Day 35 : Leaning Tower of Chicago

The first time I saw this Leaning Tower of Pisa replica, I was surprised that a little part of Italy is in the heart of Illinois. As the Christmas is fast approaching, the city is being decorated like a new bride in summer, and the Leaning Tower of Chicago has not been left out. The Tower was decorated red ribbons and colorful lights. It was fun taking pictures of this warm structure while shivering in the bone chilling cold after Thanksgiving. Here is the picture of the day:

'Leaning Tower of Chicago'

Day 34 : Free

Yesterday, I was coming back from swim class when I saw a beautiful sight that I had never seen before. Two Stags were running freely in the Linne Woods in Morton Grove, where people jog, cycle, and trek regularly. It was breathtaking to see these wild animals run free among the joggers and parked cars. I had been to many zoos and sanctuaries, but I have always seen deers and other animals behind cages. Chicagoans are lucky to be so close to nature with Forest Preserves everywhere, and I feel lucky to be here. After coming here, I have see Racoons, Deers, Skunks, and Rabbits that I have only read about. Here is the picture of the day:

Day 33 : Tree Climbers

Children are so fearless. They know they can learn anything and have a natural inquisitiveness that I sometimes wish I still had. There is a tree outside my second floor apartment and sometimes kids climb the tree with such ease, balancing on the slender branches without any fear. Their laughter is so pure, filled with simple joy of climbing a tree. I asked them if I could take a picture, the kids were so welcoming that they even posed for me to take pictures. They could climb even higher than the roof of second floor, and this is Magic where I am concerned. I am completely awed by their fearlessness of climbing heights or falling down.  This is an ode to childhood:

'Tree Climbers'

'Tree Climbers'

Day 32 : Bird in a Bush

'Bird in a Bush'

Day 31 : Sea Gull and Lake Michigan

After an exhausting After Thanksgiving sale, I sit before my laptop with eyes half closed, exhausted to the bone, wondering what to post for the animal week. I remember taking this picture in Navy Pier. We sat on the bench on the Michigan lake shore looking at the seemingly endless lake and equally endless waves; when a curious sea gull came along expecting some food and eyed us for quite a while. He was so calm and confident around us, while he looked longingly into the lake. Here is the picture of the day:

'Sea Gull and Lake Michigan'

Day 30 : The Dock

Nature has a way of adapting itself to change and this picture here is one such example. Here is the picture of the day:

'The Dock'

The street lights have replaced the trees, yet the birds have adapted to nesting and resting their wings on these lights. The birds were arriving like fighter planes on to the docks as you can see on the right end of the picture. I love the simplicity of this nature of the birds, simple, agile, yet strong.

Day 29 : The Mighty Bison

When I was a kid, my dad bought me a picture book on Animals in North America. The book fascinated me and opened the doors for a whole new world. The mighty Bison was the one of those animals and I could not imagine how enchanted these animals really are. A Bison is 2200 pounds of brute force, yet a gentle giant that once roamed freely in America. It was hunted to near extinction. I thought its extinction would put the animal in protective status, but I saw bison meat sold in one of the superstores. My heart goes out for this family guy, who protects his family as ferociously as any human ever could. I took this picture in Memphis; I thought would be part of the animal week:

'The Mighty Bison'