30 March 2014: Al Fresco

After months of living in a frozen wasteland, i went out on this first sunny and warm(ish) day in search of the harbingers of spring. I didn't see any crocuses or robins, but i did see a few people dining al fresco at the Heartland Café. And that's a very good sign of better days ahead.

Note to all you fans of the Daenerys Targaryen series: The Mother of Dragons is taking a day or two off, but will return soon with more adventures. 

29 March 2014: #6 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

The Mother of Dragons has walked into the flames before … and survived.
Tonight she reminds you to turn off the electricity and light a few candles
from 8:30 until 9:30 for Earth Hour. She assures you that you will survive for
one hour without electricity; you may even find the warm glow
of the firelight inspiring and give birth to ideas as fierce as dragons.

28 March 2014: Another Shooting in Broad Daylight

There was a shooting on the 1500 block of Morse Avenue a few minutes past noon today. Two men were injured and taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. Even though this picture was taken more than an hour after the shooting, i didn't want to get any closer than this. I'm not especially brave and am repulsed by violence. It breaks my heart that this kind of violence happens anywhere, at any time; but i find it incomprehensible that shooting another human being is becoming so normalized an activity in our neighborhoods that it happens on a busy street in the middle of the day. 

28 March 2014: #5 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

The Mother of Dragons stands upon her ramparts,
reviewing her loyal troops and wishing for
better weather.

27 March 2014: #4 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

The Mother of Dragons would prefer to ride her horse;
but in the city, public transportation is far more practical.

26 March 2014: Curious Real Estate

A short stretch of Berwyn Ave. in Andersonville is home to these two extremes of residential architecture. I like them both, but have a special fondness for cozy re-purposed living spaces; so if i had to choose, i'd probably opt for the converted garage/bungalow. 

26 March 2014: #3 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

On a visit to Andersonville, the Mother of Dragons
ponders whether the handless clock of the Philadelphia Church
is symbolic of the timelessness of the deity, or whether the
clock merely suffered a fate similar to that of Jaime Lannister.

25 March 2014: #2 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

The Mother of Dragons finds herself stranded on the ice
and wonders if winter will ever end.

24 March 2014, Bonus: #1 in the Daenerys Targaryen Series

I'm feeling a little bored and uninspired these days, so it's time to bring out the toys and the pets.

The Mother of Dragons stalked by the Killer of Mice

24 March 2014: Still Winter

Courtyard on Lakewood Avenue

21 March 2014: A Tree Full of Wishes

The trees outside the Farwell House senior living facility do not yet have leaves,
but they are filled with good wishes fluttering in the breeze.

20 March 2014: Spring Begins!

In honor of the first day of spring, here's a hopeful sight:
a group of brave little tulips pushing their way through
what we all hope is the last of the snow.

18 March 2014: Election Day

As always on election day, Pratt Boulevard is bristling with campaign signs. What's new this year is that the polling place has moved from Astor House across the street to the more elegant Seville. 

Don't forget to get out there and vote, Chicago!

17 March 2014: More Geese!

The last time i took a picture at this location,
everything was buried under about a foot of snow.
Now the snow has melted and the geese are feasting.

17 March 2014: The Wearin' o' the Green, Pt. 2

What? Did the tourist shop in Block 37 run out of
"Kiss-Me-I'm-Irish" buttons?

16 March 2014: Glazed Terra Cotta

Detail of a doorway on the corner of Greenview and Morse.

16 March 2014: Follow Me on Flickr

Since i am trying to limit myself to posting only one picture per post on this blog, please visit my newly resuscitated Flickr account for more of my photos. I've just posted a series of pictures that i took at the incredibly moving Oklahoma City National Memorial last week; it is one of the most powerful, tragic, and beautiful places i've ever been, and i hope that my pictures convey at least some small hint of that power, tragedy, and beauty. 

15 March 2014: The Wearin' o' the Green

Wrapped in some version of the Irish flag
and heading out to party.

15 March 2014: Signs of Spring, Pt. 2

This is another picture from yesterday.

Friday morning commute:
The temperature was 40℉, or as we say in Chicago,
tee-shirt weather.

14 March 2014: Signs of Spring

Geese flying more-or-less northward this morning. 
A few seconds earlier, i spotted a cardinal singing at the top of a tree, 
but it flew off before i could get a picture.

12 March 2014: The Return of Winter

I almost hate to admit it, but the snow that greeted us this morning was really beautiful; all plump, pristine, and ephemeral. This latest snowfall brings us to the third snowiest winter in Chicago history. When it comes to records and the breaking of same, i'd ordinarily want to aim for #1, but not this time.

11 March 2014: El Corazón

While i welcome the arrival of warmer temperatures--even if it's only temporary--the big thaw has not been pretty. Just a few days ago there were high mounds of sparkling ice and snow, but now they've melted, leaving behind greasy puddles and endless heaps of doggie-doo and discarded beer bottles--not the most inspiring subject matter for yours truly. So i've chosen a little something from within the walls of my fortress of solitude for today's photo du jour.

10 March 2014: Men in Skirts

Chicago is gearing up for St. Patrick's Day.
I passed this interesting scene in the Block 37 concourse 
between the Red and Blue Lines this morning.

I wish i could say that this was the first picture i've posted
of a man in a kilt, but that would be a lie. In fact, every time
i've encountered a kilt-clad gentleman, i've snapped his picture
and added it to the blog. So, fellows, if you want to be seen
in the Photo du Jour, all you have to do is put on your kilt
and wait for me to find you.

9 March 2014: Remembrance

Oklahoma City National Memorial

Please visit my Flickr page for more pictures of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

7 March 2014: A Good Sign

Blue skies over Bricktown, Oklahoma City

5 March 2014: A Familiar Scene

In the movie Smoke (1995), Harvey Keitel plays Auggie Wren, proprietor of a small Brooklyn tobacco shop. Every morning at 8AM, as he prepares to open the shop, he takes a Polaroid picture of the street corner outside his door. The view from the Red Line platform at Morse is my version of Auggie Wren's Brooklyn intersection. I'm not there every day, but i'm there an awful lot. In some ways, there's a comfortable familiarity to this view, seeming to remain the same day after day, but in others--just like on Auggie's corner--the little changes mark the turn of the clock, the turn of the seasons. This winter seems like it will never end. But eventually it will, and the snow will melt and the poor scraggly trees will be green again…and i'll be there to take a picture of it.

3 March 2014: Train Sleeping

The end of a cold and wearying day

28 February 2014: Evening Commute

Friday rush hour on the Red Line