Walk With Me, Part 1

Walk with Me: Stop the Mine at Banner

2008-07-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

Walk with Me, Part 2

2006-01-02T21:17:00.000-06:00

For Current Photos, please visit part 2 of my photographic journey through the Illinois River Valley:

Walk With Me, Part 2

Walk with Me, part 2

2005-10-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

I was able to create a new blog. I thought at first I was going to have to come up with an entirely new account, but it let me auto post the photos to
Walk with Me, part 2. Please refer to the new blog for current photos. The postings on this account will remain as archived photographs.

2005-10-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Looks like I'm not going to be able to automatically update this photoblog using Picassa anymore.

Scott gave me an early birthday present, a really nice camera, Canon Digital Rebel, with a really big lens, Phoenix 100-400mm, so I can try to get some closer shots of the many birds we see at the wetlands around Peoria. Unfortunately, I posted a couple without resizing, and apparently those big photos must have triggured the system. It thinks this is a spam blog and makes me enter a word verification each time I post a message, and Picassa can't do this.

I will have to find another venue for posting photographs, as the manual method is way too time-consuming.

I will miss this blog!

************************

Error message when Posting through Picassa or Hello:

com.google.blogger.exceptions.RateLimitingException

Help message regarding this error:

Why do I have word verification on my posting form?

Word verification on the posting form is meant to be a spam reduction mechanism for BlogSpot in general, and is applied to certain potential spam blogs by an automated system. Because this is automated there will necessarily be some false positives, though we're continually working on improving our algorithms to avoid these. If your blog is one of the false positives, we apologize. Having the word verification on your posting form does not prevent you from publishing and does not mean that your blog will be deleted or otherwise punished if it is not actually in violation of our policies.

2005-10-22T21:10:00.000-05:00

And more pelicans! Lake Chautuaqua, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, north of Havana.
J G Ward

2005-10-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

Pelicans.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:57:00.000-05:00

Young swan with wings spread. This is one of the first photos taken with my new camera. Scott got me a Canon Digital Rebel and a 100-400mm lens to try to capture some of the shots that were too far away for the Nikon CP995 or CP4500.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:56:00.000-05:00

Swans in the distance.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:55:00.002-05:00

Great Egret, slightly out of focus, soft, like a dream.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:55:00.001-05:00

Egret and Goose.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

A pond in the deep ravine left by the strip mine that used to occupy this land. This is taken with the 18-55mm lens that came with the camera, set to 18 for a really wide-angle view.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:54:00.000-05:00

Looking across the berms.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:53:00.001-05:00

Cottonwood Trees against the emerging blue sky.
J G Ward

2005-10-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

Banner Marsh on a windy October morning.
J G Ward

Grebe at Banner Marsh

2005-10-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

2005-10-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

East Peoria Wetland.
J G Ward

2005-10-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

2005-10-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

Turtles on a log. This photo was taken with Ed's Nikon Coolpix 5700. A very nice camera.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:32:00.000-05:00

Swans at Banner Marsh. This photo was also taken with Ed's 5700.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:25:00.000-05:00

Swan dive.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:24:00.001-05:00

Mother swan and cignet.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:24:00.000-05:00

Mute Swans at Banner Marsh.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:23:00.001-05:00

Geese taking off.
J G Ward

2005-10-11T21:23:00.000-05:00

Asters in October.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:38:00.000-05:00

Canadian Geese at Banner Marsh on the first day of October. Note the Great Blue Heron in the upper left corner of the photo.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:37:00.000-05:00

Cropped shot of the Great Blue Heron in the far left corner of the previous photograph.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:35:00.000-05:00

American Coots swimming away.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:34:00.000-05:00

Black and Yellow Argiopes guards its web.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:33:00.001-05:00

Thistle seeds dispersing in the wind.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

Honeybee on Thistle.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:32:00.001-05:00

Great Egret hunting in the pond along the dike.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Great Egret taking off.
J G Ward

2005-10-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

Great Blue Heron.
J G Ward

2005-09-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

Great Egrets at Banner Marsh on a cool September morning.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

Goldenrod on the savanna.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:28:00.000-05:00

Black and Yellow Argiopes. These huge spiders were everywhere along the edge of the island where I was photographing the swans.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:25:00.000-05:00

