Alternative shot: smooth waterfall.
(The water in the shot is perfect,
but everything else has a slight blur.)

Places like this is why I love Geocaching.

I've been having an unsuccessful few days with the hunts and haven't been in the mood to search lately; however, I decided to give it a try as I was driving home through a new area today. I pulled into an extremely large park nestled in the midst of wealthy north-side Chicago houses and came across this rock garden as a nice surprise.

As I started to walk on the path that winds around and over the water, I looked up from my GPS devices and saw three deer staring straight at me. They were silent, they were still. We stared. I breathed. It felt like several minutes passed before one of them took a slow step forward before bounding into the trees, the other two following. I smiled.

"I didn't even realize this place was here!" I commented to a nearby observer, whom I didn't notice before as his olive-green outfit blended in with the trees. A thin, middle-aged man with dark hair, mustache, and glasses, he replied, "Have you not been here before?"

Larry, as he later introduced himself, explained that the land, now an educational nature preserve with an abundance of wildlife (particularly deer), used to be a tuberculosis sanitarium until it closed in 1974. The buildings were empty and abandoned until developers in the 80's and 90's saw it as a good opportunity to expand residential areas and make some money. However, residents were able to fight against this idea and keep most of the land preserved. Now it has become a beautiful place of 40+ acres for people to visit, take pictures, view wildlife and nature, play sports, etc.

He also recalled stories of his father approaching TB patients from the outside of the fenced-in sanitarium, collecting their horse racing bets, going to the races, and bringing them back their winnings.

I will be making a trip back here soon!

Oh, and yes, I found the cache. :)

__________
a year ago: sunglasses reflection.