Gretchen Steele

It’s the time of year when we suddenly notice the shortening of the days. Not only is darkness starting to fall earlier in the evening, but we are in the zone just before time changes, where sunrise comes late in the morning.
A friend, an earlier riser, recently commented that she was up and set, ready to take the dog for his morning walk. She was struck by how pitch-black it was at 5 a.m. – how it felt creepy and like the dead of night. That made me think about the stages of darkness in nature and their differences.

As summer’s long, languid days give way to the crisp, amber-hued embrace of autumn, a magical transformation sweeps across Southern Illinois.
Here, where the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest meet the winding curves of the Ohio River, the Kaskaskia River, and the Mississippi meet at their confluence below the bluffs of Randolph County, nature paints a masterpiece that beckons visitors from near and far. The wonders of southern Illinois outdoors in autumn are a symphony of colors, flavors, and experiences that stir the soul and ignite a deep connection to the land.