Yesterday was Labor Day, the official end of the summer season. I spent this long weekend balancing matching up on one million in-flight projects, both personal and professional, and making sure this summer had a proper final accord. It was a very busy one, but I took as much of it as I could.
Since the beginning of summer, Igor and I have been planning to go to the Dunes on Labor Day, but then the weather forecast showed dropping temperatures. First, we decided to give up. Then, there were signs of hope, and we decided to go in the afternoon when it should have warmed up. And then, in the morning, it was so cold and windy that I texted Igor to call it off. Besides, I remembered that there was one more thing I hadn’t had time for since May, and I won’t have time till mid-October: going to Fort Sheridan. So I decided to go there in the afternoon.
Since I was going North and close to the Lake, I was sure it would be colder there (as it usually is), so I even put an extra layer in my backpack. Forgot about the lake effect :). To my surprise, it was much warmer than in Rogers Park, and it was even less windy.
I walked to the small beach where swimming is strictly prohibited. As I was sure it would be colder over there, I didn’t even think about walking in the water, let alone swimming. But there were many people out there, some even with umbrellas, and children were jumping in the waves. The water was turquoise green and transparent, the stones were warm, and overall, it was a little piece of paradise. I walked in the waves, and then sat on the white stones till my feet were completely dry.
After that I made a whole big circle around the prarie and walked into the oak woods (only to find where the fences for not restored areas started.)
Thank you, Lake! Thank you, Prarie!
Hettie's Reflections 