I Guess He Relocated

I always had the impression that Sam Spade did his detecting work in San Francisco. I guess he relocated his offices to the Old Town section of Lincoln Park in Chicago. Not sure he gets many clients because the only entrance seems to be through the storefront on the first floor ...

... which has this sign on the door.

Canyon

Sometimes, you can find water fountains in the most unusual places. This one is built into a rock form in the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. From this perspective, it looks like it has created a canyon.

Here's the wider angle view of the water fountain.

Hidden Oasis

Yes, this is Chicago. It's a hidden oasis called the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.

Street Sign Mobile

The Chicago History Museum has a rather interesting mobile hanging over the main entrance. It is a mobile of notable Chicago area street signs.

Birds on a Door

Found this interesting carving of birds (maybe artistic owls?) on a door in the Old Town section of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The full doorway, which is also pretty fancy - is below.

Mother Nature's Ice Sculptures

Time, dirt, sand, and, now, rising temperatures have created some odd little ice sculptures along the lakefront. (This almost doesn't look like ice anymore.) This little lopsided heart was formed - briefly - near Fullerton Avenue. By the time I walked back to this area, about fifteen minutes later, the front section had collapsed.

Grab It

Another scene from the North River Chicago Industrial Corridor in Lincoln Park. This one is from the General Iron Industries Recycling Center.

I can't help but think of that Claw Vending Machine Game when I see these cranes grabbing piles of stuff.

Bad Traffic

Traffic was all piled up today. It was a real mess.


You don't typically think of Lincoln Park as being an industrial area but it is home to the North River Chicago Industrial Corridor, which contains a steel manufacturer, and various scrap metal salvaging and recycling centers.

Tree Illusion

The sun created this shadow of a tree on a mostly-frozen and snow covered North Pond.

Feathered Friends: In Costume

The male Wood Ducks at North Pond recently got their adult feathers. They have amazing colors and patterns. They look like they are in their Halloween Costumes.

More pictures of the Wood Duck are at my bird watching blog, here.

Spider House Rules

Lucky for the people in this house, their neighbors are equally enthusiastic about Halloween. Well, the rest of the people in the house; one resident clearly got VERY into their gardening.

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobics beware! It's Halloween Season and creepy, crawly ghoulish things abound.

What's Left?

Not much is left on this bike. The water bottle holder is still there, but about everything else that can be taken off already has been removed.

Carlson Cottage

Carlson Cottage is a 1888 Comfort Station that was restored in 2008 by the Lincoln Park Zoo and a Save America's Treasures grant. It is located near the entrance of Lincoln Park Zoo on Stockton Drive.

Looking Down

Sometimes it is interesting to look down.

Clockwise from top left

"No Dumping! Only Rain in the Drain" on Randolph Street
Triangulation Station (not Conjunction Junction) on Lakefront Path
Stay Thirsty on Burton Street
Bike on Ravenswood Avenue

Theme Day: Contrast

Today is October 1st so it is THEME DAY on City Daily Photo. October's theme is Contrast.

It took me a while to find inspiration for this theme. I had a few back-up plans but really wanted to do something that was still Chicago-specific. I suddenly got inspired as I was going to the library yesterday. I walked by the Art Institute and it suddenly hit me that I could do a contrast of one of the bronze lions that regally guard the entrance to the Art Institute and a real lion that prowls their habitat of Lincoln Park Zoo. (Further on down toward the library I took a completely different contrast picture just in case the LP Zoo lions wouldn't cooperate. But, since I found a cooperative lion, I now have a future Daily Chicago Photo regular post ;) )

So here is my Contrast Theme photo. A bronze lion, on the prowl in front of the Art Institute and a real lion, on the prowl, at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Yeah, I know and very much appreciate that the photography gods smiled down on me and "encouraged" the real lion to strike a very similar pose just when the lighting was right.

Here is a link to all the Contrast Theme participants: Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Don't Grocery Shop When You Are Hungry

A certain organic-focused grocery store built a brand new store in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. It opened over the summer but I hadn't visited it yet. It is so large, they give you a little map as a guide to finding your way.


There's a wine bar ...

... and a diner-style restaurant ...
There's a food court and a sushi bar as well. I got so distracted looking at all the different mini-restaurants that I forgot to buy the olive oil that I went to get.

What's in Season?

Leave it those Nichols guys to get all artistic with the way they stack the sweet corn at the Green City Market. One of the guys said that it was supposed to entice people over to their stand. When I told him that I felt guilty buying the corn since it ruined up the design, he said he was going to go mess up the stack. I certainly didn't feel guilty buying the corn after getting it home and seeing the beautiful gold and white kernals (this is bi-color corn). And it's very sweet!

A Little More Winter

Chicago had a little more winter this past weekend.
This is a view from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Center
where I had gone for the Winter Green City Market.

Birdhouse for Sale

OK, I know that the sign refers to the house in the far background.

But, at first glance, couldn't it look like the sign was referring to the birdhouse? Maybe? And a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath birdhouse with Great Outdoor Space at that!