Beach Hazards Day - Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool - Northerly Island, Burnham Harbor & Lakefront Trail -- MyShadowProductions #230

 Bom Dia !! Remember? That is “good day”, “hello” in Portuguese if you remember my trip and blog posts from late January into February of 2025. I mention it because there were several days there that the weather said “severe coastal event” which meant large waves. On one of those days I took a bus from Lisbon to Arenhas del Mar to see some large waves, here is a Link to that Post which includes a Video.

Ok, I will get to the point :) Several times here when I check the weather for Chicago it will say “Beach Hazards Statement” and it details some forecasted large waves and rough currents. This is Lake Michigan, not the Atlantic Ocean, so the wave heights aren’t as dramatic, 15ft + vs 5-8ft, but I still wanted to see it :) 

So, on August 2, 2026 I started my wave adventure north of downtown near the Chevron Sculpture and Fullerton Avenue walking my way South past the Concrete Beach, North Ave Beach and the Oak St Beach. Then a crowded 20 minute bus ride south to the Adler Planetarium area where there are a few trails along the Lake leading to the 12th St Beach.

Maybe this map I scribbled on will help you get an idea where I wandered/wondered :)

Click Here for my Beach Hazards Day Trip Video along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. The cool thing is that every day the free “wave/water show” is unique based on the wind velocity and direction and season of the year :)

Before crossing under Lake Shore Drive on Fullerton Ave I visited the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool which is a cool “hidden gem” adjacent to the Lincoln Park Conservatory grounds. It seems like it was a day for artists there, I enjoyed the views that they were painting. I didn’t have the nerve to ask any of them if I could take a picture of their art but I think that would be a nice addition to my Video, “next time” :)

Here’s my short Video walking through the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool site.

That was before the wave adventure and then after the wave search I was very close to Northerly Island and just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to walk the trails there. Remember “White Saturday” (click for reminder) there?

CLICK HERE for my Northerly Island - Burnham Harbor - Lakefront Trail Video created from my photos.

Totally unrelated, but maybe not, is there a difference between wAnder and wOnder besides the a and o?? Maybe?

Bob Seger has a song called “I Wonder”, it doesn’t answer the question but his Music Video for the song might be a good starting point? 

Click for “I Wonder” by Bob Seger. (FYI, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky).

It has been a while since I shared anything about the Food Pantry, still helping out there on Mondays, they haven’t fired me yet :). Here are a couple of interesting items:

Santa Claus Melon or Green Gulyabi Melon: White interior like cantaloupe/honeydew, very good, I didn’t get a picture of inside, sorry.

Hearts of Palm, Angel Hair/Spaghetti gluten free “pasta”, I liked it, good Al dente texture.

I better sign off before we all have too many things to wonder/wander about :)

FULL BLOOM AHEAD !!

Late Fall COLORS - Lincoln Park Conservatory - More Lakefront Trail and WHITE SATURDAY - MyShadowProductions #215

Hola amigos, how are things in your neck of the woods?

If I had to guess I would say that I used/overused? the word COLORS in my blog posts during most of 2024, so why stop now? :)

I saw some pretty cool Late Fall colors that I want to share. Actually I just noticed that the word Colors includes all the letters of Cool :) 

Click Here for a Video created from my pictures at the Art Institute of Chicago gardens, areas heading to and at 12th St Beach and Northerly Island.

On Sunday November 16 I tried to take advantage of a nice, cool Fall day by going to Chicago and visiting the Lincoln Park Conservatory (even got a quick behind the scenes tour there from a friend) and then venturing over to the Lake to see more of the Lakefront Trail from Fullerton Beach north to Belmont Harbor and then back south to North Avenue Beach and Oak Street Beach along the Gold Coast area of Chicago.

