13 October 2010
Wonderful get-away
down to Southern Illinois. Cindi and I spent three days, two nights, walking trails (including the Little Grand Canyon), visiting a winery and farmer's market, and enjoying the beauty of autumn. Discovered the zoom on my iPhone as we snapped photos. Today we walked 16 miles through some pretty rugged country at times. It took us 6 hours. We were treated to a rain shower in the middle too. And it is totally disconcerting to be walking the midst of a forest and to have your CELL PHONE RING. I chose to pretend I didn't even hear it. Here are some pics from our adventures:
This brings back happy memories for me. The thing I miss most about being in southern Illinois (besides having LUTHERAN pastors around me) is Giant City state park and the other great places to hike. Kassie and I spent many a happy Saturday and Sunday afternoons on those trails.
ReplyDeleteIt looks beautiful. The trees are beautiful. I'm glad you enjoyed your time in nature. It seems funny to think back to when you first got here, you wouldn't go outside because you didn't like bugs. Now look at you! Way to go.
ReplyDeleteWe totally have a picture by that tree growing out of the rock... It's a pretty awesome tree. I think it's the one that looked like it's roots were braided.
ReplyDeleteAnd Paula... I'm just betting he wasn't out at dusk... He still runs from bugs. Namely ones that enjoy sucking his blood.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Illinois? Where is this? I don't remember nuttin like this around Beardstown or Effingham for Judas with a backpack's sake. It does remind me of a park around Ottawa though, but that ain't southern Illinois.
ReplyDeleteSouth of Carbondale/Murphysboro this is the lay of the land, Terry. You should come back for a visit and we'll take you down there! I'm in "Southern Illinois" but this is about 2.5 hours further south.
ReplyDeleteFurther south? South enough to have grits? I might just come then.
ReplyDeleteHow about accents? All my relatives from southern Illinois sounded like they were from northern Kentucky, right down to the pie-ano in the living room.
Methodists too, back when the word meant nothing like as in UMC and pretty much like what Walther wrote about using the term. Even when I visited years later, they all thought I was a hippie because I had a beard, and I don't even like Rock!
All in all, I think it like it better in Omaha, even if you can't (that's "cain't") find a Common Service or DSIII or the lectionary that served the church just fine for a millennium and a half until Vatican II. Back in the People's Republic of Minnesota, it would probably liturgical dancers doing an Introit before a priestitute lights the sacred fire or something.
Maybe I could swing by on my way to visit FH; that way I could stop off in Baton Rouge to hear this piano playing pentecostal preacher they got there, because FH won't road trip up for it any further than the French Quarter.
Or I could just watch Swamp People on History.
The Little Grand Canyon IS a beautiful piece of God's creation! Been there several times... + Herb
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