Just because...

...I feel this is the best work, as an artist, I have done at this (almost 65!) point in my life!

And my UGLY troll wants me to STOP showing you this beauty of LIFE!

Must be a Democrat, huh?

From Saturday afternoon...

...here in Rogers Park...a phenomenal FOG...

It's there.

I know it's there.

The 12 story Farcroft building, now owned by James N. Pritzker, just a block and a half to the north, is hidden by today's fog.

Feeling ill today...

...as the throat is sore, the glands are swollen, and the nose seems to want to run through every street in Chicago...so much for a very compromised immune system, thanks to the bacteria Cryptosporidium and John Norquist, the former Mayor of Milwaukee, WI (my hometown) who eventually resigned.

Sooooo, I wrote, as I am apt to do:

Day and night

Sirens scream in the night:
Up and down this street
Of this, the northernmost neighborhood
Of Chicago.

I wake, though,
Knowing they aren't coming for me.

For which I thank the Creator:
Once.
Twice.
And again.

From my Window: Shambhala Day

The bass drum, cymbals and chanting began at 8:15 on this dreary, cold and wet Saturday morning in Chicago.

It is Shambhala Day--the Tibetan New Year--and the Shambhalans were holding their 'Lhasang' purification ceremony in the parking lot. It's 33 degrees with a 21 mph North wind, and the rain is mixed with snow...UGH!

From their website:

SHAMBHALA DAY marks the beginning of the New Year, and represents one of the most important traditions of Shambhala Buddhism.

Based on the traditional Tibetan New Year's celebration of Losar, the day is calculated astrologically according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, and changes every year to coincide with the annual lunar cycles.

Shambhala Day is a time for us to express the wealth and richness of our spiritual and cultural heritage through feasting, conviviality, elegance and pomp.

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, who will be coming off his year long retreat will address the worldwide Shambhala community on Shambhala Day through an onlinehook-up, which includes centres and groups from six continents and over thirty countries around the world.

The day typically begins at sunrise with a Kyudo demonstration, referred to as the "First Shot" to signify the beginning of the New Year.

A morning Lhasang (purification ceremony) is conducted, followed by breakfast, and The Exilir or Life Sadhana.

The Sakyong's address will begin promptly at noon, and will address the communities responses to the Letter of the Morning Sun. Lunch will be served afterwards.


In case you're wondering...

Lhasang is a smoke offering and purification practice from burning juniper and is traditional in Tibet.

In Shambhala, we offer lhasangs for the Shambhala Day and on other special occasions.

Sometimes a lhasang marks the beginning of a large practice program such as seminary.

A lhasang may also be used to recognize the sacredness of an object before it is offered to a practitioner, for example before students receive a terma text.

With a home practice, small bricks of charcoal are lit and dried juniper is added.

A lhasang chant can be said additionally.

For large programs, usually a fire is prepared in a firepit and entire branches of juniper are added atop the fire.

Dipping the branches in a little water before adding them will increase the smoke.

A longer lhasang chant may be performed, and additional offering substances like a torma and alcohol may be purified (such as using the Vajrasattva mantra) and then offered in the fire at specific points during the long lhasang chant.

After 15 minutes, everyone began to head back inside.

Oh, one last thing...instead of hiding out in the parking lot, I wonder why these ceremonies are not held in their generous, and much more welcoming, front yard--right at the corner of Sheridan Road and Sherwin Avenue?

It would certainly be more inspiring than a parking lot, which is next to another parking lot!

Just asking....

Post-blizzard Absurdity!

After my walk along the lake yesterday, I turned west at Greenleaf Avenue to head back up Sheridan Road. When I reached the corner, this was what I saw:

Plow damage to the Loyola Park Fieldhouse planter

In the clean-up after the Groundhog Day blizzard, this walk was closed to foot traffic, as up to nine-foot high piles of snow had been dumped along most of this two-block western boundary of Loyola Park.

Though I'm not certain when this plow came through to clear the walk, I am dismayed at the destruction!

Bench #1

Bench #2

Bench #3

Bench #4

Bench #5

Toward the back of this snow pile is a metal trash container, which was attached to the sidewalk a half-block away. The mangled black shape in the foreground is the heavy-duty plastic liner.

An example of what the benches used to look like (on an interior park path)

These benches have been in place since, at least, the late 1950s. Seats and backs were replaced by Chicago Park District as necessary.

To have these five benches destroyed in one fell swoop is ABSURD!

Was the plow driver drunk, or on drugs?

I also wonder...what did the plow blade look like after this total debacle?

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!

Today's Walk along Lake Michigan

Melting, but...

...it'll be a while....

From my Window: Does somebody up there not like me?

When the ice finally melted from my window, after three days, I wanted to clean off the 'birdy poo' I showed you several days ago.

I found this:

I live on the sixth floor, so someone on 7 or 8, or someone on the roof, 'slopped this former food' onto my concrete sill.

