On July 6, the third straight day of over 100 degrees, this little red squirrel came down from a Sycamore tree in the back yard to cool off on a shaded patch of slightly dampened concrete under a just watered planter on our patio. We thought this nicely summed up how we were all feeling at the time. After about 5 minutes, he got up, took a little yawn and a scratch, and scampered off apparently refreshed.
Marty Michel of Naperville
I had been photographing a beautiful sunset when I saw the storm coming closer. As my family all went inside or on the porch to get out of the storm, I went down by the dock to take pictures of the lightning.
Shannon Hitchcock of Naperville
I took this long exposure photo of carnival rides at the Glendale Heights Summerfest on opening night, July 11, 2012. I framed the photo at an angle where I captured part of the food stands in the background.
Angela Cichosz of Carol Stream
Fireworks burst on the night of July 4 in Bartlett about a mile from the fireworks show. Its like the Forrest Gump quote, slightly altered taking photos at night, from one mile away, is like opening a box of chocolates, you never know what youre gonna get.
L. Simmons of Bartlett
Chicago White Sox runner A.J. Pierzynski runs over Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli and knocks the ball out of his glove to score during a game on July 4 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.
John Wysocki of Mount Prospect
A chipmunk comes up to take a drink from a fountain in an Elk Grove Village backyard last week. Everyone needs relief during the record hot temperatures.
Karen Stevens of Elk Grove Village
A wren prepares to feed a grasshopper to a wide-mouthed chick in a bird house modeled after an old fashioned house trailer located in a Libertyville back yard.
Kenneth Weik of Libertyville
A beach-comber blends in with the architecture of a pier in North Carolina last month.
Iris Cooley of Hawthorn Woods
A hummingbird approaches a flower on a trumpeter vine in an Ingleside backyard.
Marty Krogh of Ingleside
This is a picture of a fairy at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.
Cindy Parcher of East Dundee
This photo shows a hawk perched on a utility pole wire anxiously waiting to pounce on nearby prey.
Brendan McGee of Batavia
Although the Chicago Botanical Gardens is full of beautiful things, I was captivated by this fly peering at me over the edge of a wavy palm leaf. I like that you can see his shadow through the transparent leaf.
Robert M. Sharp of Gilberts