#opheim il

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Edwards River Valley - August 2003 Taking pictures along an active rail line can be tricky. You have to have a really clear view both upgrade and downgrade on the track. Actually it is more important to keep track of trains coming from upgrade because they don’t make as much noise. The grade at Opheim was the steepest in Illinois and they normally had to attache three additional locomotives to bring the trains up the grade. You could hear that train coming for miles. Keeping all that in mind, I was able to capture this beautiful image of the track disappearing down into the Edwards River Valley. MWM

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Farmer Bridge - August 2003 In 2003 I was living in a parsonage right on the edge of the Edwards River valley/floodplain. I used to take early morning or late evening walks down into the valley. There were several large creeks which divided the farmers’ fields. One farmer had a rather ingenious solution to crossing the creek. He bought an old railroad flatcar and placed it across the creek. It was long enough to adequately support itself on both sides of the creek and strong enough to support the weight of his farm equipment. It also made a really neat image with the glow of the sun on it. MWM

[michael-massa-micon]

Daffodils - March 2003 This springtime picture of the parsonage in Opheim, Illinois, shows the large plot of daffodils which grew on the corner of the lot next to the church parking lot. Twenty-two years seems like such a long time ago. I have a lot of very pleasant memories from that church. MWM

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December 22, 8:00 am Christmas Lights - December 2002 When we moved to a parsonage in Opheim, Illinois, I brought my love of lights with me. Because it was a parsonage, I couldn’t install a special circuit so I used X10 computer-controlled switches to turn everything on. We were on a bluff and the house was visible from the highway below. MWM

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Sunset over Edwards River Valley - May 2002 I took this picture looking out over the valley from my backyard when I lived in Opheim, Illinois. Opheim is a beautiful place to live. MWM

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Old Shed, Corn Crib - April 2004 This shed / corn crib was no longer used. Most modern equipment wouldn’t even fit through its doors, but it still stood in one of the fields in the flood plain of the Edwards River. MWM

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Curious Llama - November, 2003 You don’t expect to see llamas in northern Illinois, but this curious llama would stare at me every time I drove by on the gravel road next to his pasture. I tried several times to get a good image of him and failed. Then one afternoon, when I stopped my convertible, he looked directly at me long enough for me to capture this image. MWM

[michael-massa-micon]

Sunset Over Old Barn - November 2003 This old barn was located right across the street from the church I served in Opheim, Illinois. One night as I was coming home, the sun was setting over the barn. Luckily, I had my camera with me and was able to capture this image. MWM