip, more so as I went along. So at Halsted and Archer I changed bikes,

and the replacement was fine. Headed south from Archer just past Halsted and through Bridgeport,

stopping to look at the Chicago Maritime Museum on the Bubbly Creek (a branch of the Chicago River)

to the old neighborhood.

Sunday 2 October 2022. Florida and Orchard Prairielet and the Art Mart

It was 49 degrees F, clear, wind N, about 8 mph at about 7:30 am.

On the way to the Art Mart (for rose-raspberry sparkling water, a few pastries to share, and houseware party favors for my guests for the day (my sister and three of my oldest friends)) stopped at the prairie planting at Florida and Orchard streets.

It still was yellow with goldenrod and dotted with purple and pink New England asters

Goldenrod, New England aster, and post-bloom cup plant

and white frost asters,

but the bloom was declining, heading for the neutral tones of the season’s completion. Saw a few late survivors of other species: tall Coreopsis,

showy goldenrod,

with such flashy insect guests as Locust borer beetles,

and wild blue sage.

Arrived at the Art Mart a little before opening time so rode on to check out the garden in Prospect just north of Florida.

Always something lovely there. Across the street were unrelentingly barking dogs; were they worried about my threatening their neighbors across the street? Looping back to the Art Mart on side streets saw some fall crocuses!

Got my Art Mart goodies

and had a pleasant ride home.

Wednesday 28 September 2022. Ride to Lunch at Casa del Mar and through Meadowbrook

It was 59 degrees F, partly sunny, with big, shapely clouds bunched together with the occasional blue gap, wind mostly from the north, with a slight easterly component, 6 mph at about 11:40 am.

Blue woodland aster in the neighborhood

Rode south on Race

and east on Windsor, stopping to see the early fall landscape: the well-advanced ubiquitous bloom of goldenrod

Goldenrod and past-bloom prairie dock

with some other flowers, grasses, and seed heads.

Late-season bee on frost aster

Goldenrod and New England aster

Goldenrod and pasture thistle

Goldenrod and purple coneflower

Lunch at Casa Del Mar

was most enjoyable, catching up with a friend, both of us pleased with the grilled Shrimp Verecruz.

Rode on the way back through Meadowbrook Park

Goldenrod and false sunflower

Goldenrod and frost aster

Goldenrod and mountain mint seed heads

Goldenrod and mostly mature Baptisia pods

and found bottle gentians

near the Marker statue.

The flowers, even the very blue ones, were small, and there were more immature buds.

Every year is different, but still was glad to find them in the same place.

Goldenrods amid lots of dark green foliage

Saturday 24 September 2022. Barnhart Prairie Restoration and the New First Street Path

It was 54 degrees F, partly cloudy, wind SE 10 mph at about 8:45 am. Rode South on Race Street and stopped at the line of spruce trees to see some good sized but mostly spread out Amanita muscaria mushrooms.

Then stopped to see the pumpkins, some with a good number of squash bugs (?) on them, under the edge of the almost ready to harvest corn.

At the Barnhart (gate wide open!)

there were, in addition to abundant goldenrod, a fair number of asters: New England,

frost,

heath,

smooth blue.

Saw some remaining thistle

dried, brown, former blooms (perhaps holding seeds) of cream gentian,

and a spent, or otherwise withdrawn from the season’s growth, prairie dock

On the way home took the new path (a sign said “closed,” but not too convincingly) along First Street from Curtis to Windsor Road.

Safe, relaxed passage, at last!