Caterpillar of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly....

hatched out and feeding greedily on one of Hubsy's dill plants; there were about half-a-dozen on the plant, I was happy to see. I hope they survived the birds so some will eventually mature as butterflies!

New Faces in the Garden!

I have a lot of fun hybridizing the daylilies that grow in mine and my neighbor's yard. Here's some instruction.,

All you need is a few kinds of daylilies and lots of patience. The following photos are the result of 3 to 4 years of "work". Enjoy. 

"World's Most Serious Baby" Cracks a Smile!

Her big sister "Alice" was born smiling and giggling; Most-Serious turned three this summer. No, she is not all together serious all the time. They had a lot of fun on their 4th of July visit to our neighbors.

A Haunted Alley in Chicago...

Looking west from State Street toward Dearborn, into this alley. In 1903, many victims of the Iroquois Theater Fire jumped from high windows to try to escape flames. I edited my raw photo to look more sombre and off-balance.

Hubsy Usually Takes a Dim View.....

...of my hyper-creative photo-art, but--well, my goodness! he likes this one. The "before picture" is back a couple of posts; on State Street in Chicago on July 3, 2013.

I Like to Fiddle with the Color Boosting Feature!

Under the Chicago Elevated (or "L") tracks somewhere on Wells Street on July 3. "2X-Boosted". Without the enhancement, it's just a row of dumpsters.

The iconic Chicago Theater, the place were as a young teen, I first saw "Sound of Music" when it first came out. We could have seen the film in the suburbs, but it seemed to justify a rare trip to the city.

"Pink": 2X-Boosted and softened at the edges. State Street is not the prettiest of places, but this has a dreamlike quality I like.

Odd Assortment of Small Old Buildings in Chicago's Loop...

The little three-story job in the middle photo on Jackson Blvd., is being given a complete renovation! What would it be like to have your office in the cute little "needle" on State Street next to the Ulta Store? I like the contrast.

So Many Sights and Sounds in the City....

As I sit at my desk at work, I know there are millions of images in the hot, hard city that could be frozen. I regret I can't be out there preserving more of them. This is from July 3; two sports commentators on the radio in a showcase on State Street in Chicago--complete with all the reflections.

Wear Blue Moderately...

Happy Independence Day, 2013....

Store window display and the spectacular interior of Chicago's downtown Macy's store--er Marshall Fields.

Black Hawks Appreciation Day, in Chicago....

 Last week, the Chicago Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup. It was an exciting play-off with a thrilling end, if you were a Chicago fan. Friday was set aside as a Day of Celebration, with long parade and rally--like a Roman Triumph without as much carnage. (Actually, it was a lovely day with a happy, peaceful and huge crowd!) At the train station in morning, there were vendors in the great hall....

 ...one of whom had a fascinating hairstyle....

 ...the vaulted ceiling was lit in red light.....

 ...there were hordes of people on the trains that morning and again on the way home....

Everywhere you looked, there was RED