We had beautiful blue skies today… warm temps & not a cloud in the sky! Just a little hazy day lingering downtown. I kept trying to stay focused to get some work done… but instead, my bike won out again! That’s why I’m in the studio tonight!!!

But still… even a flat tire is a small price to pay for a panoramic sunrise like this!!!
ANOTHER STUNNING SUNRISE!!!

Gone, but not forgotten. So the viral sensation of the FRIDAY MORNING SWIM CLUB may have come to a skidding halt… as it has taken a bad turn in the press & legalities are in process. But it’s hard to stop a popular sensation like this. So while there was no “official” swim this morning, I was still intrigued & wanted to see how many people would show up for the swim. As I pedaled over to Montrose Harbor, you were instantly “greeted” with police cars, news trucks & the police boat patrolling the water. While the crowd was wildly diminished from the usual “thousands” of people… there were still a lot of die-hards who were not going to let the weekly swim die so easily. Even with the choppy waters… there were still a lot of Swim Clubbers in the water!

For what has become an annual tradition, there’s always a “photo-shoot” with your Triathlon Finisher’s Medal at Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain. Such a beautiful spot for a few photos… especially on such a beautiful blue-sky day!!! Plus it just happens to be along the long walk back from Finish Line to the Transition Area to reclaim my bike & gear. The end of a beautiful day downtown… and fun another race in the books!!!

A bit of a hazy start to the day. Looks a little “foggy” over the skyline… shrouded before the sunrise. And a quick glimpse at the large blue sculpture at Diversey Harbor. You may not know the artist who made it… but my Summer Campers sure do… first AND last name!!!

And the answer?… the sculptor of this sculpture?… JOHN HENRY.

“Second verse, same as the first”… another murky & monochromatic morning.
Looks like the smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires is back with us for a few days… ugh.

So when I mentioned yesterday that I LOVE the cloudy & moody mornings… I’m not sure I meant quite this much?!!! It was pretty “drama-filled” this morning with the windy gusts, crashing waves & plenty of clouds!!!

So when I checked it early this morning, my weather app said clear & sunny for the sunrise… they lied.

Okay… so there might have been a little message about poor air quality that I “may have” overlooked… as it seems like the smoke from the Canadian wildfires has blown back into town again?!

A few moments of pastel sunrise colors… and then back to gray. An other quiet morning pedaling along the lakefront. Happy to have some color back in the sunrise sky… even if it was short-lived.

A fun ending to a beautiful Saturday night in Chicago… FIREWORKS at Navy Pier!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed the fireworks downtown. I had kinda forgotten about how close they are to the Pier & how beautiful the reflections are! Stunning!!!