Swans at Banner Marsh.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Bumble bee on the Golden Rod at Springdale Savanna. His pollen sacs are swollen orange.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

Fallen tree at Forest Park.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

Turkey Tails, bracket fungi at Forest Park.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Wild Coffee.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

Spotted Touch-Me-Not at Bennett's Terraqueous Gardens in East Peoria.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

Swans at Banner Marsh, after some rain.
J G Ward

2005-09-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

Yellow Chestnut Oak at the Hillside Prairie, Robinson Park, on a dry September morning.
J G Ward

2005-09-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

A Black and Yellow Argiopes with the characteristic mark in the web. In Austrailia they refer to a similar spider as the St. Andrew Cross spider.
J G Ward

2005-09-20T16:04:00.000-05:00

Swans at Banner Marsh.
J G Ward

2005-09-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

Tree at Banner Marsh.
J G Ward

2005-09-20T13:02:00.000-05:00

Swans.
J G Ward

Peoria Riverfront

2005-09-07T23:25:00.000-05:00

View of the Riverfront at Peoria, Illinois.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:24:00.000-05:00

Spirit of Peoria.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Spirit of Peoria from the deck at the Landing.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:22:00.000-05:00

Peoria Riverfront Visitor's Center.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

Fire Hydrant spewing water across River Front Park.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:18:00.001-05:00

Bridge Worker at the Riverfront Marina.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Peoria Riverfront Marina.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Murray Baker Bridge and Marina.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

Murray Baker Bridge, Peoria, Illinois. (Previously misidentified as the McCluggage Bridge.)

According to HistoricPeoria.com:
"Thanks to businessman Murray Morrison Baker, Caterpillar is headquartered in Peoria. In 1909, Baker convinced Holt Manufacturing Co. to open a factory here. Holt merged with C.L. Best Gas Tractor Co. in 1925 to become Caterpillar Tractor Company. Baker became vice president and director of sales for the newly formed company and later served on Cat’s board of directors."

Later he had a bridge named after him.
J G Ward

2005-09-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

Train on the Riverfront by the I-74 Bridge Work. This bridge is supposed to be open in 10 days!
J G Ward

2005-09-07T22:41:00.000-05:00

Cat Truck at Caterpillar Headquarters, Peoria.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

Fawns keeping watch at Forest Park Nature Preserve.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:49:00.000-05:00

Fawns looking for a place to hide. This summer's drought has been really hard on the animals; these fawns are extremely thin for this time of year.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

One of the fawns.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:47:00.001-05:00

Wild turkey at Forest Park.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:47:00.000-05:00

A doe leads two fawns away.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:46:00.001-05:00

Giant Puffballs
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

Yellow prairie flowers.
J G Ward

2005-08-30T13:39:00.000-05:00

Purple Cone Flower, on the prairie's edge at Forest Park Nature Preserve.
J G Ward

The War Prayer

2005-08-29T16:10:00.004-05:00

You can purchase "The War Prayer" at Amazon.com.

"The War Prayer" was dictated by Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens] in 1904 in advance of his death in 1910.

During his writing career, he had criticized perhaps every type of person or institution either living or dead. But this piece was just a little too hot for his family to tolerate. Since they believed the short narrative would be regarded as sacrilege, they urged him not to publish it. However, Sam was to have the last word, and even the word after that. Having directed it to be published after his death, he said,

"I have told the truth in that... and only dead men can tell the truth in this world."

- William H. Huff

The War Prayer
by Mark Twain

It was a time of great and
exalting excitement.

The country was up in arms,
the war was on,
in every breast
burned the holy fire of patriotism;
the drums were beating,
the bands playing,
the toy pistols popping,
the bunched firecrackers
hissing and spluttering;
on every hand and far down
the receding and fading spread
of roofs and balconies
a fluttering wilderness of flags
flashed in the sun;
daily the young volunteers marched
down the wide avenue
gay and fine in their new uniforms,
the proud fathers and mothers
and sisters and sweethearts
cheering them with voices
choked with happy emotion
as they swung by;
nightly the packed mass meetings
listened, panting, to patriot oratory
which stirred the deepest deeps
of their hearts,
and which they interrupted
at briefest intervals
with cyclones of applause,
the tears running down their cheeks
the while;
in the churches the pastors preached
devotion to flag and country,
and invoked the God of Battles
beseeching His aid in our good cause
in outpourings of fervid eloquence
which moved every listener.
It was indeed a glad and gracious time,
and the half dozen rash spirits
that ventured to disapprove of the war
and cast a doubt upon its righteousness
straightway got such a stern
and angry warning
that for their personal safety's sake
they quickly shrank out of sight
and offended no more in that way.

