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'

Day 28 : Hello Neighbor

I was walking in my community when I heard a squeak and looked around, I thought it was a bird but could not find it. I started to walk away when I heard it again. The sound was coming from the building by the road and I looked up:

 It was a squirrel calling out loud, but I felt as if it was trying to tell me something :). It was looking at me as I was walking away and still squeaking. It was a curious incident. Here is the picture of the day:

Day 27 : Local Airport

Today, a storm passed Chicago, bringing with it rain and gloomy clouds to the day. But the weather was very good after a few weeks of cold weather, where the cold breeze was not freezing your face. But this rainy weather made 'the Geese,' the stars of our community, show a different side of themselves. Curiously, the geese all flocked onto the roof tops and stood in a line, as if airplanes in a airport were waiting for the permission to take off, anxious yet ready. So here is the picture of the day:

'Local Airport'

Day 26 : Diving Mallard

I really liked the idea of a weekly theme, and decided to stick to a theme this week too. I planned Animal Week for the next 7 days. Taking the picture of an animal in action is a difficult thing and I try my best to capture the moment. Animals always try to communicate with us in some way or the other, some ask for food, some let you know that you are scaring them, and some are unusually curious.

I am learning swimming and I know how difficult it is to learn. But when you see ducks swimming carelessly in a pond, you wonder how a little furry duckling learned to swim without anyone holding its wing. You wonder even more when a duck dives in to catch a fish, especially when the duck effortlessly dives into the water with its back still floating on the surface. I took a picture of a male Mallard Duck diving into the water to catch some fish. Here is the picture of the day:

The Mallard male duck is easy to recognize with its dark green head and the female is a less colorful brown color. Here is a picture of the original duck male and female Mallard Ducks swimming together:

Day 25 : Park Bench

What is the most beautiful thing in a park? Yes, trees are beautiful, the relaxing lawn is beautiful, the pond full of ducks is beautiful, the greenery and flowers are beautiful, but the most beautiful thing is a well-positioned park bench. :) You don't want to walk all the time, you sometimes want to sit and soak in the beauty of nature. Americans love benches in the Sun, but Indians always search for shade. I love a park bench that is situated exactly near a lake shore, and shaded by a tree standing behind the bench. The theme of Wildwood Nature Centre ends today, and here is the picture of the day:

'Park Bench'

Day 24 : Romantic Spot

I was looking through the trees and found these two cars enjoying the weather around the lake and I snapped a picture instantly. This picture reminded me of Herbie falling in love with this cute yellow car in the Lindsay Lohan's movie "Herbie: Fully Loaded." These two cars look like they are having a nice romantic evening together. Here is the picture of the day:

'Romantic Spot'

Day 23 : Yellow Willow

After yesterday's 'Back to the Roots' picture of the day, the willow tree still stayed with me and I simply had to post another picture of the willow tree. I wish I had started this challenge in spring and I would have gotten a picture of a green willow swaying its wailing branches. However, I know it gets better from now, the snow will have new things in store for me and Spring would bring back my willow tree, full blossom. Here is the picture of the day:

'Yellow Willow'

Day 22 : Back to the Roots

The willow tree has always inspired me. The tree stands tall, sways its slender branches like a heart-broken girl waiting for her lover on top of the hill, and looks as beautiful as a master sculpture. The willow tree had influenced literature a great deal and I can never forget this story of "The Weeping Willow," where two lovers are hunted by their powerful elders and the girl drowns in a lake and the guy turns into a Willow tree shading the place where she died. I read it as a kid and it hit me hard in the heart. I tried finding the story to read it again, but I could not. The willow trees look more beautiful in the autumn, when they turn yellow and sway just as beautiful. They look even more beautiful in November because all the other trees would have already become leafless and this tree would stand there, glorious with all its leaves intact. But today I discovered that its roots are glorious too. It has extensive root system and the roots search franticly for water and can even clog pipes and drainage systems underground. So here is the picture of the day:

'Back to the Roots'

Day 21 : Reflection

Going ahead with the theme of the week, Wildwood Nature Center; this picture needed very little editing in Picasa and yet the picture says it all. The log of wood that rose a little above the water gave the impression of a crocodile meditating. The patches of yellow, green, red, and blue reflecting in the water made me fall in love with this place. This would be a perfect place to meditate or just sit back and relax. Here is the picture of the day:

'Reflection'

Day 20 : Hiding Sun

I love this picture for its purity. The sun hiding behind a white fluffy cloud in the clear blue sky, shooting of its rays away from me, had something really magical in it. I took this picture in a moving car and could not believe the clarity of the picture. The silvery glimmer of the cloud, the shy sun, and silent trees below can make anyone fall in love again. Here is the picture of the day:

'Hiding Sun'

Day 19 : Yellow Veil

I had a real good day today as I found a beautiful spot to take pictures. It is the Wildwood Nature Center in Parkridge, IL. I saw how beautiful the place was even as the winter was beginning and wondered how it would look in Summer. I found it yesterday as we hunted for the lake that seemed to be a private one. We stumbled on to this place, which seemed to look pretty ordinary at the entrance except for the wood sign stating Wildwood Nature Center. It was very cold outside and my hands were shaking as I pushed the camera's button. But the place was so peaceful as the willow tree branches swayed in that nose-biting chilly wind. So I decided that this week would be the theme of Wildwood Nature Center. As I saw these three reddish brown trees through the yellow leaves of the willow tree, I felt they were hiding behind an yellow veil. Here is the picture of the day:

