Woke early, attached a couple blinkies to my Seven, and headed out in the still-dark morning. It’s very quiet at that time, and I find it extremely peaceful to ride before the city wakes. As the sun started to rise, it brought with it the promise of a beautiful Fall day. I stopped to watch for a while, but didn’t take any pictures. A phone camera is inadequate to capture what I see. I move on.
This ride is turning out to be very different than I first thought it would be. My intention was to go out, have a “get ‘er done” ride, and head back to watch live feeds of Tour of Lombardy. Instead, I started to zig zag through my neighborhood, feeling great, and not wanting it to end. Here are only a few of the highlights from my ride today.
Public Art
I’ve gone past this a hundred times, and have taken a photo of it before, but today it seemed to draw me close. Nestled under the El, this is one of my favorite pieces of public − and yet very personal − art, there on someone’s garage door. I can’t help but wonder who lives in that magical place.
Ragstock
I rode past this man, we exchanged a “good morning,” and I kept going down Milwaukee Avenue. But the image of him sitting there on his blue milk crate stuck with me and I needed to go back. I made a U-turn and politely asked if I could take his picture. He enthusiastically agreed. I don’t know why he was sitting there, and I didn’t ask. I took a few different shots, thanked him, and moved on. When I looked at the images later, I noticed that he kept his eyes closed in each one. Perhaps in doing so, he only let me photograph a small piece of him.
Buster
This is Buster, a very lucky little bundle of energy. His owner found him wandering in Logan Square one month after he lost his beloved old dog. Still consumed with grief, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to bring him home, but he did. It’s a big weekend for Buster. They are looking to add to their pack with another rescue dog. And the rest, as they say, is history…
Forgive
I see this word all over Chicago, but this one caught my eye. I loved the way the painter went over each character a couple times, creating the open weave on the letters. And what is especially fantastic is dripping of the paint over the curb.
The Chicago Seven
How could I not stop at this fabulous door? I loved how the sun and shade were playing on this building. I positioned my bike, took a quick photo, and headed down California for home. What a fantastic morning.
