28 February 2015: Yet Another Picture of Snow

Thursday, the 76th of February …
or maybe it just felt that way.

7 February 2015: In the Ice Palace

The ice formations at the lakefront are spectacular. If you are in Chicago, do yourself a favor and take a little trip to the beaches in Rogers Park for an unforgettable view of winter in all it's brutal beauty.

The ice-hills along the edge of the lake look like foothills on the edge of a vast plain:

Looking towards downtown Chicago. The skyline is dimly visible in the background, but tall ice-cliffs line the edge of the lake.

The ice balls on the frozen surface of the lake aren't as huge as the ones seen during the polar vortex of 2014, but they're still an impressive sight. *

* Just a reminder: in less frigid times, this area that looks like a rock-covered field  
is actually part of Lake Michigan. 

July 2013

Ice cave at Farwell Pier:

The Farwell Pier lighthouse:
The fence along the edges of the pier is visible here, but the pier itself is buried under a hill of ice.

2 February 2015, Part 2: The Obligatory Snow Shot

This was the scene last night as the wind was howling and the Super Bowl Blizzard of 2015 was nearing an end. This turned out to be the fifth biggest snowstorm in Chicago history, with 19.3 inches recorded at O'Hare.

2 February 2015: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

I ventured out of Rogers Park on Saturday, and discovered Le Pain Quotidien at Armitage and Sheffield in Lincoln Park. It was late in the day and the selection was limited, but i got a lovely baguette with the perfect, crunchy crust.  In other news, i didn't get a picture, but i did get my first doughnut from Glazed and Infused (conveniently located across the street from Le Pain Quotidien); it was an apricot streusel marvel that was as big as my head and utterly delicious! 

Did i mention that Saturday was National Diet-Be-Damned Day?

Le Pain Quotidien

31 January 2015: Complaint Department

 This is the northwest cover of Glenwood and Farwell. It has looked like this for months! With all the tearing up of the neighborhood in the past two years, I am not certain who is responsible for this particular mess, though i suspect it is related to the water main replacement project. This is an otherwise nice block, with lots of thriving businesses (including Caribbean Cuts, Lifeline Theatre, and RP Social). Wouldn't it be a good idea to make the entrance to that block a little more inviting?

29 January 2015: "Let's Play Two!"

The Ernie Banks statue has been temporarily relocated to Daley Plaza to honor "Mr. Cub," 

who passed away last week at the age of 83. 

24 January 2015: A Sad Memorial

The memorial at Albion and Lakewood where Loyola student Mutahir Rauf was shot and killed in an armed robbery on 5 December 2014. Rest in peace, Mutahir.