So last night, I stopped by the studio after setting up my Barrington art fair booth.
I knew that my electric kiln full of monsters would still be warm from firing
overnight. And it was still just over 800-degrees. To hot to open… but I just had to!
So I cracked it open about a 1/4-inch with a thin shard. And went home for a quick sleep!

Then this morning, I stopped in on my was out to Barrington for the start of the fair.
When I got in, the kiln was still about 200-degrees hot. Warmer than I would like…
but I didn’t really ave any choice. I had to take them out. I had to take them to the fair.
So there I was, with a thick pair of gloves, carefully unloading another hot kiln!!!
Luckily, they all turned out great… so I pulled out, tried to cool them quickly so I could
pack them out without the foam sheets melting!!! Then it was off to the fair…
with a new collection of festive monsters in tow!

And the newest member in the tribe…

It was a very strange morning along the Chicago lakefront today!
Dark. Foggy. Misty. Hard to see just two feet in front of you!
If you look closely… you “might” be able to see the North Avenue Beach House
just past the row of street lights! I swear it was right there… I swear!!!

And then when I turned around to head home…
it looked as though there was a hurricane blowing in off the lake?!
Is that even possible in Chicago??? Seriously?… it was crazy!!!

It seems as though Spring will never get here.
They’re predicting another week of gloomy, chilly & rainy days here in Chicago!
I’m ready for Spring. I’m ready for Summer. I’m ready for nature’s colors & textures!
So as a quick “remedy” I’ve posted some favorites to brighten your day.

So?… how many can you name? And which one is your favorite?

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…

When I got home from my morning ride, it was great to see
that a couple snowdrops had popped up after yesterday’s “heatwave” in the 80′s.
And even though yesterday’s heat has gone, it’s good to see that the flowers have stayed!

As I was leaving for the studio this afternoon, I noticed that my
poinsettia on the stair landing is blooming. Finally…
And this is the poinsettia that I’ve kept living for two years now.
It vacations outdoors in the back courtyard all summer and gets very green
& lush. Then I bring it in for the winter where is suffers and losses a lot of leaves.
My main goal is typically just to keep it alive through the cold Chicago winter months.
This winter it must be extra happy for some reason?

This morning was gorgeous. Everything was covered with a sheet of ice.
The trees. The sidewalks. My car.

While most people were complaining about the hassle & danger…
I was busy appreciating the incredible beauty of it all. Loving the textures
and the way it defracted everything behind the glass of my windshield!

Overnight we got more snow in Chicago… like we didn’t have enough already?!

So while we’re still digging out from last week’s snowstorm, this morning I woke up
to a beautiful coat of white snow. This time, just a couple fluffy inches and no wind.
So it blanketed the city in clean, silent snow. Beautiful & quiet. Much more welcome
than the last go-round with bitter winds, flying ice shards & drifting feet of snow!!!

Beautiful frozen stalactites on my back porch… beautiful, yes…
but try navigating the frozen puddle that forms below this every winter?!!!

The snow & wind continued through the night. And it was exciting to get outside
today to see what happened overnight. A lot of drifting snow… that’s what!

The streets were covered with snow drifts that covered many of the cars. And then
the snowplows had come through and piled even more up against the sides. Nice, huh?
There were cars everywhere enveloped in a shroud of beautiful white snow.

But then the shoveling began. I tackled my own car with enthusiasm & vigor… and luckily,
my neighbors Mia & Melanie were right there willing to help. We shoveled out enough
to get into the car, start it up, and then I continued to shovel more out. By the time I
finished mine, I felt victorious as the first in a long line of shoveling to come!

Some people have said that I can be a little obsessive-compulsive…
who knew it would show up in my shoveling projects as well? But it did.
And I now have the cleanest and most well-shoveled little parking space on the street!
That is at least until the plow comes by again or the wind kicks back in?! And now
that I’ve shoveled it all out, I’m actually considering the age-old Chicago “trick”
of blocking the space when I pull out with a lawn chair or something else to claim it
for myself. I’ve never done it before – with a storm like this, it might be worth it?!

It was great to see so many of my neighbors out this afternoon working together
and shoveling out anyone who needed help. And after I finished shoveling, it was
still quite beautiful around the neighborhood. Including my now snow-covered,
ceramic Captain America PEZ Dispenser in the back courtyard!