Medeival Maidens in the Forest

These images were taken at a local meetup that was titled "Mideival Maidens in the Forest."

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The Fabyan Windmill at 2 am, January 2016, in the fog

The restored Fabyan Windmill located in Geneva, Illinois.

Read about the amazing restoration of the windmill that was done in the nick of time by old world craftsmen, here. I find it somewhat disappointing that the Fabyan Windmill doesn't grind and that there are no demonstrations of it grinding wheat into flour. There was a bakery in the basement, a novel idea for a mill. The windmill is part of the once 300-acre estate of George and Nell Fabyan that they called "Riverbank." Across the river is thei "Fabyan villa," which was remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright. Across the street (Route 31) from that is Riverbank Laboratories, the first ever privately funded scientific research facility.

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Amazing day today

It was over 70 degrees, one of the last  balmy days.

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Rock the Dress

A few images from the Rock the Dress shoot

I tried to take some close ups for the makeup artists and hair stylists, since this was a TFP shoot.

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Beautiful smiling blonde bride

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Blood moon

It was very cloudy when I was trying to take these pictures of the blood moon.

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Beautiful Ke Ke from a shoot in May

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The Amazing Union Station Hotel

The hotel is very interesting to photograph because it used to be an actual train station. Many opportunities to play with reflections and the structure that was left intact.

Model Theresa Rousselot-Vandiver wearing a lovely vintage gown at Union Station, Saint Louis, Missouri

Checking his reflection at Union Station, Missouri-Model Zakk Noethen

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If I'm posting a picture of the Gateway Arch...

Saint Louis Gateway Arch

If I post a picture of the Saint Louis Gateway Arch, I must be somebody else, according to a certain person. But the Gateway Arch is a famous historical structure photographed by many people other than me and Mike Malone. Search google images by typing in "Gateway Arch." I must say, though, I have really enjoyed photographing it over the years when I've passed through Saint Louis.

This year I was staying in Saint Louis for the epic Shutterfest 2015 Photography Conference when I was able to get this shot (above) with the 5D Mark III and the 16x35 wide angle lens from across the Mississippi River.

I was able to get another shot of it (the one below) from the Missouri side during a rainstorm, which gave it a very ethereal look.

Gateway Arch, Saint Louis, Missouri

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The Magnolias are blooming

And there are so many different kinds! These are the lovely large spring blooms from the Magnolia I'm the most familiar with, which happens to be a hybrid.

Magnolia × soulangeana (saucer magnolia) 

These are the white blooms from at white variety of magnolia

Magnolia  × loebneri ‘Merrill’ (Loebner magnolia)

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Flowers

Hydrangeas. Can't wait until spring!

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Winter Barn and out buildings

A fairly well-kept barn in winter with snow on the ground and the roofs with a moody, slightly cloudy sky.

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LL Bean Outdoor Discovery at Historic Corron Farm

LL Bean Outdoor Dsicovery Schools sign at Historic Corron Farm with snowshoes for all ages

LL Bean conducts these classes to teach children (and by extension their interested parents), about the great outdoors. At the Winter Wonders event at Historic Corron Farm *to raise money for the Dairy Barn*, LL Bean furnished snowshoes, but it didn't end there. They also had a contraption that makes perfect snowballs (provided you have packing snow for it).  Kind of like a melon baller, only for snowballs.

Use it like a melon baller

It makes the perfect snowballs!

Perfect snowballs

They also had binoculars and a birding book, in the event someone was interested in birds. Since I've been a birder since I was a child, I appreciated their offering kids the opportunity to do that.

This is a bag that was originally made to carry ice in. It can hold up to 150 pounds of ice! It's made of the same thick stiff canvas, and can be used as a shopping bag, or a book bag, or whatever else your imagination can come up with. Still useful, just not for its original purpose because we don't have to wait for the iceman to come anymore, or go somewhere and buy ice for the icebox.

They also had hoola hoops

When I took the wagon tour, led by a botanist member of the Historic Corron Farm Preservation Society, I saw the children coming back on their snowshoes

Coming back from using those snowshoes!

Looking back at my pictures from the day, it looks like I have a lot more to talk about.

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Snow Princess

Such a lovely girl to read stories to the children at Historic Corron Farm.

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Historic Corron Farm, a wonderful place, important to preserve

The Historic Corron Farm sign from Corron Road

I stumbled across this wonderful place, and once I found out a bit of its history, I needed to share it. This is one of the many hidden jewels that you may not run across unless you know about it, or happen to drive by it. 

Corron Farm became the first of Campton Hills Township's Open Space projects. Campton Hills Township purchased the farm's 220 acres in 2002.

Here is the beautiful Dairy Barn, which is in need of repair. The beautiful blue color on top of the barn is, in fact, a tarp, protecting the leaky roof and the building from more water damage. The foundation also is in need of repair.

This storyboard shows the history of the barn, and how over time it fell into disrepair.

Today was a wonderful event; Winter Wonders at Historic Carron Farm. (See also Winter Wonders event for all ages at Corron Farm.) There was so much that I learned about the farm during this 3-hour visit, that I will break what I learned into several posts and share my photos with you.

Historic Corron Farm is in Campton Hills, and is now owned and managed by Campton Township. Farmland has been restored to open prairie and wetlands, and it is public land, although the house and buildings are not open to the public, they do have events like the Winter Wonders event throughout the year. Here is a link to the Daily Herald's article about Campton Prairie Fest from September, 2013. An article about a pig roast from June 2013. Here, LL Bean Meetup group talks about the Winter Wonders from today, January 24, 2015.

Briefly, in 1835, young 19-year-old Robert Corron came from Virginia and was one of the first settlers in Kane County, Illinois. It was a fully operational farm, which eventually raised hogs, dairy cows, chickens, and horses. At first they used horses to pull plows, and evolved from there. It was managed by his descendants for more than 160 years.

Goats and hog house (to the right) in front of the horse barn, showing 1930's and to the left of that, the 1860's corn crib. January, 2015.

Hired man's house, January, 2015.

Links:

Corron Farm Preservation Society

Campton Township Parks and Open Space

Corron Farm Preservation Society on Facebook

Save The Dairy Barn Go Fund Me by Tom Corron

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Winter field

Some farm fields are simply gorgeous after snow falls

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Only partially frozen

The river last year was completely frozen. This year only bits of ice.

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Beautiful December without snow

Lovely reflections in the nearly frozen water

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A red donut

This is how he falls asleep.

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Beautiful reflections

Although this year there is no snow on the ground, there is still a lot of beauty in the lacy bare trees along the shoreline of the Fox River.

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