Friday 3 October 2014

Random photos

Ok, these really are just random photos (are you fed up with all my photos yet?).  I don't know what I'm going to do once I've run out of photos from Chicago, I'll actually have to start using my camera at home and try and keep up with the blogging (I promised Liz I would ;-) )
 

Before we even got to Chicago, Liz had told us we were going to go to see The Hundred Foot Journey. I hadn't even heard of it and had no idea what to expect.  It ended up being very enjoyable (even though Emily did have to nudge me awake at one point - we had been really busy!)  However, part of going to movies was also so we could see the cinema that Liz goes to in Barrington. It's an independent cinema and it had got to the stage where they thought they were going to have to close it because the equipment was becoming outdated and they didn't know how they'd replace it.  Long story short, the regulars and the community stepped in and they were not only able to replace the equipment but with a bit more fund raising they were able to buy new seats as well.  So glad we got to go.


This was just across the road from the cinema an there was quite a golden glow that evening.

As you can imagine, I missed my granddaughters while we were away but thanks to technology it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been.  Claire was able to send me photos of the girls and, better still, we were able to talk to each other on Face Time virtually every day - to begin with at around 3am Chicago time though we had got later by the end of the stay ;-)

 
 In the laundry basket (obviously, like you would expect!!)
 

One evening Liz, Emily and I went out for a Starbucks and Emily wanted to look in a couple of the shops.  As we were walking across the car park we noticed some people sitting out on chairs.  It was only as we got nearer I remembered that the new iPhone was due out the next morning! Naturally I had to take a photo.


One of the things we noticed was that the sky seemed so much bigger in America.  I know that sounds a silly thing to say but I think it's because there's so much open space.  The next couple of photos were taken going to/coming back from the wedding.  It was being held at the Japanese gardens in Rockford, Illinois which was about a two hour drive from where we were staying.


The other thing that struck me was how flat it was.  Where we live in the UK there seem to be hills every direction you go!


Oh look, another Denny's photo ;-)   This was taken the morning after the wedding before we started on our journey home.  Richard was suffering with allergies and by this stage, Henry was just used to me pointing a camera or phone at him and had given up trying to avoid me.  Poor guy is probably glad we've gone home!

 
Clouds - because I liked them.
 

There was the occasional farmhouse in the distance (this one is zoomed in considerably)


And for this one, I thought I was being sneaky getting the shot but Emily had seen me and was not overly impressed.  Didn't help that we were leaving that afternoon and neither of us was ready to go home yet!