Scenes from two recent walks and Sunday’s ride.
(Dandelions are under-appreciated.)

Alas, my sturdy minivan of a bike is in the shop. On Sunday, the twist gear shift was stiff and then immovable. Before the apocalypse begins in earnest, we should probably learn more bike maintenance than changing tires and adjusting brakes, but for now, the kind, capable technicians at the local bike shop will work their magic.

And I will keep walking until my bike is repaired.  

Image captured on one of my walks this week.

Not too many more of our walks will include frost and dormant foliage.

Volo Bog State Park — site of the only open-water quaking bog in Illinois — is located about sixty miles northwest of Chicago. From the DNR website: “Formed in an ancient glacial kettle hole lake, Volo Bog features a floating mat of sphagnum moss, cattails and sedges surrounding the open pool of water in the center of the bog. Further from the open water, the mat thickens enough to even support floating trees!”

Because of the muddy terrain, it took a bit longer than usual to walk the 2.75-mile trail and the bog boardwalk (twice), but we got four miles in plus a geocache. And on our second stop at the center’s edge, we espied three bald eagles.

Seen while walking yesterday.

You’re never too old.

Weather and our schedules require that, this week and next, we take our long walk in the mid-morning. Sun on our faces — wan, incomplete, fast-fading but sun — was the one of the gifts of our last three outings.