81 posts tagged “photography”

It is "dibs" season in the city of Chicago though dibs on street parking are not enforceable. Chicagoans take their parking spots rights very seriously ("Rights" are earned by shoveling out a spot for your car). But what to do when you've actually got to use your car? Use whatever you can get your hands on to hold that space!

The bale of hay is the most unusual spot-holder I've seen yet. :)

Full photo essay at the Chicago Tribune online.

A little bit country

(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / January 12, 2009)

A bale of hay is used Monday to hold a spot on Francisco Avenue near Waveland Avenue on the Northwest Side.

 

(Tribune photo by Kuni Takahashi / January 12, 2009)

A stroller is used Monday to hold a parking space someone had cleared of snow on West Barry Avenue near North Lawndale Avenue in Chicago.

 

Dibs

(Tribune photo by Kuni Takahashi / January 12, 2009)

A laundry bin and plank mark dibs on a spot near the intersection of Spaulding and Belmont, in Chicago.

 

Desperate measures

(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / January 12, 2009)

A Big Wheel and a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe bookend a garden hose holder on patch of Huron Street near Damen Avenue.

 

Packed and ready to go

(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / January 12, 2009)

A resident on Whipple Street near Berteau Avenue on Chicago's Northwest Side marks a spot cleared of snow with a suitcase.

Eureka!

(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / January 12, 2009)

A vacuum is used Monday to reserve a shoveled space on Grace Street near Richmond Street on the Northwest Side.

Snow patrol

(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / January 12, 2009)

Like-minded residents on Mozart Street near Cortland Street put out a plethora of chairs in the hope that no one would park in the already-clear spots.

Happy day. It was top down weather as I took my big drive out to the country to get the works (colour and highlights). Tomorrow--Halloween is supposed to be 70F! One last little bit o' decent weather. So happy about that.

Carved pumpkins last night. I snapped a few shots of the guys at work.

 

 

I don't carve. I'm a bit phobic about knives (yes, I had an accident once) and I hate the smell of pumpkin guts. I used to paint one--but I have no artistic talent what.so.ever.

Spouse still buys me a pumpkin though. ("They were on sale!")

I don't want to whine about work but does the word "audit" elicit any anxiety in you? It didn't in me so much as it mandated a ton of work--unpaid of course. But enough bitching!

My dog Raven, a Schipperke, is pretty much her own boss. She is totally miffed with me in these shots as she does not agree with my choice to put her on the long leash. She seems to be having a bit of a withdrawal from cottage life sort of like I did (am?)

Anyway, pics of Raven not listening: 

This is the most I got from her--a glance that sort implies ..."Whatevs!"  I had to call he a couple times to get her long leash. Usually she cannot wait to get out the door and rushes to get it on. Not this time.                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 Mums blooming~

 

 

 

 

 

A well-made groin. (above–the rock thingy). Spouse just kept at it until he couldn’t doing anything else to it.

First, hello officially from the US.

It was so perfectly beautiful.

I went to Maple Lake three times between June and September 2008, staying for 4 weeks straight in July/August plus two extra long weekends. My original plan involved staying up to two months but by late May my son had decided to take Driver’s Education over the summer as there was no room in his academic schedule during the regular school year. Plus, the class is offered at about half the going rate(or less) than traditional driving schools.  Last summer he took Health Education and something else. Killed summer vacation dates then, too. But as a wise person recently pointed out, in only a short while he’ll be away at college! I’ll miss him terribly but the cottage is much more likely to be occupied by me and spouse is *cough* getting older and accruing some good vacation time–so he can stay awhile as well. He very much likes it which I think is kinda cute as he married into summering on Maple Lake.

***Don’t miss the last photo. It’s the best.

Spouse working doing stuff at the Lake.

