Full of Fill

This is an evolving public art sculpture on Michigan Avenue. It is comprised of three free standing clear boxes. According to the explanatory sign, the boxes are designed to collect "fill" (objects that are usually thrown away). As more items are collected (it isn't clear how/where they are collecting the items), more clear boxes full of fill will be added to the sculpture. The sponsor (Denco/UrbanWorks), hopes that the sculpture will make people aware of how many single items are thrown away. Even though it's only one bottle, several "one bottles" take up quite a bit of space. And a whole bunch of those "one bottles" can be re-used/recycled into something else.

The first one is devoted to compact fluorescent lightbulbs; the second is small bottles; the third is wine bottles.

Lining the Locks

The sailboat runs are getting larger as the weather gets warmer. (Hmmm. Thursday it was 77 degrees; today it is 54 degrees.) Let me rephrase that: "The sailboat runs are getting larger as we get further into the month of May."

Today's run was 22 boats - a pretty good number. After the boats get through all the bridges, there is one last step: going through the Chicago Locks.

(Click the Photo for a Larger view)

The locks keep Lake Michigan from draining into the DesPlaines and Mississippi Rivers (remember, the Chicago River was reversed in the 1800s - an official engineering marvel). It is a neat experience to go through the locks - either in your own boat or on one of the architecture/sightseeing cruise boats. There are rules about the order that boats enter and leave the locks. Everyone must wear a life jacket (but you should anyway on Lake Michigan). You have to hold on to ropes that hang along the sides of the lock's canal in order to secure your boat during the one-to-four foot water surges that occur when the locks open.

In this picture, the boats are lining up along the walls waiting for the Lake Michigan side to open so they can get on with their sailing. These are hardy sailors because it's pretty chilly and windy on the lake today.

Feathered Friends: Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Bird-watching is a new hobby. I think a lot of people presume that since Chicago is such a big city that the only birds around are pigeons, sparrows, pigeons, crows, pigeons, starlings, pigeons, robins, pigeons, seagulls, mallard ducks, geese and - did I mention - pigeons. However, Chicago is on a pretty busy migratory path and has a number of interesting year-round birds. (And there are actually over 50 different types of sparrows.)

There are several places in Chicago that are set aside as preserves to foster birdlife. One of these places is called the Magic Hedge, near Montrose Harbor. That's where we saw this Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

I was going to post all the bird photos here but I started taking so many this would have become Daily Chicago Bird. So I started another blog just on Chicago birds.

Riverwalk Extension

I've previously posted a photo of the city's project to extend the riverwalk. This is the view of the work they're doing from Michigan Avenue to Wabash.

Confetti Tree

I don't know what these trees are called but the flower petals are small, white, and round. When they blow off the trees, as they did in the Aon Center Plaza, they look like confetti has been liberally sprinkled all over the ground and in the water fountains. It's rather festive -- though that is probably not an opinion shared by the groundskeepers who use leaf blowers to clear the "confetti" off the sidewalk.


Here is the culprit:

De-constructionism

I'm not sure if this is a remnant from a construction or de-construction project. The pile of bricks makes me think de-construction. It was just sitting in an empty lot on Lake Street.

Haymarket Tragedy Sculpture

There is a Haymarket Tragedy Memorial Sculpture at Randolph and DesPlaines in Chicago.

Plaques on the sculpture tell the story of the event. In short: On May 4, 1886, a public meeting had been organized to protest deaths of workers during a labor lockout (related to a strike regarding the eight-hour workday). The speakers addressed political, social, and labor issues. When police came to disperse the meeting, a bomb was thrown into the midst, killing at least eleven people. They never figured out who threw the bomb (or with whom the person was affiliated). Afterward, four of the organizers and speakers were sentenced and hung, one was killed in jail. Three additional organizers and speakers were sentenced but later pardoned. Over the years the Haymarket Tragedy (which used to be called the Haymarket Riot), has become a symbol for free speech, public assembly, organized labor, the eight hour work day, law enforcement, and justice.