Top O' The World

My adventures in Chicago took a turn for the better today when the heavens cleared and the sun came out. I got out of my convention a few minutes early, caught a train right in rush hour (Thankfully I was going against the grain, which meant the train I was on was relatively empty, but I had to wait 45 minuted for it to come...), dropped my bag off at the hotel and headed out on foot with my trusty camera. The shot above is from the 103rd floor Skydeck at the top of the Sears Tower, the tallest building in this hemisphere. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it up there during my trip, not because I didn't think I'd get the free time, but because they close at 8 pm. But I got there well before that, even on foot and after joining a peace rally for a few minutes. I spent the rest of the day, and a big chunk of the night, exploring my way across town, moving from landmark to landmark on my quest for a decent picture. I'll share plenty of them when I get home, but for now, I gotta get some sleep.

Chicago Is Cold. And Foggy

Yes, I'm in Chicago. I just now figured out how to connect to the internet, but I'm on my way out the door, so I don't have time to post much. Got an hour or two last night to go shoot, but it was foggy and dark. Still got some good shots of Cloud Gate, which was one of my goals. It's got to be the coolest thing ever in the whole history of the world.

Bumped!

Yep, I got bumped. Now I'm waiting on a flight 2-1/2 hours later. I'll get to Chicago an hour later than I expected, since I'm making up some time during a layover in Charlotte. But now I have a free round-trip ticket on US Airways. Hooray! Now, where to go... France? Probably not. London? I doubt if they fly overseas. Hawaii? All signs point to no. Phoenix? Maybe. We'll have to wait and see. Work paid for the ticket, so that freebie may be theirs. We'll see.

On The Road

Look at me, I'm sitting in the airport using the SRQ free wireless service! I'm too cool! I'm actually hoping to get bumped to a slightly later flight and get a free round-trip ticket somewhere. How cool would that be? Well, depends on how late I get to Chicago, I guess. But I could deal with a free ticket.

Sweet Home Chicago

A couple of hours from now, I'm going to get on a big plane and fly to Chicago (via Charlotte, NC). I'm flying up there for a couple of days to attend a trade show, so I don't know how much time I'll have to get out and about and shoot, but I'm hoping. It's about 82 here now, and it's below 40 up there. Talk about a shock to the system! I'm staying in a hotel that was built in 1893, so I'm hoping that in itself should provide some nice photo ops. It's right by Grant Park, overlooking Buckingham Fountain, so if the weather allows, it's not a far trip to get some good pics. If I have internet, I'll try to get something posted up while I'm there, but I'm not counting on it. Stay tuned for the end of the week and hopefully I'll have something good to show you all. Wish me luck!

The Week With St. Patrick's Day

Gettin' towards the end of the month here, but that doesn't mean we're gettin' towards the end of the pictures. These things just seem to go on forever. This week you get a close-up shot of a barred owl. I shot this guy at an Earth Day celebration at Oscar Scherer State Park just a little south of where I live. Every year they trot out all sorts of displays and animals, and it's always a show worth seeing.