Today I had a design meeting at Lincoln Park Zoo… crisp, clean & freezing cold.
After the meeting, I played at the Zoo – which was great fun as I pretty much had the place
to myself. No school tours. Very few people. Just me and the animals!

I’m a bit tired of the layer of crusty gray snow & frozen slush currently blanketing Chicago.
I know winter has just started, and we’re in for a few months of this fun… but when given
a chance for a little Tropical Escape… I’m in!!! So this afternoon I also spent some time at
the Lincoln Park Conservatory enjoying the warmth, humidity & natural beauty.
And incredible Tropical Escape… if even just for an hour or so…

Ahhh… I feel better already.

After a wonderful weekend up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with my friend
Amy Higgason, it was bittersweet to pack it up and head home. The Fall colors were
incredible. The art tour was a lot of fun. Playing with Amy was great. And I hope
that I helped make her weekend a bit more fun, enjoyable & successful!!!

After four days of the beautiful Northwoods…
it was fitting that the drive home would be equally as beautiful.

Just some more pretty pictures.
The Fall colors were so incredible while I was up in the Northwoods…
I took HUNDREDS of photos!!! Everywhere you looked, it was gorgeous…
and I had to take more & more photos at every turn. Here’s just a few more!

After the Northwoods Art Tour had come to an end, May and I had Monday
to hang out and play. We started the morning again with an early morning hike
along The Raven Trail. It’s a beautiful trail, quite different from the McNaughton
Trail – a little curvier, a little hillier – and some art installations to boot!

Apparently, a couple years ago, there was an art installation project in the woods.
Many of them have been removed – but there were a couple still there to enjoy!
Most notable, an incredible “basket” built around a tree which was my favorite!!!

Further down the trail, there was an incredible, moss-covered bog…
and I do love me some moss!!! The color, the texture, the everything! Love it.

Not to be outdone by the frosty-frozen boardwalk area… just like a Christmas card!
Straight out of a Currier & Ives catalog… an early Fall morning with a frosty finish.

Further down the path, Amy and came upon another beautiful lake that still had some
morning mist floating above the water. In beautiful contrast to the colorful leaves!

Towards the end of the hike, we ran across these incredible white fungi growing off
and decomposing log. Almost flower-like, these mushrooms were beautiful & intriguing.

And

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more beautiful…