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You Thought I Was Kidding?

Did you read my post from Friday? It was called “What Happens in My Brain“, and I said at the end, “This is hard – maybe I should just go to Chicago for a weekend. . .”

The snow in Three Rivers was so fun that I decided to go to a place of true winter.

I went to Chicago for a weekend. Actually, I visited Cousin Maggie in a suburb for a few days. I’m not making this up. (And Scott D., I emailed you to try and connect, but am wondering if I sent it to an old eddress. . . ?)

This was the view out of the hotel window the first morning.

Running away from home??

 My dear friend, AKA The Captain, went to a suburb of Chicago to bury her aunt. Turns out it was the same burb where my dearest Cousin Maggie lives. That’s not the sort of coincidence one can easily ignore.

She drove me to Cousin Maggie’s house, but we chose not to take the rental car up the unplowed driveway.  Do I get any dorkier than this? Never you mind.

This is the first real live cardinal I’ve ever seen! They resemble our scrub and stellar blue jays, and I was just beside myself with excitement. Is that dorky? (Don’t answer that!)

I went walking in the woods behind Cousin Maggie’s house. It is a deciduous forest preserve, and I would LOVE to see it in the fall. It was cold, but I had my trusty LL Bean boots, and lots of wooly knitted items. It was very satisfying to actually need all those things I’ve been knitting all these years.

Everything looked beautiful to me. I love to see new things, to explore and to discover. . . although I have to admit that while we were sitting in the San Francisco airport ready to take off for Chicago, I told The Captain that I couldn’t wait to get home. My travel muscle is a bit flabby – love to BE there, but oh my, the effort is stupendous.

To be continued tomorrow. . .

6 Comments

  1. Hi Jana,

    You have relatives out of the state to run to, if I run away all my relatives live in Tulare County!! Not much of a run to.!! LOL!!! There is lots to do in Chicago, great food, fab museums, lots of history there, I would visit spring as well as fall!

    Hugs,
    Melissa

    • Melissa, I’m happy to share my cousins with you just as you have always shared your family with me.

  2. I’m so glad you got to see a cardinal! Woohoo!! 🙂 Aren’t they beautiful? (And especially in the snow!) I see them regularly around here but still get excited when I see them. They are just so darn eye-catching. Glad you got a taste of winter in the Midwest. We are certainly ready for spring! 🙂

    • Cheryl, I’m the same way about blue jays – just LOVE the color, in spite of their obnoxious behavior and sounds!

  3. You had never seen a cardinal before? I see them all the time. I even had one fly into my windshield one day when I was driving down the road. Poor thing.

    Your pictures are beautiful as always! I especially liked the one of you – it’s always nice to see your smiling face!

    • Nice to hear from you here, Shannon! Nope, never seen a cardinal. I wonder if they are west of the Mississippi. . . I usually dislike photos of me, but that one was such a hoot.

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