It’s been very hot for several days… in the high 90’s-100’s… heat indices even higher…
and my Summer camp schedule changed suddenly giving my a window of opportunity!
So I hopped in my car today and drove up to the Wisconsin Northwoods. I met up with
my friend Amy Higgason who lives in Lake Tomahawk. She had a couple days off
as well… and said we could play if I helped her with her art fair on Saturday!
Of course I said yes.

So once I got there, we had a wonderful sushi dinner, and then when to her friend
Toni’s house for the evening. It was a great chance to take a dip in the lake
and enjoy the beautiful sunset! What a great escape from the heat of Chicago!!!

And a great way to start my weekend escape to the Wisconsin Northwoods!

It was raining this morning, so there was no sunrise morning bike ride for me.
But I did get in a great bike ride after camp today… when the sky was MUCH better!

The weather was surprisingly beautiful today.
And although I was supposed to be working on my taxes…
I knew that I had to be out on my bike! So I did… and gladly pedaled off for the day…

Headed south along the lakefront towards the city, enjoying the Spring scenery.
Ice & slush is finally gone. There are a few more potholes on the bike trail than usual.
But Spring was everywhere! Leaves finally popping out. Beaches. Skylines. Beautiful.

A little bit further, the Spring wildflowers were peaking out en mass… which made it
the perfect place to make a stop. Really, any place this beautiful is a great place to stop!

Getting closer to the city, I was intrigued by the empty harbors. All summer long, these slips
will be filled with hundreds & hundreds of boats. Every harbor will be filled. Packed full.
So I found it striking that there were absolutely no boats in the lake yet.

Just south of the Chicago Yacht Club, you turn back toward the city and are greeted by a
colorful forest of orange & yellow trees. These trees were installed about a year ago. They
were originally “planted” in Lincoln Park closer to the Zoo. But now they are right there
along the side of Lake Shore Drive. I love that Chicago has ART everywhere!!!

And as if the painted trees weren’t beautiful enough… the ground beneath them
is a blooming carpet of mini daffodils! Ain’t Mother Nature grand?… even with a coat of paint!

Just behind the painted trees is the Cancer Survivors’ Garden. There are beautiful iron
gazebos, benches, urns and gardens strolling up the hill towards the Colonnade.

And the perfect day kept getting better & better… as Magnolias were blooming everywhere.
One of the most striking flowers of Spring, which unfortunately don’t last very long. Just
one big wind storm and they’re gone for another year! And look closely…
apparently that early-rising bumble bee was excited to see the magnolias too!

From the Cancer Survivors’ Garden, it’s just a short walk to the BP Bridge which takes
you over the roads and into Millennium Park. The bridge has a shiny metal surface…
kind of like a Medieval metal-plated armor coating! Very striking… especially when
the sun is glaring off the shiny surface.

Across the bridge, you come up to the Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Bandshell
and striking “birdcage” structure that works as a canopy & sound speaker support
for the concert goes who sit in the lawn. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Mr. Gehry…
and if you saw this structure from the side or behind, I think it looks completely
unfinished. Okay, I know there’s a concept in there somewhere… I’m just saying…

As I was moving about Millennium Park, it was great to see Spring popping out everywhere.
Little flowers. Small Spring buds. The juxtaposition of last year’s foliage & grasses withering
away while the new Spring fun is emerging all around.

And then… oh, but wait there’s more… the fountain was on!
But I’ll save that for the next post. Coming soon…

And here’s more about the photography exhibit we went to see at the
Chicago Cultural Center… in between the incredible stained glass dome windows…

Vivian Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American amateur
street photographer who was born in New York but grew up in France, and after
returning to the U.S., worked for about forty years as a nanny in Chicago.
During those years she took about 100,000 photographs, primarily of people and
cityscapes most often in Chicago, although she traveled and photographed worldwide.
Her photographs remained unknown and mostly undeveloped until they were discovered
by a local historian, John Maloof, in 2007. Following Maier’s death her work began to
receive critical acclaim.Her photographs have appeared in newspapers in Italy, Argentina,
and England, and have been exhibited alongside other artists’ work in Denmark and Norway;
her first solo exhibition is running at the Chicago Cultural Center until April 3, 2011.

If you want to see her work in person, be sure to stop by the Chicago Cultural Center
before April 3rd… when her solo retrospective show will come to a close.

You can also see a lot more of her work if you click on this blog link…
Vivian Maier – Her Discovered Work.

You can also check out Artsy.net for more information.
You’ll find more on Vivian Maier including her bio, 80+ images of her works, exclusive articles about Vivian Maier, as well as her up-to-date exhibitions – it’s a unique Maier resource. Click here for Vivian Maier on Artsy.net.

Artsy.net : Bringing the world’s art to everyone with an internet connection.

You know how I like beautiful landscape photography.
And pride myself on a few of my own sunrise biking photos.
But here’s another friend of mine who takes great pictures!
Although I’m still wondering where the color went?

Personally I prefer my nature shots to be vivid color as Mother Nature intended.
But my friend Julie Wight sees the world differently through her camera lens
and creates these stunning, and sometimes haunting, black & white photographs.
I’m entranced by the composition, the contrast, the geometry… basically all of it.

The majority of the work I have seen of Julie’s has been this kind of austere nature shot.
But recently, Julie kicked off her own photography blog to showcase more of her photography.
And this time, it’s not all landscapes. I can’t wait to see where her blogging journeys take her.
Be sure to check out her new blog adventures – http://juliewight.blogspot.com/