Sunday morning came --
next day the battalions would leave
for the front;
the church was filled;
the volunteers were there,
their young faces
alight with martial dreams --
visions of the stern advance,
the gathering momentum,
the rushing charge, the flashing sabers,
the flight of the foe, the tumult,
the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit,
the surrender!
Then home from the war,
bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored,
submerged in golden seas of glory!
With the volunteers sat their dear ones,
proud, happy, and envied
by the neighbors and friends
who had no sons and brothers
to send forth to the field of honor,
there to win for the flag, or, failing,
die the noblest of noble deaths.
The service proceeded; a war chapter
from the Old Testament was read;
the first prayer was said;
it was followed by an organ burst
that shook the building,
and with one impulse the house rose,
with glowing eyes and beating hearts,
and poured out
that tremendous invocation --

*God the all-terrible!
Thou who ordainest!
Thunder thy clarion
and lightning thy sword!*

Then came the "long" prayer.
None could remember the like of it
for passionate pleading
and moving and beautiful language.
The burden of its supplication was,
that an ever-merciful and benignant
Father of us all would watch over
our noble young soldiers,
and aid, comfort, and encourage them
in their patriotic work;
bless them, shield them in the day
of battle and the hour of peril,
bear them in His mighty hand,
make them strong and confident,
invincible in the bloody onset;
help them to crush the foe,
grant to them
and to their flag and country
imperishable honor and glory --

An aged stranger entered and moved
with slow and noiseless step
up the main aisle,
his eyes fixed upon the minister,
his long body clothed in a robe
that reached to his feet, his head bare,
his white hair descending
in a frothy cataract to his shoulders,
his seamy face unnaturally pale,
pale even to ghastliness.
With all eyes following him
and wondering,
he made his silent way;
without pausing, he ascended
to the preacher's side
and stood there waiting.
With shut lids the preacher,
unconscious of his presence,
continued with his moving prayer,
and at last finished it with the words,
uttered in fervent appeal,
"Bless our arms,
grant us the victory,
O Lord our God,
Father and Protector
of our land and flag!"

The stranger touched his arm,
motioned him to step aside --
which the startled minister did --
and took his place.
During some moments
he surveyed the spellbound audience w
ith solemn eyes, in which burned
an uncanny light;
then in a deep voice he said:

"I come from the Throne --
bearing a message from Almighty God!"
The words smote the house with a shock;
if the stranger perceived it
he gave no attention.
"He has heard the prayer
of His servant your shepherd,
and will grant it
if such shall be your desire
after I, His messenger,
shall have explained to you its import --
that is to say, its full import.
For it is like unto
many of the prayers of men,
in that it asks for more
than he who utters it is aware of --
except he pause and think.

"God's servant and yours
has prayed his prayer.
Has he paused and taken thought?
Is it one prayer?
No, it is two --
one uttered, the other not.
Both have reached the ear
of Him Who heareth all supplications,
the spoken and the unspoken.
Ponder this -- keep it in mind.
If you would beseech
a blessing upon yourself, beware!
lest without intent
you invoke a curse upon a neighbor
at the same time.
If you pray for the blessing of rain
upon your crop which needs it,
by that act you are possibly praying
for a curse upon some neighbor's crop
which may not need rain and can be injured by it.

"You have heard your servant's prayer --
the uttered part of it.
I am commissioned of God
to put into words the other part of it --
that part which the pastor --
and also you in your hearts --
fervently prayed silently.
And ignorantly and unthinkingly?
God grant that it was so!
You heard these words:
'Grant us the victory,
O Lord our God!' That is sufficient.
The *whole* of the uttered prayer
is compact into those pregnant words.
Elaborations were not necessary.
When you have prayed for victory
you have prayed for
many unmentioned results
which follow victory--*must* follow it,
cannot help but follow it.
Upon the listening spirit
of God the Father fell also
the unspoken part of the prayer.
He commandeth me
to put it into words.

