Look at That Sky

Yesterday the sky was such a beautiful shade of blue that I had to include it in a picture.

Plus, this gives me the opportunity to explain the symbols in the Chicago Flag:

The three white stripes represent the neighborhoods in the three parts of the city: North Side, West Side, South Side. The two blue stripes represent Lake Michigan and the two branches of the Chicago River. The four red stars are for Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire, the 1893 World's Fair, and the 1933 World's Fair.

And yes, I had to snap a bunch of pictures before I got the flag with just the right wave to it.

Scenes from the Road Trip - Reversed

Oklahoma - Missouri - Illinois

Great (Mt.) Scott

Went to visit Mt. Scott in Lawton, OK yesterday. At almost 2,500 feet, Mt. Scott towers over everything around.

From the top, we could see the spinning blades of the Blue Canyon Wind Farm.

Also took a trip through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. It's a beautiful park. The buffalo were a bit camera shy, though.

There's Only One Norman, Oklahoma ...

... and there's only one James Garner.

Edwards Park in Norman, Oklahoma is home to a life-size statue of James Garner.

Scenes from the Road Trip

Illinois to Missouri to Oklahoma in 13 Hours
(Including the first 3 hours at about 10mph due to ice-slicked roads)

Jigsaw Puzzle

Chicago had a short-lived heat wave yesterday. The temps got into the high 30s. (Now where did I put my flip-flops?) It was enjoyable if you were standing still but a bit hard to walk in slushy snow and melting ice.

I was out navigating the ice patches and noticed how the ice on the Chicago River looked like pieces of an incomplete jigsaw puzzle.

While I was taking the picture, another person walked by, said, "That is kinda interesting", pulled out a camera and took a picture, too.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Something Other Than Snow

I was cutting through a building (again) to escape the cold. This time it was the Chicago Cultural Center. I found this great mosaic in the ceiling near the Washington entrance. The ceiling also has mosaics of author names, like Longfellow and Irving, because the Cultural Center used to be the main Chicago Public Library.

The tiny suns and dolphins in the corners gave it a tropical look and a nice escape from the brutal outside temperatures.