North Pond Sora

North Pond Sora, originally uploaded by Hannibals Animals.

Took day off to go to Chicago. Found some great stuff like this Sora swimming!

Chicago Wood Ducks

I took a trip to Chicago yesterday to see if I could find some migrant ducks to add to my Life List. A place known as North Pond, which is just a leap over Lake Shore Drive on the north side, can be a great place, given that migrants need calmer waters to de-stress during their long journey. I went during mid-day, which was a mistake, and I know better, but I didn't have it in my schedule for any other time so it was what it was. I've never been there, but will definately be back! Although I found nothing to add to the list, I did find some very entertaining Wood Ducks to keep me happy! And if you have read my blog for any time at all, you will know that the Wood Duck has always gotten the better of me. I can never get close enough, but then there is never a "close enough"! Chicago was my lucky charm! I found these guys humanized to an extent and could approach them semi-easily! It was fantastic! A completely different Wood Duck World than what I am used to! I loved it!

Click on photos for large size!

A Day in Chicago

I had some out-of-state guests over the weekend, so we planned a trip to Chicago for some sight-seeing. We stopped at Navy Pier and walked the boardwalk.







We stopped at a Funhouse mirror to get a laugh. From left to right is Jack, me, Cuttidad and Monnie. Strategy played a part in putting me at the back.







A Pirate Ship leaves the harbor for a sightseeing adventure out on Lake Michigan.







Then it was off to Millenium Park to walk through Cloud Gate, otherwise referred to as the "Bean".








And a stop at the Crown Fountain for a look at the faces on the water wall.



You couldn't ask for a better day! It was great weather with great company!

A Trip to Chicago

Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives.

Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. Cloud Gate sits upon the At&T Plaza, which was made possible by a gift from AT&T.

What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline…so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around.
-Anish Kapoor



This sculpture is affectionately known as "The Bean".








I've wanted to go to Millenium Park for years, just to see The Bean.









I am glad I did. I saw the pictures of it, but the experience was much more.









It was a great day for pictures with the clouds at Cloud Gate.









One of my favorite shots is this one.









How cool is it, that you can walk right through a sculpture and never take your eyes off it...









What a surprise to find The Bean has a very interesting underbelly that rises up unexpectantly.









The abstract images were fun to play with.









Finally, a shot of 2 Oompa Loompas on the loose are captured.