canoeing down the nippersink

An end of summer feature.
Jessica Carlson and Jon Stiegleiter, of McHenry, canoe in the Nippersink Creek in Richmond on Saturday, Aug. 20. The duo, were waiting for six others in their group, to catch up with them.

Here's a view from my seat. Rough day at work.

building an airplane

"It just takes some glue, a good saw, and some wood," Brad Delisle says of building his own personal airplane, and Delisle is making it happen with his father Mike in the basement of their Lakewood home. I had the pleasure of hanging out with them while they worked on their 1929 wooden Pietenpol Aircamper that will travel 60 miles per hour once finished and be covered in fabric. Amazing!

that time of year

Fall sports season is back in action, and so are the mascots.

back to school

I got to hang out with Katrina, 11, an aspiring writer and musician going into sixth-grade, and Maya, 5, who will be attending kindergarten and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. The challenging part was shooting video and linking these two strangers together into one cohesive piece. I think it all came together; here is what they are looking forward to this coming school year.

Katrina Troy, 11, prepares to play a tune on her guitar at her family's home in Lake in the HIlls. Troy will be attending the sixth-grade at Marlowe Middle School and is looking forward to band, choir, art and cooking class. "I already have my backpack packed and ready to go," Troy said of going back to school.

Maya Tierney, 5, laughs as her mother Seija Tierney reads a book with her at their home in Algonquin. Maya will be attending kindergarten at Algonquin Lakes Elementary School and wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

plans to run again

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi smiles with wife Jean before taking the podium at his fundraiser dinner Thursday evening at Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills to announce his plans for re-election.

a smattering of summer scenes

Summer varies from culture to climate, but in northern Illinois and throughout America similar classic scenes can be seen year after year.  A county fair, an afternoon baseball game, an outdoor ice cream stand. Though these photos may not be mind-blowing, to me they represent Americana and are timeless; the year could be 1950 or 2011.

A look at the County Fair Pageant contest.

I love the stance of this Japanese pitcher! It looks like art! Japan's Masato Hagiwara pitches against Victory Illinois in the game Saturday at Lippold Park.

the king and his court

I recently crossed paths with the Harlem Globetrotters of the softball world: The King and His Court. This four man team has played in over 104 countries and includes a pitcher, catcher, first baseman and shortstop. The tradition began in 1946 after a former Marine came home from the war and continued playing softball and taking on challengers. The current 4 King and His Court players took on the Tidal Waves, an all girl team in the area, before a massive summer storm rolled in.

100 years young

In 1911, Machu Picchu was discovered, the average price of a home was $4,800, Niagra Falls froze over, Taft was president, and Eleanor Thompson was born. The Huntley resident celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family in late July, and I also made a short video of the milestone event.

wild weather and other sights

Crazy clouds as seen from our back porch Friday, July 1.

The evening before, a golf-ball size hail storm.

The last day of June, Millenium Park.

This city never gets old.

Cat on a hanger. Duh.

the big leagues (+ jq)

Little league, big league, we do it all. I was also impressed by these players' skill and poise and shot day two of the Cross Town Classic between the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. Sox won 1-0. I almost got nailed by a fast foul ball but hit the deck fast, so I am glad I am here to write and post this all.

Marion Byrd, left, and Alfonso Soriano pretend to box Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field before the start of the game.

The Cub's Matt Garza pitches against the White Sox.

The White Sox's Philip Humber pitches against the Cubs.

The White Sox's Gordon Beckham leaps over the Cubs Marion Byrd in the second inning Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Byrd was tagged out.

Chicago Cubs manager Mike Quade argues with second base umpire Paul Emmel in the second inning over a call on Marion Byrd. Quade was ejected from the game.

Hello, Carlos Pena!

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler takes in the game with fiance Kristin Cavallari.

Chicago's Starlin Castro smiles after making a catch in the fifth inning.

The White Sox's Juan Pierre hits a single in the sixth inning against the Cubs Saturday, leading to Gordon Beckham scoring the first and only run.

The White Sox's Alex Rios makes a catch in the seventh inning.

A fan catches a ball from the game during the eighth inning and is quite happy about it.

The White Sox's Paul Konerko makes a catch in the final play of the game against the Cubs Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

And saving the best for last, I look down the dugout from me and who is sitting right by me but my favorite actor John Cusack. Ha cha cha! Twice in one lifetime! (Which my friend Kamala says would be a great title for a romance novel.) http://amandaschwengel.blogspot.com/2010/11/john-cusack-uses-my-camera.html

the little leagues

Little league season is well under way and I was impressed by the poise and skill of these 7 and 8-year old players.