we drove all the way along thornton-lansing road, ignoring our usual stop at the fairy ponds, and drooling at the restored forest preserve to the south;

then turned south, wiggling beside, and then across, thorn creek. (I was focused on driving so these are all snips from google street view:)

“and where,” I mused, “are the quarries?” So we drove further west and my god they are huge. hidden, sloppily, by recruits from the local seed pool, or so completely by earthen berms, that it’s not clear exactly where they are.

then we noticed a lookout on the east side of this southern quarry. no one else was around.

we were unable to actually access the lookout, but it’s clear it wasn’t too long ago that people were invited into this space by manicured junipers and fossils. what a view it must have been!

unfortunately there was not an easy way to bypass the fence, so we walked tamely back east, along the mowed grass and gravel, both dusty. it’s been weeks without rain. the young trees – ash, tree of heaven, buckthorn – sadly hung their leaves, in heavy yellows and reds.

It’s not a place where I’d like to fall in, but nothing is more inviting than restricted access…