Out of the ordinary

We all have our routines and things in every aspect of life that we like and which are comforting. Sometimes it’s nice or even necessary to shake things up a bit and try something out of the ordinary.  Saturday was predicted to be our first day that would be sunny and warmer. A friend and I decided to do something we hadn’t done in a long time. We planned a road trip heading out to rural Illinois.

It was a good omen when I saw a peregrine falcon as I turned onto the Eisenhower Expressway heading west and then heard a cardinal as I got out of the car in my friend’s driveway. It wasn’t long before we saw a cooper’s hawk watching activity zooming along I-80. We passed farmland which is always a nice reminder of the hard work that goes in to meeting the needs on my grocery list. Gas prices were lower than what I’d paid at Costco a couple of days before. At a rest area a man was feeding peanuts to squirrels who were unafraid of those who walked by.

I suppose Main St. in a village is not really all that different from State Street. They both have restaurants and shops and offices that advertise needed services. And, while the Thai takeout, tattoo parlor, and a closed KFC in downtown Princeton (population 7,700) might have been a bit of a surprise, it still had the small town feel that somehow sets it apart from Fifth Avenue. The parking lot at the Coffee Cup diner was full. I like to think that there are locals who breakfast there daily or meet for lunch every Saturday to catch up and that if someone doesn’t show up there is concern enough to go check.

Our own lunch was in a place that I’m sure has Friday night fish fries, Monday meatloaf, and a regular crowd like the diner. There was no piped in music. A patron said, “thank you kindly” to the server. A couple of hours in an antique mall where no one hovered or made browsers feel unwelcome included seeing a Roy Rogers and Dale Evans thermos and various sets of dishes that we have seen come and go. A mounted deer head was $999. Following Route 6 we turned toward Starved Rock where we watched bald eagles soar and dive for food in the Illinois River. Back through Ottawa and LaSalle and too soon we were back in the burbs and heightened busyness.

Memories of this out of the ordinary Saturday will make me smile for weeks, months, years to come. I wish you your equivalent of a rural adventure very soon.

Marilyn