It looks like beans and mashed potatoes, or something.

In addition, my entire window had a lot of what I call 'schmutz'--as if someone sprayed it with salt water.

I've worked hard this morning, on my knees, to clean the outside storm window. I suppose I'll have to take it out of its housing...a somewhat difficult and dangerous job when one lives high up...for now, this shot will have to do:

From my Window: Sunday Surprise!

About 40 minutes ago, I opened my living room blinds to look at the world today. Here is some of what I saw:

Thought the curly willow juxtaposed against the snowy trees made for a nice effect.

Soooo happy I was able to get out yesterday!

P.S.: It's beautiful, isn't it?

And on the third day...

...after our Great Chicago Blizzard, it looks like this:

The bus stop right outside my building

I got out today, thinking the 'going' would be pretty decent. I couldn't climb over the pile at my bus stop, so I walked south to another, which has a shelter and, thankfully, was cleared of snow. You see, I desperately needed to go the library!

Now some might say, "Hey RPFree, get a kindle, read books electronically! Get with the program, old girl!"

I DO read electronically, but I also prefer to read for an hour or so in bed, before I turn out the lights and while I am doing stetching and back exercises so I won't totally stiffen up overnight.

I figured, after reading Ald. Joe Moore's (Incumbent-49th Ward-20 years 'on the job?') e-mail poofs these past few days, that all would be right on Morse Avenue, and I could freely walk down and do some shopping.

I got a block and a half east of Clark Street, and had to negotiate this, which is a huge task when one uses a cane, as I must:

Their house...notice their porch and steps are shovelled

I finished my shopping, and walked the three blocks east to Sheridan Road, where I could catch the bus back home. On the way, I encountered this EXTREME FORM OF CHICAGOAN LAZINESS:

I actually saw an older (than me) woman, walking toward me with a rolling walker, and stopped to watch if anyone would help her.

No one did, so I and my cane walked back up and helped her get the walker over this stupidity.

She is one of the Russians who live in the neighborhood, and does not speak English well at all, but her shock and disgust were very apparent.

You see, this afternoon was the PURR-fect time to go out and clear snow. It was mostly sunny, about 30 degrees, and the snow was softened enough to push around easily.

But, this being 'Super Bowl Saturday', time must be spent planning for tomorrow's game. Chicagoans, I have found during my 12 years of living here, are like that: very LAZY when it comes to clearing snow. They'd rather wait for all this to melt.

An alleyway, which Ald. Joe Moore previously stated were being taken care of by 'one of his guys'

And this treacherous 10 feet or so

So I got off at the same stop where I embarked upon this mini-sojourn and walked into Leone Park-Beach to take a couple of shots.

The huge ice/snow floes are both way out on the lake AND at the snow-filled shoreline

So here I am, back home. I opened a few windows to allow for some fresh are, and sit pondering:

Is Chicago Transit Authority responsible for clearing their bus stops OR does the CTA take the Blanche duBois approach--'depending upon the kindness of strangers'?

From my Window: Chicago's Blizzard

It was my intent today, when I arrived back home around 3 PM, to set up the camera and tripod at my window and do a shot every hour or so to show the progress of the Great Blizzard of 2011.

The window began to fog (actually, the storm window) around noon. So, all I can show you from the lower, unscreened half is my friend the mannequin, desperately trying to stay afoot during horrendous winds (which are rattling the windows and impacting the building heavily).

I crept the camera up to a place where, through the screen, you can see at least something of Sheridan Road, the Farcroft building, and how little snow there seems to be at about 5:45 CST.

BTW...that "egg-stremely bright light" just right of center is courtesy of the Shambhalah Center, at the corner of Sheridan Road and Sherwin Avenue here in Rogers Park. It is "ON" 24/7, shining right into my window, making my apartment very bright at night.

It is an irritant.

Jeesh...you'd think these psuedo-Buddhists would have more manners, huh?

But, then again...it's Rogers Park, the most northerly neighborhood of Chicago, where some of the most liberal "hippies" and "wanna-be hippies" live--sorry for the redundancy.

I hope to get out tomorrow, if the wind dies down a bit, in order to show you some more of out Great Chicago Blizzard (?)

A Walk along the Lake Michigan shore

It was a whole 32 degrees today!

Leone Park playground, and one of many people who come to sit by the lake and contemplate.

Looking northeast to Leone Beach. When the icy snow melts, the lake is about 30 feet closer.

Looking to the east. The snow/ice mounds are due to wave spray. The area can be quite treacherous when the North and East winds cause non-stop waves.

Looking to the southeast at Farwell Beach pier, about a half-mile downshore.

A local restaurant, closed until we get warmer days (maybe in June?).

The Loyola Park playground, at the lake end of Greenleaf Avenue.

Spring is scheduled to arrive in about 7 and a half weeks, isn't it?