A BLANKET OF BEAUTY IN THE SKY SHOWY MILKWEED while a mild breeze moves

while a mild breeze moves across the lake leaving soft ripples in its wake

The campanula trail or boardwalk at Starved Rock State Park

Purple wildflowers of ironweed stand tall on this prairie in Northern Illinois

Snow covered cattails are viewed from this wetland prairie landscape at Wildflower Park

but only for a moment

A BLANKET OF BEAUTY IN THE SKY SHOWY MILKWEED while a mild breeze movesThe forecast this July summer morning was to be sunny with some cloud cover. As I left the house before sunrise, I glanced skyward to check the clouds which happen to be altostratus clouds. These are the kind of clouds that appear in the troposphere and are similar to stratus clouds in that they form a blanket. They are also perfect for photographing in that with the morning colors can give off a beautiful and sensational feel of inner peace, a