Kasey enjoys "a dog's life" resting in the grass.

Eric Miller of Mundelein

A family of turtles sunbathes on deadwood at Lakewood Forest Preserve last May.

Cassandra Gordon of Wauconda

A frog peeks his head through the algae at Crabtree Nature Center last week

Joe Petykowski of Palatine

A dragonfly sits on a leaf last summer in western Illinois.

Bob Esbensen of Palatine

A sign tries to confuse maze dwellers in the corn maze at Didier Farms in Prairie View.

Alyssa N. Gaden of Mt. Prospect

My Labrador, Tucker, shows off his talent.

Sarah Elsner of Itasca

This is a modern rural landscape taken south of Forrest, IL off Route 47

Larry Pearlman of Naperville

This is the Chicago skyline as viewed from Greene Valley Forest Preserve, which is a landfill, and possibly the highest spot in DuPage County.

Angela Cichosz of Carol Stream

These baby barn swallows sat outside our Washington coast lodge window waiting to be fed. They fluffed up and huddled together to keep warm.

Milton Hoskins of Hampshire

Just a short walking distance from where we live, sits his beautiful soybean field. Each time I pass it, the plants look so differently. Yesterday, was no exception. This time, I quickly drove home, to finally take a photo during sunset. They were illuminated so vibrantly, with gold, yellow & brown hues.

Mira E. Keyes of Carpentersville

Sunset at Fish Creek in Door County, WI.

Richard Baley of Elgin