'Yellow Veil'

Day 18 : Lighted Shed

The season's weather is really making me crazy....the sun sets by 4:30 pm, it has been raining all day making the day look gloomier than ever. Coming from a country abundant with sunshine and not much weather change, I am not taking it good. But then there is this 365-day picture challenge that makes me smile. We went out looking for some beautiful scenaries to take pictures. I saw this and I had to take a picture:

'Lighted Shed'

Day 17 : Wilmette Beach

I did not take this picture today, but Wilmette Beach is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Chicago. The sand is so white that I could not stop running my hands into the sand. The sunset has all the colors a rainbow would have in the sky. The soft cold breeze nudges you to become a kid again and play with the waves. The sea gulls there are quite a naughty bunch and would flock around you if you have food for them. One should go to Wilmette beach regularly in Spring and Summer. One part of the beach was reserved for the dog and you would be surprised to see dogs diving into water and swimming in the lake like professionals. Here is the picture of the day:

'Wilmette Beach'

Day 16 : Lonely Pond

The trees had no leaves, the grass was turning yellow, the dry pine cones had no seeds, the nests on the trees were empty, the sky was cloudless, and the pond felt lonely, especially because of the fence around it. Here is the picture of the day:

'Lonely Pond'

Day 15 : Bridge Rusty

I saw this rusty old bridge over a small canal and was awed by its beauty. There is something beautiful about bridges, small or big. One subconsciously falls in love with a bridge, may be because they bring two different entities that are otherwise far apart, closer. A bridge symbolizes what we all aspire in our lives, to bridge the gap between the people we love, to bridge the gap between fear and achivement, and above all to bridge the gap between life and dreams. So here is an ode to a rusty old bridge:

'Bridge Rusty'

Day 14 : The Snowman Band

I took a walk to the Hallmark and found this cute snowman band. Here is the picture of the day:

'The Snowman Band'

Day 13 : Red Berries in Green

I found these berries hiding behind a bush and loved the combination of red and green. Here is the picture of the day:

'Red Berries in Green'

Day 12 : Night and White

Today I decided to post a Black & White photograph. I had to take pictures when I saw these leafless trees swaying in the 38-degree cold wind. As I was trying to take pictures while shivering from cold, I wondered how these trees are handling the cold. I guess one have to lay low till bad times pass and live with the hope of spring that would surely and definitely come. Dedicated to hope and life, here is the picture of the day:

'Night and White'

Day 11 : Noodle Diwali

There is nothing like celebrating a festival with family and friends. This was something I took granted for in India. Last year, it was just my husband and me and we could not really celebrate Diwali. But this year, we celebrated Diwali with friends in Inchin's Bamboo Garden with noodles and cake. It was so good that we felt we were with family, and I was not homesick anymore. The food was great, so was a friend's idea of bringing a Turtle cake along to celebrate the event.

Diwali is one of the most beautiful festivals, especially because it is a festival of lights. I lighted some colorful tea lamps to celebrate the festival. The little lights looked so beautiful when they were battling with the cold winter wind. Here is the picture of the day:

'Battle with Wind'

Day 10 : Cat with a Heart

It was freezing cold outside, and I was waiting for my turn for eyebrow threading when the cutest guy said hello. :) A beautiful plump cat to be exact. It had been a while since I touched a cat and massaged his head and I was beaming like a kinder garden kid. He went to the glass door and looked out at the road with such serenity that I had to take his picture. But I did not see this at that time, he was a Cat with a big Heart, literally!! He had a heart-shaped marking on his leg and the camera caught the heart brilliantly. Here is the picture of the day:

Day 9 : Gateway to Heaven

I was coming back home from a fun meet with my friends, when I saw that the gloomy cloudy day I left behind in the morning had turned into a bright sunny evening. The sky told exactly what I was feeling coming back from our meet. I generally do not like electric wires in a scenery. However, when I reversed the picture, I saw how magnetic the electric wires looked between those orange tinged clouds in a serene blue sky as if they were the gateway to heaven. Here is the picture of the day:

'Gateway to Heaven'

I had a great day today, why?... My friends and I had a fun Henna day! We tried to apply different designs found online to our palms. With some mishaps and lot of dripping Henna, we finally made some fine designs while eating delicious grilled sandwiches. Here are our contemporary henna designs ;):

Day 8 : First Frost

This morning I saw first frost of the year. It spread all across the green lawn, cars, plants, trees, and everywhere that saw open sky. Here is the picture of the day:

'First Frost'

The powdery white frost stood on everything like a ballet dancer on her toes. I felt like flicking the leaves to let the powder fall to the ground. The white frost on the red leaves looked so beautiful!

Day 7 : Squirrel's Halloween

Tired from my workout, I look out of the window when I see this cute squirrel dragging a delicious-looking orange pumpkin along to a safe place to eat. I guess it was a small Halloween pumpkin that it found in a porch. I could feel how tasty the pumpkin was for the squirrel. I guess it was its way of celebrating Halloween. Here is the picture of the day:

'Squirrel's Halloween'