Colors

This photo was taken on the bike path near downtown Batavia.

Mist

Here's a cool picture of one of the Fabyan Forest Preserve bridges in the morning mist over the river.

Train

 

I waited for 20 minutes next to this bridge near Island Park in Geneva to get a good photo of the train going by. I took this shot while I was waiting. I'm glad I did, because I couldn't see the train from this angle when it finally passed by.

Fall

It's officially fall, which I am not happy about. I have to admit, however, that it makes for some pretty good photo opportunities. This one was taken on the bike path west of the Fox River near downtown Batavia.

Challenge Co.

Here is a photo of the building that once housed the Challenge Company of Batavia, IL. "This firm was one of the largest and most prosperous American windmill manufacturers in the second half of the 19th and the first part of the 20th Centuries. At one time it boasted production 107 different sizes and types of mills and having 'the largest Wind Mill manufactory in the world, run by water power.'" The Challenge Company was green during the time that carbon emissions were being invented. Although most known for its windmills, the Challenge Company also manufactured gasoline engines, farming equipment, and other industrial machines.

This site has more interesting information about the Challenge Company of Batavia, IL: http://www.spearman.org/Challengehistory2.html

Swedish Days

In honor of Swedish Days this week, here are a few pictures of downtown Geneva, IL.

Summer

It's finally summer, and although I've been riding my bike for some time, I am going to try and start posting pictures again. Here's a good one to start out of the bike path along the Fox River near Fabyan Forest Preserve.

Still Waiting

 
The weather hasn't been very good for riding, so I'm hoping for it to be "in like a lion" on March 1st and then "out like a lamb" from the 2nd on. In the mean time, this is a photo of what was left of the ice along the edge river before it tumbled over the Geneva dam.

Start of the Season

 

Like it says at the top, I frequently ride my bike to work. I could tell you all the wonderful environmental reasons that I do it, but it is honestly mostly for selfish ones. It keeps me in shape, and it lets me spend time outside on my way to and from work. Last year I started taking a few pictures of whatever struck me the most during each trip. I decided to start sharing them this year instead of keeping them to myself. You can check out my route and gear on the right side of the page. I have two rules for myself to act as the frame to this painting. First, I won't post any photos that I didn't take on my way to or from work, and I won't go out of my way to take a picture of something off the route. Second, I will post photos from summer during the summer months and so on, but it won't likely be on the day they were taken.

All that said, I don't ride when there is deep snow or ice on the path or when it is too dark during my commuting hours, so here is the first photo from this season. The day this was taken was unseasonably warm for February in the Chicago suburbs, and the ice that has been covering the Fox River for quite some time was finally melting. This is a picture of the first signs that we are on our way out of a particularly dark and snowy winter.