APRIL!

It's April and Chicago and it feels more like the middle of summer instead of early spring! Took my bike out for a ride for the first time this year. Rode to Olive Park which overlooks the city's Gold Coast. Awesome ride awesome day It's 83 out right now!

Trains!

Thursday was the third in a string of nice days that Chicago has had. I decided to watch some trains go through the Canal Street Railroad Bridge. This is a vertical lift bridge and it's neat to watch it go up when boats go through. Today, however it was time to see trains pass through.

The first picture is an amtrak train headed to Union Station



The one below shows an Union Pacific Engine passing through

Spring Has Sprung!

The warm weather of the past week finally allowed all the snow to melt and the first greenery to pop out of the ground!

A Red Lite Sunset

Last Tuesday evening something told me to look out the kitchen window, When I looked out I was amazed by the red reflections the last light of the day was casting on the loop. The Aon Building in particular looks very cool!

February Snow

Chicago finally got hit with a substantial snowfall over 12 inches fell on Wednesday. Thursday sunny skies returned, which has been a rare treat this Winter. The photo below shows the Bridgeport neighborhood after the storm.

End of the Line or is it?

Today the cuts in CTA service go in effect. They didn't have to but the union is stuborn. The photo above was taken last week at the now closed Archer Garage. Yesterday the CTA rounded up all the 6000 series Flxibles and moved them to the Archer garage for storage. I have a love hate relationship with those Flxibles, when running well they were great transportation on the other hand some of them should have be sent out to pasture sooner.




Today's bus watching should be interesting. The #44 Wallace Racine goes down my street and while weekends we only have 6 on the route, there usually a mix of Flyers and Flxibles. The 74th street garage houses the 44 and now has traded it's Flxibles for Novas, so I'll be watching to see if a Nova is on the route.

Service could be restored eventually if the union can come to terms, but even then it will take a couple of weeks to happen

Harvest Moon in January?

Yesterday morning I caught a strange sight. The setting moon in waxing gibbous was orange in color. This color is usually associated with the Harvest Moon. Very strange!

Winter at Ping Tom Park

I have finally got a chance to snap a few shots of Ping Tom Park in Winter. Ping Tom Park is located along the Chicago River behind Chinatown. The Pagoda is the only structure located in the park.

Pinkish Sky

Last Friday, the snowstorm came to an end and the sky was clearing. We had an interesting pinkish sky just before daybreak :)

Happy New Year!

With the arrival of the really cold weather, we finally have blue skies. New Year's Day started with the sun rising above US Cellular Field AKA Sox Park!



Saturday morning started cold with a temp of 7 degrees but since I missed the moon on New Years Eve, it was a good chance to snap a pic of the still nearly full moon.