The Changing of the Garden

I've been a member of the Chicago Botanic Garden for forever, and in the last few years I have tried to be a weekly walker. I love the Garden in all seasons, with its army of professional staff and volunteers who keep it clean, tidy, and changing with the calendar. It truly is my happy place.

Right now, the beds are changing their colors daily. It is hard to capture how beautiful these somewhat ordinary lagoon-side plantings are in the fall with their muted colors reflected in the water.

I decided that this year I was going to take selfies, makeup or not, hair in place or not, skin in perfect color or not. I read a piece about how being the photographer allows one to refuse to have photos taken of herself and how detrimental that message is to young girls. Women of all ages are beautiful just as they are, and I'm putting myself out there and trying to believe it too.

The fish were happy today in the warm sun but it seemed as though they were looking to be fed.

I'm always playing with the lenses on my iPhone 15 Plus. Closeups of flowers can be tricky if the wind is blowing. 😀

While I walked, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, Noble Blood. Today's episode was about Lettice Knollys, one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies. I'm always intrigued by Tudor stories. It's a great series if you like stories about royalty.

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