Tuesday I went to the Lily Pool, which was crowded with people. Their noise startled a heron out of its place by the side of the pond. It flapped up out of the tall grasses, where it had been invisible, and heavily flew up into the crown of the tallest tree. There, from a…
Heron cat-napping
I enjoyed seeing this sleeping heron while at the North Pond in Lincoln Park the other day. Its eyes are bright red, which is how I know it was catching forty winks.
Cyclorama
Cramped—inside battened buildings crisped with steam radiators, inside buses ventilated with warm carbon monoxide, inside coats inflated to immobilize us—, we wait for this season on the wheel to come round. We step onto the shady veranda, beholding the smooth sand, and feeling the promise of a brief tryst with summer beckoning. Click image to…
The backlands today
The backlands are looking different than they did back in January. Chicagoans have begun to plant up their decks. The ivy clinging to the buildings is green. The lawn furniture that has lain neglected for months under tarps or, more commonly, snow, has been straightened into formation, ready for the next party or gathering of…
Second state
Another picture of East Lake Shore Drive in the fog. We were on our way to have dinner at the Drake. This part of the Gold Coast has a very staid aura, which the thick fog only accentuated. The old stone facades and manicured aprons were oozing repose. Then, from the fog, two roller skaters…
The fog
We seldom have fog, but yesterday we did. It lasted all day, making for a memorable evening. This is a view of the evening atmosphere along East Lake Shore Drive.
Time to stop shaving
Having scored a thrilling sudden-death victory over the LA Kings in double-overtime, the Blackhawks are advancing to the final round of the Stanley Cup, where they’ll be facing the Boston Bruins. I’m strictly a post-season fan, who’s enjoyed seeing the Hawks’ amazing struggles against the Red Wings and Kings. What I love is how superstitious…
In the wings
Old Town Art Fair
The Old Town Art Fair is this weekend. It’s one of the better outdoor art festivals, so my husband and I always go. This year’s fair was one of the best, so if you’re in town I recommend it, both for the art and the people-watching. The fair is crammed into the notoriously narrow streets…
Home, where the strange is familiar
Yes, I’m home, back in the city. After a good night’s sleep in my own bed, I’m up writing my post in a way that’s customary: propped up in the bed in our spare bedroom, drinking my morning coffee. I do my best work in the early morning, before starting my day. I swear I…
Celia is homesick
Two days in Minneapolis, and Celia is homesick for her city. Besides missing her husband, she misses Chicago itself, its density, its heights, its deafening el. The sights seen from the Brown Line on a beautiful day. She’ll be happy to be home at the end of the day.
Acme factory
Driving around a strange city, Celia finds herself near the Acme factory. Is this the place where all those Road Runner contraptions were made? The opaque factory, with its peeling paint, unreadable purpose, and everyman name teases us to react, whether with curiosity, amusement, or self-righteous dismay. Acme has the effrontery to operate in America,…
