Flying by the Seat of Our Plans

We convinced my mom to come up from cozy Florida to Southern Illinois in February of all times to meet baby Lucy.  She was welcomed at STL by snow and temps in the teens.  Needless to say, we didn't venture out much for a few days.  But by Sunday, I was getting cabin fever and the forecast was calling for temps in the 50s, so I planned a driving tour for the four of us. We started out at Kinkaid Spillway.  Mom was very impressed by the volume and force of the water pouring out of the lake and over the falls.  We couldn't cross at the beach because it was under water, but she was daring enough to walk the muddy path in from the dam to get right up next to the falls. I had forced myself to leave my tripod and filters behind, knowing that I would spend too much time taking pictures if I had them, but I still managed to take a few shots without them.     Next, we drove to the top of Fountain Bluff to watch eagles soar, pushboats chug, and

60s in February?!  Count us in! Laura noticed a mild weekend on the horizon and invited some friends to join us on an easy hike at Ferne Clyffe.  We knew that the trails there would be good for the jogging stroller, so it was an easy choice.  I had ordered a new adapter ring so that Micah could make use of my lens filters, so the waterfall would be a good place for him to try them out. We met up with Micah, Hannah, Steven, and Kate in the parking lot and then strolled out to the waterfall, fording a small waterway with the stroller along the way. Photo by Laura Photo by Laura At the waterfall, I worked with Micah to help him take his first long exposure photos.  We weren't the only folks to get the memo about the weather, so it was a bit tough to get a shot without people stepping in front of the camera.  It can be frustrating, but I have to remember that it isn't my waterfall and that my standing there with a tripod is likely interfering with someone e