Illinois Archives - Gayle Harper

Click!

November 21, 2013 by Gayle Harper 16 Comments

At precisely the perfect time, while up to my eyeballs in alligators during the Kickstarter campaign, Cathy Dondanville, a reader and a friend who I had not yet met, invited me to visit her home overlooking the Mississippi. Knowing that it would be the perfect way to recharge before the next busy phase of this project, I gratefully accepted.

Cathy’s home in the quiet farming community of Calhoun County, Illinois, is best reached by ferry as it sits on a sort of peninsula between the Illinois and the Mississippi Rivers. She is a fabulous cook and a gracious hostess – AND this is her backyard!

A Treat and a Story

October 16, 2013 by Gayle Harper Leave a Comment

A Treat

First, here’s a splash of fall – a bit of calorie-free “eye candy,” (as someone commented on the Facebook page) as my thank you to you.

This was taken at Pere Marquette State Park near Alton, Illinois. From river level, the trees appeared mostly green, but looking down from the bluffs, the color took my breath away!

Thank You

The Birthday Surprise: Roadtripping With a Raindrop Moment #5

July 19, 2013 by Gayle Harper 12 Comments

It has rained incessantly since I arrived in Galena, Illinois, 48 hours ago. Just as I am leaving, I am granted a 10-minute reprieve, so I scurry like a crazed squirrel grabbing a few shots of the beautiful downtown historic district.

Galena, Illinois

Back on the Mississippi Great River Road, after stopping at a river overlook and watching a pair of bald eagles spiral up from the misty valley below, I pull back onto the highway and surprise myself by turning north instead of south. It’s not confusion and it isn’t really a decision, it’s just my way of aimless traveling while on this 90-day journey of a raindrop – it’s just “surrendering to serendipity.”