Walking Squares – At The Morton Arboretum

Another one of my favorite places to walk is at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, so here are a few shots taken on two of my most recent visits, the latest with fellow blogger, Janet from This, That And The Other Thing, for Becky’s Walking Squares Challenge. Janet helped me find the elusive ‘Human Nature’ sculpture (the first picture in this series) that I had previously missed and we spent a lovely day talking and walking around the Arboretum.

This is another one of those posts that serve to answer two challenges, the other one being Jez’s Water, Water Everywhere Challenge. There are plenty of water features throughout the Arboretum.

Around the Scarecrow Trail

Every year at the Morton Arboretum, during the Autumn season, they have a Scarecrow Trail that winds around Meadow Lake. These scarecrows are put together by local scout troops and you have to admire the kids’ creativity. Here are just a few that we saw on a recent visit, along with some views of Meadow Lake.

Human Nature – At The Morton Arboretum

A beautiful day at the Morton Arboretum and the perfect setting for their latest art exhibition entitled ‘Human Nature.’

Gingko

These magnificent sculptures by artist Daniel Popper should definitely be viewed from all angles, not only to enjoy the piece itself, but how it relates to the surrounding landscape.

Hallow

These 15 to 26ft tall sculptures were created exclusively for the Arboretum and are made of aluminum, steel, fiberglass, wood and concrete.

Sentient

Each sculpture weighs several metric tons but despite their size, they are sometimes dwarfed by the surrounding trees of the Arboretum.

Umi

The sculptures are spread throughout the Arboretum and although there are parking areas by most of them, some require a short walk to gain access.

Ephemera

The exhibition will be open through March 2023 and I’m looking forward to making a second visit later in the Fall when the surrounding trees will take on a whole new appearance.

Heartwood

The artist, Daniel Popper, is from Cape Town, South Africa, and his art installations include the memorial sculpture for the Nelson Mandela School of Science and Technology in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

Basilica

Square Trees At The Morton Arboretum

What more fitting place for my final entry in Becky’s Square Tree Photo Challenge than at the Morton Arboretum. I close this post, as I very often do, with a picture of my dear mum. She was always up for any jaunt that I might suggest and I know she really enjoyed our visits to the Arboretum. Thank you, Becky, for this wonderful challenge.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Autumn

This week, Patti is looking forward to Autumn for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. For so many reasons, autumn is probably my most favorite time of year. Primarily, I love the colors, and then there’s the cooler weather, not to mention less biting bugs and irate red-wing blackbirds. Of course, any time of year is great at the Chicago Botanic Garden but autumn is a very special season full of bright flowers and glowing foliage.

Autumn is one of the few times in the year that most of our family is able to get together and there is nothing more fun than our Family Fall Festival which is usually held at our daughter’s house in Indiana. She really puts on a terrific show with festive decorations that include Halloween characters, many of which are animated. The kids love it!

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle is the ideal place to visit in autumn when the trees are at their most colorful. A membership to the Chicago Botanic Garden gets you into the Arboretum for free and you can spend the day taking in the sights.

And what would autumn be without a trip to the pumpkin farm. This one is in South Barrington, Illinois, but we also visit a couple in Indiana and Wisconsin. They are a little more low-key but usually just as enjoyable.

And finally, one of my all-time favorite Halloween shots. “Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog,” and a Big Mac to go, please.

Square Tops – Tree Tops At Morton

My second entry for Becky’s Square Tops Photo Challenge features a few tree tops at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.

Featherlight

Another entry for Becky’s Square Light Photo Challenge. This time it’s featherlight. Images captured at River Trails Nature Center, The Morton Arboretum, Spring Valley Nature Center and The Chicago Botanic Garden.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – The Icing On The Cake

This week, Ann-Christine has chosen Trees as the subject for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and there is certainly no shortage of those in my photo files, so in order to select a few for this post I decided to look at the images and choose some of those where I thought the trees added the finishing touch, the icing on the cake, so to speak.  These were taken at Cantigny Park, Chicago Botanic Garden and the Morton Arboretum in Illinois and one in Utah.

 

 

 

 

Pull Up A Seat – At The Arboretum

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to Pull Up A Seat and sit down in any comfort outside, but the weather was just right the other day at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. There is no shortage of conveniently placed seating at the Arboretum. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to rest on the many trails, in the children’s play area, overlooking Lake Marmo or any one of the many other picturesque spots, you will be sure to find a sturdy bench, rocking chair or swinging seat.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – More or Less

Having recently visited the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, it was still very much on my mind when I saw Amy’s choice of subject for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.  You can never have too much of a good thing but sometimes less is as good, or even better. So here is my take on Less is More.