A walk in the woods

Yesterday I took a walk in the woods. Tekakwitha Woods, to be exact. It's a small forest preserve only about 500 yards square located on a bend of the Fox River south of Elgin, Illinois. Tekakwitha Woods is bordered by homes and a school on three sides and the river on the fourth. From the nature center in the center of the park, you can see them all.

But then there's the woods. Fuggeddabout the homes and noisy neighborhoods on the edges for a while. In this haven, wildflowers have created a carpet of blossoms on the forest floor. Young leaves stretch from their winter slumber. Creation's cycle starts anew.

The photo above is from the footbridge that spans a gorge on the way to the nature center in the middle of the park. More to come.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2006 James Jordan.