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Morton Arboretum

Not too long ago I was in the Chicago area and just before heading to the airport I took a walk through the snowy Morton Arboretum. The roads and paths were all frozen over and it took a bit of concentration to walk. As it was a Saturday morning, runners also showed up and to my amazement managed not to slip as they passed by. Eventually I noticed that many were wearing a type of running cleat attached to their shoes. On the other hand these geese had only webbed feet and feathers to get them going. I thought a couple might be frozen in the ice but they seemed to know what they were doing and moved around a bit. I think the only one that didn’t know what he was doing was the photographer from Florida.

Not too long ago I was in the Chicago area and just before heading to the airport I took a walk through the snowy Morton Arboretum. The roads and paths were all frozen over and it took a bit of concentration to walk. As it was a Saturday morning, runners also showed up and to my amazement managed not to slip as they passed by. Eventually I noticed that many were wearing a type of running cleat attached to their shoes. On the other hand these geese had only webbed feet and feathers to get them going. I thought a couple might be frozen in the ice but they seemed to know what they were doing and moved around a bit. I think the only one that didn't know what he was doing was the photographer from Florida.

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Wrigley Sconces

Every now and then I have to post some little piece of architecture that catches my eye. These sconces are all around the Wrigley Building in Chicago. A small thing probably overlooked by most people, solid brass swirly designs sconces. I’ll bet there’s another word for all that but I’m coming up short. In any case, this has been your architecture minute, brought to you by some guy that likes these thingys on the wall but doesn’t know what to call them other than solid brass swirly designs sconce thingys.

Every now and then I have to post some little piece of architecture that catches my eye. These sconces are all around the Wrigley Building in Chicago. A small thing probably overlooked by most people, solid brass swirly designs sconces. I'll bet there's another word for all that but I'm coming up short. In any case, this has been your architecture minute, brought to you by some guy that likes these thingys on the wall but doesn't know what to call them other than solid brass swirly designs sconce thingys.

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Underworld

I took this of the DuSable Bridge a few weeks ago in Chicago. The subterranean street levels are only a few feet down but worlds away in their appearance and feel. Undoubtably these have inspired writers, artist and uh, …photographers. For whatever reason there were few cars going in this direction which allowed me to stand in the middle of the street to compose the shot. I kept glancing over my shoulder as I have a tendency to get engrossed when shooting which can be a little hazardous when standing in the middle of a dark street. Probably not very smart either.

I took this of the DuSable Bridge a few weeks ago in Chicago. The subterranean street levels are only a few feet down but worlds away in their appearance and feel. Undoubtably these have inspired writers, artist and uh, ...photographers. For whatever reason there were few cars going in this direction which allowed me to stand in the middle of the street to compose the shot. I kept glancing over my shoulder as I have a tendency to get engrossed when shooting which can be a little hazardous when standing in the middle of a dark street. Probably not very smart either.

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Navy Pier Fisheye

This is what the world looks like through a fisheye lens. I’m not sure why but I enjoy pictures with strangeness like this, I get drawn in. A little distortion changes the perspective, small things seem big, big things small. Visual art. This is my winter version of Navy Pier in Chicago. I took my normal lens off and put on the fish eye lens and at this exact spot, lost my lens cap. I’ve not seen it since. So, if you’re ever here and you find a Nikon lens cap, give me a shout. Or maybe I should just fuhgeddaboudit.

This is what the world looks like through a fisheye lens. I'm not sure why but I enjoy pictures with strangeness like this, I get drawn in. A little distortion changes the perspective, small things seem big, big things small. Visual art. This is my winter version of Navy Pier in Chicago. I took my normal lens off and put on the fish eye lens and at this exact spot, lost my lens cap. I've not seen it since. So, if you're ever here and you find a Nikon lens cap, give me a shout. Or maybe I should just fuhgeddaboudit.

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This is Chicago

I, and millions of others, love this section of Chicago. It’s an animated conversation between the past and present. This is the DuSable Bridge which leads to the Magnificent Mile in one direction and the “loop” section in the other. It’s framed by buildings built in a bygone era like the Wrigley and Tribune buildings. Call me crazy but this stone bridge pillar speaks to me about the character of this area, so much history and ambition. On this cold day, a few minutes after I took this picture, I was in a throng crossing a busy street along North Michigan Avenue. I overheard a conversation behind me as one person asked the other, “why is it so busy?”. The answer was simple and utterly complete, “this is Chicago”.

I, and millions of others, love this section of Chicago. It's an animated conversation between the past and present. This is the DuSable Bridge which leads to the Magnificent Mile in one direction and the

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Solitude

The morning I took this it was cold, but not as cold as the last four days. Regardless the season, Chicago’s Morton Arboretum is an oasis of nature in the heart of a major metropolis and on this morning I saw fresh deer tracks and a silver fox as I walked through the park with only the sound of joggers as they navigated the icy trails. Solitude in the heart of the city.

The morning I took this it was cold, but not as cold as the last four days. Regardless the season, Chicago's Morton Arboretum is an oasis of nature in the heart of a major metropolis and on this morning I saw fresh deer tracks and a silver fox as I walked through the park with only the sound of joggers as they navigated the icy trails. Solitude in the heart of the city.

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Navy Pier

By the time I took this picture of Navy Pier in Chicago last week, the cold snap known as Polar Vortex had passed, yet wherever I walked I could see evidence of it, and none more so than the frozen Lake Michigan. But by this time it had warmed up to around 32f/0C and so people were out enjoying the “balmy” weather. The Magnificent Mile on North Michigan Avenue was busy and crowds where here at Navy Pier as well. Three more months to go and the whole place will be covered in tulips and Chicagoans going crazy with spring fever, and who could blame them?

By the time I took this picture of Navy Pier in Chicago last week, the cold snap known as Polar Vortex had passed, yet wherever I walked I could see evidence of it, and none more so than the frozen Lake Michigan. But by this time it had warmed up to around 32f/0C and so people were out enjoying the

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Polar Vortex

I found myself in Chicago last week just as the “Polar Vortex” was on it’s way out. Mind you it was still well below freezing but to the folks that made it through the worst it seemed downright balmy. On Saturday I managed to walk around and captured this of the lakefront. There was so much ice everywhere it was a little bit stressful as I tried not to slip into the lake while standing on the ice covered concrete wall. I promise never to complain about the chilly whether in Florida where I live, …promise.

I found myself in Chicago last week just as the

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