Chicagoan, writer, adventurer
The flora and fauna of northern Illinois create some cool shapes and patterns.
The heart-shaped leaves of Brunnera.
These orb-shaped buds.
And the crinkled edges of Sedum. I know I’m going to miss all this greenery when autumn ushers in. Best to appreciate summer while we still have it.
There’s an office supplies store, Pieritz Bros., down the street from where I live, and the owner has a lot to say about education. Or at least I think he or she does.
Vintage typewriters are arranged in the window that faces South Boulevard. They offer quotes from well-known thinkers and writers.
Words to get your day started.
Hydrangeas–love them much. These Annabelles look like they were put in the dryer for a 10-minute fluff cycle. So puffy.
Depending on soil acidity levels, they can turn shades of blue and purple.
Also pink.
They’re the ultimate perennial mood ring. And thirsty little ones.
The hydrangeas in front of my apartment building took a beating last week. Too hot and not enough water. So I grabbed some water bottles to feed the hydrangeas. Took five trips up and down the stairs to my apartment, but I got the job done.
I had resigned myself to ordering iced coffee when I wanted ice cream, and I stuck to that goal for… about three days. Ice cream somehow tastes better in the summer, so why not take advantage? Petersen’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor in Oak Park was a new place to try, so try I did.
Mackinac Island Fudge was the flavor, and the ice cream was surprisingly fluffy.
This ice cream is 18% butterfat. Pretty decadent. Kind of makes me want to visit Mackinac Island for their storied fudge. Summer goals.
All vines need a queen, right? Clematis is a showy sort. Journal-sized blooms in varying colors.
The petals are fleshy to the touch (clematises are often called leather flowers). This one is called the President, but I’d call it the Queen.
Walking Miss Penny in Oak Park and finding these everywhere–little free libraries. Such a neat thing to do: inspiring a love of reading and maybe shoring up bookshelf space.
Some of the libraries have themes, as with this one.
Others resemble their nearby houses. This one even offers a bench for weary feet.
Springtime perennials bloom at a pretty fast clip in the Midwest. The bridal veil spirea had its hurrah for about two weeks, which was replaced, seemingly overnight, by allium.
A tennis ball-sized cluster of tiny, spiky purple flowers. Perhaps predictably, these said adios in about two weeks when hello, peonies.
Some of the peony blossoms are the size of a small ham–huge by most standards. These have hung on a bit longer, and my neighbor’s roses are starting to take off.
