Nature, Mother

Much as I love Chicago, I really missed the whole "nature" thing during my time there. So now that I'm here in the verdant outskirts of Spookytown, I've been spending as much time outside as possible. Yesterday I went to a local suburban park with my friends and their kids. This picture pretty much sums it all up:


Today I went hiking here. This picture also pretty much sums it up:






















I spent most of my time hiking the river trail, which winds along cliffs overlooking the Potomac. Others were engaged in water sports (the riparian kind) below.
































The man is apparently worried about people falling off said cliffs, but I somehow managed to avoid this gruesome fate.













Flora and fauna are a bit more subtle here than in California.


























But I found it touching nonetheless to see disparate trees living in perfect amity.