Wheeler Park - where the prairie meets history
A patch of open land has been turned into an impressive Illinois prairie site.
That patch is part of Wheeler Park in Geneva and the newly planted prairie area is blooming nicely. It gives us another reminder of what our entire state looked like at one time.
Speaking of the past, information about the Wheeler Park property's history as a gravel-mining site more than 100 years ago is available for walkers to read near the prairie.
Area residents don't have to go back 100 years to find another interesting tidbit about the exact location of the new prairie grasses.
That same area, now an array of colorful prairie flowers, used to be a landing pad for a helicopter that delivered mail from Chicago to the Tri-Cities.
Those who have lived in the area all of their lives may remember seeing this copter come in on the weekends - 50 or so years ago.
A balancing act: Many jobs have fascinating aspects, but guys who replace a roof on a house can boast of one that catches my eye every time.
How do these guys walk around on the steep inclines of so many of the newer homes in the area? They walk around as if taking a stroll down the street.
It definitely fits in the category of "don't try this on your own."
An odd barricade: I think even Davy Crockett and the defenders at the Alamo may have come up with a more aesthetic blockade on their north wall than Home Depot in Geneva has devised to block its north driveway off Bent Tree Drive.
The driveway used to take delivery trucks, but has since been blocked with, of all things, skids of baled cardboard waste - until that waste is picked up.
It should be noted that Home Depot has probably been one of the best neighbors in that area in terms of keeping property clean and grass cut, etc. So this was somewhat of an eye shock for those in this Geneva neighborhood on an otherwise usually pristine property.
My suggestion? How about a wooden fence that blocks the view, and also does a better job of keeping wandering kids from walking through the property?
On your Christmas tree: Mark this down as my first mention of Christmas. But I have to pass this along because we've purchased plenty of St. Charles-themed ornaments for our Christmas tree in the past.
These ornaments feature historic city buildings and landmarks. And the history center is selling them at half price this month. Check out the gift shop at 215 E. Main St.
No revelation here: I had noted that I felt the end of Geneva's Swedish Days in mid-June signals that summer is about to fly by us - even though it is actually just starting at that time. I also asked readers when they feel summer is past us.
Most said they follow the calendar - that Labor Day weekend marks the end. Others felt it ended when they returned from family vacation in late July.
Bottom line: Our winters linger, our summers zoom by.
dheun@sbcglobal.net