Too much snow to bike, but perfect for hiking along the lakefront. Layers of snow, piled up “glaciers” & slushy “icebergs” in the lake. The sunrise was not so amazing, but everything else about my morning hike was!

After my snowy stroll, the REAL work began! Digging out my car so I can drive tomorrow! I finished it in two “back-breaking” sessions… good sweaty workout… I kinda like shoveling snow!!! I don’t need to do it all that often, and I get a great sense of accomplishment when it’s done. Now I just hope we don’t get too much more snow… and that it doesn’t get too windy overnight!!!

More natural textures still dusted with a bit of snow
at Lillstreet Art Center… perfect for a little Texture Tuesday!

I love when the freshly-fallen snow sticks to every branch & fence… covering the City in a beautiful blanket of white. Typically it disappears pretty quick… but NOT today! It’s still a Winter Wonderland out there!!!

It’s a beautiful snow-covered day in Chicago! Looking out my kitchen window to see my back porch “curtain” of rusty gears under a new blanket of snow! A good day to go hiking through the snow… or to curl up under a blanket on the sofa! Either way, enjoy the snowy day!!!

We finally got some sunshine today!

So I had to GET OUT!!!

Out of my condo.
Out of my studio.
Outside for some fresh air!!!

I decided to go back to Illinois Beach State Park to hike along the lakefront… and oh, while I was there, I could check on the fortune cookie “inventory” that might still be hidden out there!

Beautiful blue skies, show-covered beaches, plenty of icicles…
and yes, a handful of fortune cookies still waiting to be found!!!

Colorful & chilly… with a chance of frozen puddles!
It was a bit colder than I expected this morning… good & bad. Good to see some cool frozen bushes covered with icicles. Bad to see ICE already… I am so not ready for this!!! Had to be more careful of “puddles” along the trail… now slippery ice puddles!

And oh, by the way… “Dear Santa, I need much warmer gloves!!!”

Another gusty windy day in Chicago! A lot of leaves dropping from trees, flying around, swirling everywhere and eventually piling up in the darndest places!

The overnight temperatures dropped quickly, and it looks like the ginkgo trees dropped their leaves quickly too! Still more leaves to go… but for now, there’s a beautiful carpet of golden leaves on the ground.