It was a lot of walking but just what I needed, sometimes things work out that way :)

This Video was created from my photos that day, so grab your umbrella/raincoat? and Dramamine! Hopefully after watching the Video, you will understand that “joke” :) Fair warning, it is eleven minutes long, I just don’t know how to not show a picture after taking it :)

Now, if you read the Title of this Post you might be wondering what is “White Saturday”? Well, I just made it up. After Thanksgiving comes probably the weirdest (in my opinion) day in American ”culture”, Black Friday and this year in “my neck of the woods” there was a Winter Storm Warning for the day after Black Friday, Saturday, with heavy snow (that’s where the White comes in :). So, if the term catches on (doubtful :), if it snows in your area the Saturday after Thanksgiving then you can “celebrate” WHITE SATURDAY!! Remember, I am not all there, that’s why I am here :) I know this “idea” needs some tweaking in order to be “fair” with areas like Florida, California, etc. so please put your thinking caps on! :)

12th St Beach

Northerly Island

Watch this Video to see how I “celebrated” White Saturday! For the record, the snow accumulation varied from 8 to 11 inches.

Just in time for the Christmas Season I came across a new (for me) vegetable during a volunteer shift at the Aurora Food Pantry, it is called Chioggia Beet and also called Candy stripe Beet which could easily be changed to Candy Cane Beet :)

And, who knew, but Pointsettias grow in the Desert House and Aroid House :)

As usual after completing my rough draft of the Blog Post I just took a walk to clear my mind (good luck with that :) and think of any “edits” I might want to make and Mother Nature had a few ideas for me, a calm cloud free sunset and a rising Full Moon!

Have a Great Weekend !!

BUTTERFLIES on MICHIGAN AVE, POLK BROS PARK, PUBLIC ART, LURIE GARDEN & More - MyShadowProductions #185

Hi everybody, how are you?

This first little tidbit is not part of this Post’s Title but I wanted to share a little story about one of the outside gardens at Garfield Park Conservatory (GPC) if you have a minute :)

I have been going to GPC for over 7 months now and it has been enjoyable to learn a little about the place and its character as I dig in the dirt.

One garden caught my eye as a potential neat picture before and after some flowers bloomed. I got those pictures in May and then just a week or so ago I was weeding there and I asked the Gardener I was working with, what was the name of the garden. She said it is called the “High Voltage Garden” because of a sign on a nearby door. The collage of pictures below hopefully shows the story :)

Sometimes a little chuckle can be as rewarding as a full belly laugh :)

I am very grateful that something (many things) about the GPC has (have) just felt right and allow me to help there.

Now, for the items listed in the Title :)

On Saturday, September 15, 2024 I went to Union Station and walked a few blocks north to the Water Taxi loading dock and took the Taxi to Michigan Avenue. From there my goal was to walk north and then cut over to Ohio Street Beach, Milton Lee Olive Park, Polk Bros Park, E Illinois St., River Esplanade, Lurie Garden, Gardens at The Art Institute and anything else along the way that looked interesting.

I was relatively successful but my exact route is a little (a lot) iffy :)

I wasn’t aware of the “Flight of Butterflies” exhibit until I saw it on Michigan Ave., I will definitely consider it a scavenger hunt challenge to find as many as I can.

The stores and shops along Michigan Ave. and the Navy Pier scene just didn’t make the cut that day, maybe in the future :)

CLICK HERE for a Video created from my photos.

I noticed this sign in August and forgot about it, I think it is interesting enough to share “later than sooner”, :)

Meanwhile back at Garfield Park Conservatory, the annuals in the two large beds of the Artist’s Garden were removed (reluctantly) and the soil will be prepared for planting of the 8,000(?) tulips that will be part of next Spring’s show :) Note: Seeds were collected (The Conservatory grows almost all of their plants in their propagation greenhouses on site), some flowers were used for children’s programs and all excess was composted.

There was also a group of “Future Gardeners” that strolled through the Artist’s Garden that Wednesday:)

I am sure you have signs of Fall in your neck of the woods and here are some photos from around here:

White flowers are Japanese Anemone - Late Summer/Early Fall Blooms

          

Iris germanica ‘Clarence’ - Reblooming

Fair warning, more to come :)

Have a good day !!