What's Everyone Looking At?

I was out enjoying the unseasonably and much-needed warm (in the 50s) weather yesterday when I noticed a whole line of people on the Michigan Avenue Bridge taking pictures. So I checked out the view to see what everyone was looking at.

I don't know what they saw but I saw this: A beautiful blue sky, an interesting reflection of the hotel in the still and thawing ice of the Chicago River and a stream of sunlight providing a very cool looking white stripe in the blue river.

Topsy Turvy

It never fails. I'm sitting in traffic and I see something that I want to capture to post here. But ...

my camera isn't out ...
the traffic light changes ...
the sun goes under a cloud ...
the intended subject moves.

I thought it was interesting that this cement truck had the Friends of the Chicago River logo on it. The cement mixer part was turning so one side was right side up for my view and the other side was upside down.

By the time I thought to take a picture and got out my camera, the upside down side was facing me.

And the turning light for the lane the truck was in was green.

I figured: Snap this picture now, and just flip the photo for the blog. I took the picture just as the truck started to pull away.

Doing the math, though, if the organization was established in 1979 (as it says), then its 25 year anniversary was in 2004 and this year will be its 30th anniversary.

Makes You Wonder

Last year, for reasons not entirely clear, the owners of the Illinois Center complex of office buildings added a bright red canopy to the main entrance.

According to a blogger about Chicago Architecture, it was meant to liven up the "dark and sober" design of the black boxy office buildings.

While it does add a splash of color to the landscape, I can't help thinking that the designer is a fan of the Rolling Stones and was inspired by their logo.

Today is National Wear Red Day. Take care of your heart!

The Coast of Rush Street

OK, if you live (or lived) in Chicago, you know that Rush Street doesn't run along the "coast" or even the beach. But, here on the Rush Street side of the 600 North Michigan building is a very large, three panel mosaic of the crashing surf.

Schooling

Last week, I posted a photo of one of four relief carvings on City Hall. I went back and got the pictures of the other three. I'll be posting them periodically.

The four relief carvings by the entrance to City Hall "represent ... four principle concerns of city government: playgrounds, schools, parks, and water supply". This one focuses on Schools. Like the Water Supply relief, this carving is very detailed. I interpret this as the student reading a book under a tree with her teachers making sure she keeps up her studies.

Camouflage

This grouping of trees reminded me of a painting by an artist who's name I can't recall. She did a painting of birch trees and "hid" an appaloosa horse in the spots of the birch trees. I thought of that painting when I saw these.

After I downloaded the picture and was setting it up for publishing, I noticed that there was a bit of wildlife that is camouflaged within the trees. A pigeon, at the bottom right, snuck into my picture.


Note: Thank you to Sharon of Phoenix Daily Photo who knew I was referring to the artist Bev Doolittle!

Swirl in the Sky

The swirl in the clouds caught my eye.

Then I noticed that Lake Michigan was a beautiful shade of blue
and the sunset was creating a pink hint along the horizon.
The weather people say that we've hit bottom --
meaning that the average daily temperature starts
going up now. The key word there being "AVERAGE".
I know winter isn't over by a long shot, but it is still nice
to start seeing colors creep back after so much white and gray.