Blue Bike

A shiny retro bike I found at the old Bartlett train depot.

Classic Cars

It's Friday; there's  car show in downtown Wheaton tonight. My favorite was a Triumph.

Foldable Bike

This is the 2nd time in 2 weeks I've seen a bike that folds up. I'm wondering if I want one.

Spring into Summer

This has been an odd year for weather. In March, as Spring arrived, we had a week of 80°F temps. Trees started to bud, but cold weather followed and the budding process stopped. Now that summer has come, the tree in my yard is only half leafed out. Near the trunk it's pretty full but there are many branches that are completely bare.


Update: 3 August 2012

This morning I discovered they cut this tree down yesterday. I've seen other trees with the same problem this tree had but I didn't think this would be reason to get rid of the tree. 

Update: 26 September 2012

It seems the tree was probably taken down to fight Emerald Ash Borer. Many trees throughout the subdivision and local towns have been cut dow to prevent the spread of this tree disease.

Tomatoes

Tonight I'm showcasing the cherry tomatoes growing on my balcony.

Peppers

I've got some beautiful purple peppers growing in my Topsy Turvy Tomato Tree on my balcony. Other than a daily watering, I think most of the credit goes to We Grow Dreams Greenhouse.

Cricket

Many summer Sunday mornings I see a Cricket game as I leave chruch. Today I stopped to take a few photos. The playing area is large so I was quite distant from the players. The bounds are marked by orange cones and the batting team is in red.

View from the Lake

As anticipated, I went for a paddle with my new kayak this evening at Blackwell Forest Preserve. There was an Indian family at the launch site. When I came in about an hour later they were still there. The young daughter, probably about 9, came over and asked lots of questions. I wouldn't be surprised if she started pestering her parents to get a kayak.

One view of Silver Lake.

Engine 171 "Norwood Park"

Another Metra train engine. I'm just a train fan. I know one engine looks like the next but I still take a photo when I get stopped at a crossing.

Summer Evening

Waiting for the Thursday night Wheaton Municipal Band concert to begin.

New (to me) Kayak

Tonight I became the owner of a 2011 Emotion Glide kayak. I've been looking for this particular model on Craigslist all Spring. 

I especially wanted this kayak because it is light enough for me to handle by myself and it's just under 10' long. It was still a bit too long for the cargo space of my RAV4 but with an open front passenger window and some bungie cords I got it home safely. Now I need to buy a life jacket and roof carrier as well as get it registered with the state and a DuPage Forest Preserve boating permit. Maybe I can be ready to use it on Saturday.

Update: 26 September 2012

Today I finally got the title and 3-yr registration stickers. According to these documents I purchased the Kayak on June 20 (and mailed the paperwork on June 23.) The state said they had a 4-6 week backlog but my check wasn't processed until mid-August. The Title and Registration stickers were issued September 18 and arrived in the mail today September 26. The good thing is the stickers are valid until 30 June 2015. 

Lake Sunset

Sunset over Silver Lake in Blackwell Forest Preserve.

Shadows

Sometimes a shadow is more interesting than the item itself. Here is the shadow of the barn that houses the Visitor's Center at Kline Creek Farm Forest Preserve.

Engine 900

Burlington Junction Railway

According to the BJRY website it "is a shortline railroad, provider of locomotive repair services, and logistics company that provides freight reloading or transloading services."

Baseball

I finally got to a baseball game this year: Kane County Cougars vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels. Cougars lost but the game was a good one. A baseball game is always a good time.

Not a VW

My favorite car at tonight's Vintage Car show in Wheaton was a 1962 pink Trabant Kombi. This was East Germany's answer to the West German VW Beetle.

This man under the hood is the owner and I asked him for the story of this car. He is the second titled owner. It has about 60,000 Km on the odometer. The original owner was a high School principal in Dresden. A museum in the US bought it from his estate and then sold it to the current owner. 

My second favorite car tonight was the British car the Morris Minor. This was an economy car that was first manufactured in 1948.

The license plate on this car reads "NOTA VW".


See other Vintage Car photos I've taken this summer here.

Tuba

Middle school (District 200) band students were invited to perform tonight with the Wheaton Municipal Band.

This guy's Tuba was almost as big a he was.

 

Dr Bruce Moss, Conductor

Listening

Tonight's concert was by AcRock. This was just one of those in the crowd.

Lily

Medivac

Helicopter taking off from Central DuPage Hospital.

Vintage Base Ball

There was a round robin tournament between 3 teams today. The DuPage County Plow Boys home field is at Cantigny. They play by the 1858 rules: no gloves, no lead-offs, no stealing, no sliding and you are out if the ball is caught on one bounce. Pitching is underhand. Makes for a fast-paced, interesting game.

This ball dropped in for a base hit.

The other two teams were the Lemont Quarrymen 

 

and the Somonauk Bluestockings.

Limo

One of the coolest wedding limos I've seen lately.

Sisters

8 June 2012*

These sisters had a wonderful time in the fountain at Millennium Park in Chicago.

* Taken June 8 but not posted until June 9.

Summer Concert

Tonight inaugurated the 87th season of the Wheaton Municipal Band conducted by Bruce Moss in Memorial Park. A crowd of 500-600 from 2 to 85+ yrs. attended. 

Latin Rhythms

Tonight was the first of the local summer concerts. The Warrenville concert is sponsored by the library at the Bob Walter Commons and featured Jose Valdes Mambo All Stars.

Sun

The Transit of Venus arrived today. I didn't see it but I got this shot of the sun on my way home tonight just before it set. 

Friends

Today I spent most of the afternoon with my friends Neil & Jeanie Rendall. We first met 30 yrs. ago at the Instituto de Lengua Española in Costa Rica. 

What a year we had studying together, going on excursions together and becoming lifelong friends. They returned to the US and I went on to Venezuela. That year of studying Spanish was part of their training as they moved into Multi-Ethnic Ministry with InterVarsity. Neil & Jeanie retire from IV next month and are here in IL for the 9th annual on 
Indigenous Mission and Theology sponsored by the North American Institute of Indigenous Theological Studies (NAIITS) symposium.

Giant Leaves

Elephant Ears at Cantigny Park & Gardens

Signs

My favorite vendor at Taste of Wheaton.

Special signs for Cubs fans.

The note on the left reads:
Edvard Munch's
"The Scream" sold last week for $119,922,500.
Mary Heneghan's "The Cubs Scream" is only $95 today.

Luxury Ride

Tonight was Wheaton's first Vintage Rides night of the summer.

1930 Packard