 

Spouse removed an old stump and planted a patch of grass where it had been. That patch is now known as the best patch of grass on the property. LOL

 Ack! Tried to find a cool older (5 years ago) photo for comparison. It’s pretty amusing but I’ve used three PC’s in the last week and I’m not even sure which one they are are on–just which one they are not on. So… more later.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Alice and Frank and my Dad (pictured, age 2 months) and my Mom for picking my Dad.

Frank, holding 2 mo. old Jim, Alice

I love how well this photo cleaned up (and yes, I know I could have done a better job) . My grandmother looks so pretty and, for the very first time I can see the same jawline on my grandfather, Frank as that of my Dad (and me to a degree). Very interesting and fun to know.

 

 

 well-made groin. (above–the rock thingy). Spouse just kept at it until he couldn’t doing anything else to it.

First, hello officially from the US.

It was so perfectly beautiful.

I went to Maple Lake three times between June and September 2008, staying for 4 weeks straight in July/August plus two extra long weekends. My original plan involved staying up to two months but by late May my son had decided to take Driver’s Education at Fremd High School over the summer as there was no room in his academic schedule during the regular school year. Plus, the class is offered at about half the going (or less) than traditional driving schools.  Last summer he took Health Education and something else. Killed summer vacation dates then, too. But as a wise person recently pointed out, in only a short while he’ll be away at college! I’ll miss him terribly but the cottage is much more likely to be occupied by me and spouse is *cough* getting older and accruing some good vacation time–so he can stay awhile as well. He very much likes it which I think is kinda cute as he married into summering on Maple Lake.

***Don’t miss the last photo. It’s the best.

Spouse working doing stuff at the Lake.

 

Spouse removed an old stump and planted a patch of grass where it had been. That patch is now known as the best patch of grass on the property. LOL

 Ack! Tried to find a cool older (5 years ago) photo for comparison. It’s pretty amusing but I’ve used three PC’s in the last week and I’m not even sure which one they are are on–just which one they are not on. So… more later.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Alice and Frank and my Dad (pictured, age 2 months) and my Mom for picking my Dad.

Frank, holding 2 mo. old Jim, Alice

I love how well this photo cleaned up (and yes, I know I could have done a better job) . My grandmother looks so pretty and, for the very first time I can see the same jawline on my grandfather, Frank as that of my Dad (and me to a degree). Very interesting and fun to know.

Four of them have and I've not got a lot to show for it.

Getting ready to leave and I don't want to go. Even though everyone says this was the worst summer ever I've been happier than ever here in this little cottage. Life is very simple. Our water is unfiltered and comes from the lake about 100 feet from where I sit now. One cannot drink it, rather one must fill up big container of spring water which can be obtained for free near the tiny airport about 2 miles from here.The airport and a now-shuttered resort are what brought people from Toronto to this lake in the first place in the first half of the 20th Century.

We do a lot of our grocery shopping at a little market with one butcher and one bakery lady. All the dairy and meat products are fresh, obtained locally as is much of the produce.

For the first time ever there is a local radio station, "The Moose"--they play a lot of Rush-- and they'll show up to almost any little event. Today spouse went to buy grass seed and they were there broadcasting at the Not Home Depot, raising money for some lifts for the two hospitals in this massive county. They thanked my spouse as "Roger from Chicago" on the air which tickled him.

The counter lady at the brand new Rexall drugs recommended a local photographer for my son and I to get our Canadian passport photos taken. She'd had no trouble she said, last winter when she and her children had theirs done and sure enough, it went off without a hitch for us, too. Afterward, we got milkshakes, possibly the best anywhere, at a local ice cream stand that's been there at least 30 years, maybe more.

On that trip into town I ordered the rustic wooden sign I've wanted made--don't know where I'll put it but it'll be hand-carved and ready to pick up when I come back to close the cottage in September. It's says "Alice's Place" and will have two little hearts as embellishments, in remembrance of the woman to whom I can thank for the privilege of being here--my grandmother. My grandfather outlived her by 35 years and after he died at age 101 the county put a road sign at the end of our dirt and gravel road--"Frank's Lane" --which is nice but I want to make sure that we are reminded of her, too. I think of her often but many folks though they know of my grandfather don't have any reference to my grandmother.
There is a teevee but it only gets one channel so we never use it and don't miss it. We play Uno at night or watch movies. In the evening too one hears the nearby haunting call of the loons, which scares our little dog.

