Tahquamenon Falls

The swirly waters of Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan's Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

Exploring ... Stearns Quarry III

Another view of the Fishing Pond at Palmisano Park (Stearns Quarry) along with a close-up of one of the limestone boulders, left over from the old quarry, that adorn the park.  Are those ridges signs of fossils?  

Palmisano Park Fishing Pond

Limestone Boulder from Stearns Quarry

Park History Interpretive Sign

Exploring ... Stearns Quarry II

This is the fountain at the entrance to Palmisano Park (the old Stearns Quarry).  Although it was turned off for the season, it is quite impressive.  Apparently, the water is drawn from the Fishing Pond.  The fountain is connected to a chute that recirculates the water back down the park's sloping landscape to the pond.

The terraced landscape of the park

The Interpretive Sign about the park's fountain

Exploring ... Stearns Quarry I

Stearns Quarry was a limestone quarry in the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago.  It closed around 1970 and became a clean construction landfill.   The Chicago Park District turned it into a very scenic and welcoming park, named Palmisano Park, in 2009.   Here's the link for more information on this park.     

Information on the Fishing Pond (above) 

from one of the Interpretive signs in the park

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.

Pseudo-Symmetry

Close but not quite.

Lakefront Breeze

Bicyclists and runners had an easy time going south on the Lakefront Path on Saturday. But, the return trip was a bit more challenging as you can see from the way the waves are moving with the strong Spring "breeze".

People Park

Most parks are people parks. But I guess since this one is just outside a veterinarian's office, it was probably necessary to make it clear.

A Few Good Tanks

Just in case one of the suburbs gets any ideas about a land grab, Chicago is prepared. We have a tank. Actually, I think we have a few tanks scattered around the city.

This particular one is in Smith Park in the West Town neighborhood. One of the things I like about doing this blog and researching the pictures is finding little tidbits of fun information. Smith Park, it seems, used to be a quarry. Then it was converted to a city dump. Then it was filled in and turned into Smith Park. (I knew about the tank. Somehow "the tank on Grand" is one of those things you just know about. Although admittedly you don't always know the exact location.)

Back to Black and White

All good vacations come to an end. Back to Chicago and the winter palette of black, white, and gray. (Oh, I might throw a few more Cabo San Lucas photos in every now and then to break the monotone monotony until Spring, which is only 43 days away -- not that I'm counting.)

This is, simply, a park bench in the Bloch Cancer Survivor Park. I liked how the snow accumulated in some spots (especially up the back) and slipped through the holes in other parts of the bench.

After the Ornaments

What do you do with the Christmas Tree after the ornaments, lights, and tinsel are removed? Recycle it! Chicago encourages people to take their trees to recycling centers to keep the trees out of land fills. The trees are chopped up into mulch that is thmade available to residents.

Park Bench: Winter and Autumn

More from the early January blizzard - WHY I didn't post these back then is unclear to me. Anyway. I was walking around in the Grant Park/Millennium Park area and I suddenly remembered I had taken an Autumn picture of this park bench that I had not posted. It isn't a perfect replica photo but you get the picture.

Picture Frame

I thought the large gazebo in the Bloch Cancer Survivor Park created a nice picture frame effect for the snow dusted trees in the park.

Framing Yesterday

Yesterday was a winter blue sky day. Nice enough for a lakefront walk -- as long as you were wearing enough layers, gloves and hats. (Today, however, we have already gotten a light dusting of snow and temperatures are dropping.)

This is the gazebo by the Ohio Street Beach, it is between the Jane Addams Park and Olive Park so I'm not sure in which park it "belongs". It gives a nice frame to Lake Michigan, though, as it reflected that pretty winter blue sky.

Autumn in a Garden

A beautiful Autumn day at the Osaka Garden in Jackson Park.

What's Blooming?

Wildflowers! It's rather lovely over on Northerly Island. Here is a sampling of some of the flowers decorating the area.

(Click to enlarge the photo)

Bughouse Square

Every year, the Newberry Library hosts a big donated book sale the last weekend of July. In conjunction, there are the Bughouse Square Debates in Washington Square Park.

A little history first. In the early 1900s, Washington Square Park was known as Bughouse Square and it was a popular free-speech space. Speechmakers stood on soap boxes to speak their mind and respond to vocal crowds. The Bughouse debates declined after World War II (spurred by crackdowns on socialists and communists) and had stopped by the 60s.

The Newberry Library started holding the debates again on their Book Fair weekend in 1986. They also re-enact an excerpt of the Lincoln Douglas Debates. This year's topics included Immigration Rights, Religion, the 2016 Chicago Olympics bid, Artificial Turf, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable's Legacy, and the Chicago Parking Meter Debacle. The best orator receives the Dil Pickle award, in honor of the Dil Pickle Club which was, in effect, an indoor Bughouse Square).

I thought the most interesting speech was given by Haroon Rashid from the Friends of DuSable organization. His summary of DuSable's life and contribution to Chicago was rather educational and, perhaps because of that, I don't think anyone from the audience yelled out any comments. The most entertaining was the audience responses to the Chicago Parking Meter presentation by "The Parking Ticket Geek". Audience comments included "Wait - could you stop for a minute while I go feed the meter", numerous "Get a bicycle", "cars don't kill meters, people kill meters", "Yeah, we have high parking rates ... but we get a fireworks show twice a week".

(Click to enlarge the picture)

Photos (Clockwise from top left)
The Parking Ticket Geek, Black Bear Combo,
Michael Krebs as Lincoln for the Lincoln-Douglas
Debates re-enactment, The Dil Pickle Award,
Haroon Rashid of Friends of DuSable.

Feathered Friends: AAACK! A Camera

Caught this Killdeer in mid-squawk at Northerly Island. Killdeer can be rather loud little birds and have an interesting way of running and then suddenly sitting down in some grass as if to say "You can't see me now that I'm not moving."

A few more pictures of Killdeer are at my birdwatching blog, here.

Two Views of ... The Pritzker Pavilion

Most Chicagoans - me included - put up with "The Winter" because of a day like Saturday. Warm. Light breeze. Clear blue sky. Outdoor music in the park.

This is the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The two views are Night and Day.