Listen!

"O Lord our Father,
our young patriots,
idols of our hearts,
go forth to battle --
be Thou near them!
With them, in spirit,
we also go forth
from the sweet peace
of our beloved firesides
to smite the foe.

O Lord our God,
help us
to tear their soldiers
to bloody shreds
with our shells;
help us
to cover their smiling fields
with the pale forms
of their patriot dead;
help us
to drown the thunder
of the guns
with the shrieks of their wounded,
writhing in pain; help us
to lay waste
their humble homes
with a hurricane of fire;
help us
to wring the hearts
of their unoffending widows
with unavailing grief;
help us
to turn them out roofless
with little children
to wander unfriended
the wastes
of their desolated land
in rags and hunger
and thirst,
sports of the sun flames
of summer
and the icy winds
of winter,
broken in spirit,
worn with travail,
imploring Thee
for the refuge of the grave
and denied it --
for our sakes
who adore Thee, Lord,
blast their hopes,
blight their lives,
protract their bitter pilgrimage,
make heavy their steps,
water their way with their tears,
stain the white snow
with the blood
of their wounded feet!
We ask it,
in the spirit of love,
of Him Who is the Source of Love,
and Who is the ever-faithful
refuge and friend
of all that are sore beset
and seek His aid
with humble and contrite hearts.

Amen.

(*After a pause.*)

"Ye have prayed it;
if ye still desire it,
speak!
The messenger of the
Most High waits!"

It was believed afterward
that the man was a lunatic,
because there was no sense
in what he said.

2005-08-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

Leaving Havana.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

Tribute to the Soldiers 1861 - 1885, Havana Courthouse.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

Main Street in Havana leads right into the Illinois River.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

Havana City Hall, in the old Havana National Bank building.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Lawford Theater is closed.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

The Chuckwagon Restaurant in Havana, Illinois.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

View of Havana, Illinois from the Water Tower.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:23:00.000-05:00

Historic Havana Water Tower. According to the plaque at the site: This water tower has been in continuous use since its erection in 1889.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:16:00.000-05:00

Black Swallowtail Butterfly, along the slough behind Larry's at Spring Lake.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:10:00.000-05:00

Water Lily on Spring Lake.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

Swans on Spring Lake. Photo was taken with the telephoto extender, using the tripod and remote release.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

Flowers on a hillside bordering an irrigated field near Spring Lake.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

Prickley Pear Cactus fruit, almost ripe. The cactus grow in the sandy soil around Spring Lake and Sand Ridge State Park.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Zimmatic irrigation system in progress. The bluff on the east side of Spring Lake is made of sand. They irrigate using the water from the underground aquifer.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

The Sportsman Creed.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

Greg shows us the interior of the club, ready to feed 100, 1/2 roasted chicken or 12 oz. porkchops for 7.00 a plate. No charge for the beer because he lost his liquor license a while back.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:57:00.001-05:00

Spring Lake Sportsmens Club from the front.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:57:00.000-05:00

View of Spring Lake from the Sportsmens Club. It is out there somewhere through the brush . . . as is a reported spring.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

Greg welcomed us to the Sportsmen's Club and showed us around.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:52:00.001-05:00

Intrigued by the sign, we mosied on down the road.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:52:00.000-05:00

Spring Lake Sportsmens Club, est 1896.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

Oyster Mushrooms growing by the side of Rice Lake.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:47:00.000-05:00

Hibiscus.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

Green Heron at Banner Marsh.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

Giant Puffball.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

Monarch Butterfly.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

Bumble Bee on Milkweed Flower # 2.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

Bumble Bee on Milkweed Flower. Banner Marsh, Friday August 26, on a cloudy, gray, humid day.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

Parasol mushrooms found in Bison Country at Lone Elk Park. Luckily the bison were not around when I slipped out of the car to pick the mushrooms. The hat is filled with boletes and acorns picked on my walk through the woods at the World Bird Sanctuary.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T20:44:00.000-05:00

Birds Nest Fungi, taken at 1/6 second. I really should have used a tripod. These fungi are really small! Note the mycelia in the lower left corner.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

It was a dark and stormy day at the World Bird Sanctuary. This was hand-held at 1/8 second.
J G Ward

2005-08-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Mushrooms growing in the mulch along the path down the bluff.
J G Ward