Back Through the Portal

The only way out from the Pratt's Wayne Woods off-leash dog run and model airplane field is back through the portal-like tunnel under the Canadian National freight line. On the way, I stopped for a closer look at the retaining wall, loaded with texture.

Waning Winter

Two more images from Pratt's Wayne Woods, the ice receding from the edge of a lagoon lined with limestone in the first image, and a picnic table waiting under a pair of tall trees for picnic season.

Between Storms

The recent days between snow storms allowed me a chance to return to Pratt's Wayne Woods to see how the last of winter was looking. The off-leash dog area had one set of users out and enjoying the sun. They are seen through the single-lane underpass that subways the freight train line.

Gloaming

No one uses the term 'gloaming' any more, but the light thickened as the sun sank to the southwest. Clouds and vapor trails took on touches of color and the darkness signaled the end of the sunny day in winter. Night followed.

Tunnel

The CN railway runs through a portion of Pratt's Wayne Woods on a sizable roadbed that runs a good level higher than the preserve itself. Here we see the single land tunnel under the train passage, along with a helpful mirror to give a driver a peek around the corner and under the tracks.

Electrified Sunset

Two more views of the recent sunset at Pratt's Wayne Woods. Seen from near the CN railroad track that runs through the preserve, the power of the struts and the barbed wire contrasts well with the color in the sky.

Winter in Wayne

The latest in a series of photo visits to Wayne, where I shot a horse show and a fox hunt in 2010, were to see a pretty sunset at Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve. The sky had color, the clouds were bright, and here we see a power line structure looking tall against the blue sky.

Riders of All Ages

Returning to the Wayne DuPage Fox Hunt, we see the wide age range represented in the hunt. From the Master of the Hounds sounding the call for some errant dogs to the smiling young boy on his pony, the hunt is a true family event.

The Magnificent Hounds

The hounds look wonderful when you look at them in action as a pack, but as they paused outside the church in Wayne for the Blessing of the Hounds, I had the chance to see them in ones and twos.

Magnificent.

Center of Town

The small town of Wayne is the first destination for the fox hunters on the season opening hunt. The hunt is timed with the local church service and the reverend comes out to a service right on Army Trail Road, the Blessing of the Hounds. Having been given a couple of clues, I knew enough to leave the staging area, drive into town, and prepare for the event.

This first image is a reminder of the Horse Show I attended a few weeks earlier, where the star of the tailgate party was a wonderful post-war Bentley. Here the car is simply parked near the church, the owner among the crowd ready for the big event. And then the first riders began to arrive outside the church, walking right up the street.