Exploring Chinatown: Year of the Dragon

Last Fall we went exploring in Chinatown but I didn't have time to post the photos.  Until now.  In honor of the Chinese New Year (it's the Year of the Dragon), today, here are the nine dragons on the Chicago Chinatown's Nine Dragon Wall.

The One That Got Away?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving

A Robert Indiana Hope sculpture, 

companion piece to his famous Love sculpture in Philadelphia, 

on display by the John Hancock Building

Independence Day Re-Cap

Summer Stargazing

Stargazer Lilies. A summertime scent-sational flower.

Traffic Independence

Let's all hope for a light traffic start to the holiday weekend...

Startled

Yikes!

It's April Fool's Day.

It's also Opening Day for Cubs Baseball!

Coincidence?

Nah, 'cause THIS is the year that they break that curse.

Really!

All Heart

(Click to enlarge the photo)

Another really fun and informational public art display appeared on Michigan Avenue recently. Last Summer it was old refrigerators with energy saving messages. Now it is Hearts with heart healthy tips that decorate both sides of Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Chicago Avenue.

Officially titled Hearts-A-Bluhm, the hearts, sponsored by various civic and corporate groups,were created by Columbia College students and staff. Northwestern Hospital's Bluhm Cardiovascular Center came up with the idea to promote public awareness of heart issues.

The one little problem is that most of the heart healthy tips are on the base of the statues and currently covered with snow leftover from the Blizzard of 2011. That problem should be resolved by the end of this week, when temperatures are forecast to hit 50 degrees. Then the Blizzard of 2011 will melt into the Flood of 2011. (Forget the shovel, where is my rowboat?)

Bridge Wreath

The bell isn't part of the wreath on the DuSable Bridge (which is the recently renamed Michigan Avenue Bridge) but it seems to fit together well.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

Cookies for Santa

Gotta leave some cookies for Santa tonight!

I Thought He Used a Sleigh and Reindeer

Guess Santa gets better mileage from an Infiniti than a reindeer. The big red nose makes me think this must be Rudolph's replacement.

Poinsettia Field

A field of Poinsettias ... safely indoors (Poinsettias are a tropical plant and the weather outside is definitely not tropical).

Veteran's Day

I never knew the reason that Olive Park is named as it is. But I recently stumbled upon this monument in Olive Park that explains it all. It is named after Milton Olive, a Chicago native, who was only 18 years old when he was in Viet Nam and jumped on a grenade to smother it to save his four soldier companions. He was the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor in the Viet Nam war and it was awarded posthumously. (One of the Chicago City Colleges - Olive Harvey College - is also named after him.)

Red, White, and Blue

A Red, White and Blue post for the 4th of July.

Have a Safe and Happy Independence Day

Red: A Summertime License Plate

Although I use 30 SPF religiously now, there was a time that I considered Johnson's Baby Oil perfectly sufficient (admit it - you did, too). And I put lemon juice in my hair for highlights. Really. I was THAT uninformed.

White: Pritzker Pavilion in a Blizzard

OK. Not a recent photo (thank goodness!). This was taken back in February during a blizzard. It was a day that I was wondering if Spring - let alone Summer - would EVER return

Blue: Spinning Lighted Hula Hoops

A recent Downtown Sound concert at Pritzker Pavilion brought out the Hula Hoop Spinners.

Next Stop: 2010

Next Station ... Next Year.
Like this CTA train, we're all flying to 2010.

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve.

Winter Came in Like a Lion

The winter switch has been flipped to the "ON" position in Chicago. Ice and snow regularly move through. It isn't just March that comes in (or goes out) like a lion.

Red and Green 2

Couldn't resist another photo of the Wrigley Building, this time lit up differently. That's the gold top of the Carbide and Carbon building at the top left of the picture.

Although I tried, I couldn't time the photo to get the string of street lights - even stop lights - blinking the bright red and green.

Red and Green 1

Several of Chicago's skyscrapers have adopted holiday themes for their lights. This is the Sears Tower and the 311 S Wacker Building.

Lights, Lace and Liquor

The Christkindlmarket is an annual event in Daley Plaza. German and American artisans sell their wares at little booths. They start after Thanksgiving and go until Christmas Eve. I'm pretty sure they have little heaters in their booths to help them through the cold days. These are just three of the many booths at the market. Now, I was there early in the afternoon so it wasn't as crowded as it gets in the evening and the weekends. The Gluhwein vendor is usually MUCH busier.

Lights

Lace

Liquor