 

Spouse spent much of his time building a groin to better build the beach and when he finished that he secured the bank down to the lake with the many stones that had been buried in the sand--some almost the size of boulders. My grandfather had them hauled in many, many years ago. Spouse also fixed both sets of stone steps which take you down the 15 feet or so to the beach and the lake. It's peaceful through the week and because of the wet and cool weather even weekends have been  more quiet than normal.

 

We are in the woods on a lake. I've had this privilege all my life and I realize how very precious it is. After dinner tonight spouse and I took the canoe out further than he'd ever been and so got a view of the lake which was completely new for him. We saw the ever-present common loons and a beautiful blue heron that swooped by us.

I have to leave this life, go back to suburbia as school is starting and my son is turning 16--both on August 20-- and I owe that to my son but I do not want to go--at all.The one concession to modern life has been what facilitated me being able to stay here for a month--the satellite internet. I've gotten a lot of work done--but on my own schedule. I did a conference call today which involved pulling up visuals on the Internet and it was totally awesome to do so in my swimsuit and shorts. Heaven if there is one, could not be any better than right here.

It's another rainy day here at the cottage. It's very, very cold for this time of year as well--if we are lucky there will be a high of 60F today. I really doubt it though.
I'm glad I brought hoodies because I'm wearing them with the hoods up--indoors.
I've not ever had to use a space heater that I can recall but both of them are cranked up right now.
I've been blog-keeping, younger son is watching 80's and 90's cartoon openings on YouTube, and spouse drew the short straw has gone to West Guilford to do laundry. Supposedly, the weather is going to improve slightly as the weekend progresses so we figured we'd get the bigger chores out of the way whilst it is like this.
Anyway what better a way to feel cheery than to look at some photos of last night's trip into Haliburton to Win Yeung for some Canadian Chinese food, followed by some sightseeing around the village.

 

No one home: a home at the perimeter of Stanhope Airport

 

Head Lake, Haliburton

 

Moon over Grass Lake, West Guilford

Grass Lake, West Guilford

Though the sun is shining and I’m grateful, it is in no way warm. The water, after many sub-normal temp weeks simply never warmed up–so swimming has been less than a daily activity. But as they say you take what you get when you come up here–and there is still much here to savour.

Lots of nature–any time of the year–any weather!

My spouse, who is a much earlier riser than I, took these out in the back field area.

Hopefully no rain today so I am off!

It started off a pretty day. Comfortably warm with the lake fairly calm. The waves began picking up a bit, then a bit more and quite suddenly things became chaotic. The screen blew in on one of the front windows and I feared that the window which cranks out so that it forms a "t" when fully open would snap off, too. There are several other windows in the cottage like that--all were open and needed to be closed. Spouse and son were shielded by the hill going down to the lake and didn't seem to realize how serious things were getting so didn't respond to me yelling for help with battening down the hatches. By the time they came inside hail was raining down, the high winds were blowing the deck furniture about, leaves and branches were flying every which way--and then the power shut off. The storm continued for some time and since one never knows just how long the power will be out here on the Lake, spouse went to the town a couple of lakes away and bought ice and food to barbecue. It's good that he did as the power was off for 8.5 hours and the hydro company had told us that the couldn't find where the problem was and would have to quit for the night and come back in the morning. We were heating up water on the barbecue at 11 p.m. for clean-up having given up on having the juice on to power the water pump when it switched back on. It was a relief but the situation has been pretty disruptive. Our neighbor next door built a fire despite the lingering drizzle and as the light faded to black we did, too. Spouse got a pic of our neighbour who is nothing if not a good humoured guy.

Getting warmed up

A couple snaps from yesterday
 
Raven on the bank: not a water dog

Paddling home