news from chicago: This and That

These photos are from last Thursday and Friday. While James has been in class, I've been going for run/walks around Evanston and found this great duck pond right by Northwestern's campus. I thought it would be fun to go up there and hang out and so we did. Like I said, we've been having unbelievable weather and it should be enjoyed. The news is already reporting that this winter is going to be one for the books and not in a good way.

Here's the little man right by the lake front beach with a massive multicolored leaf

A lot of ducks showed up for the Wonder bread :) A lot of ducks.

James LOVED this. All the ducks were quacking and swimming and flapping their feathers all over the place. It was great.

"Whoa Mom - Whoa Duck Ducks"
(Wow Mom, there's a lot of ducks!)

After the ducks, we walked around the pond and the lake and picked up sticks and leaves and chatted away. Then we saw a squirrel - one of many - but this one barked at us. I'm not sure if barked is the right word but it was making noises that suggested to me that we leave him alone. I told James that he was afraid we were going to take his nuts and James said, "Oh Wurrel! Nuuuuuuuh" and laughed.

So then we continued on the bike/running trail and all the sudden I see this lady ducking and then taking out her cell phone and tyring to take a picture of something. Then I see it. It was a hawk. It swooped through the park and right over the ducks. The ducks were not so pleased - quacking galore. And then James said, "Whoa Mom! Oh no Ducks?" And I said, "James it's a hawk - it just scared the ducks ... I don't think he's after the ducks, I think he's probably after the squir...." and then stopped talking because I don't need to scare my child and then he innocently said, "Nuh?" And I said, "YES! The hawk is after the squirrel's nuts!" And then James said, "No Haw .. Wurrel Nuh ... Dis leafs" He was protecting his leafs he had gathered because he was afraid the hawk was going to take them :)

The Hawk/Bird of Prey

Walking back toward the main strip pointing at trees, leaves, grass, squirrels, cars, you name it.

Snack time at "Mom Tea" or Starbucks :)

James picked up a coffee stirrer and it became a saw on the walk back to the car

On Friday, we went to school, came home, ate lunch, napped and THEN took a water taxi to go see Dad at work. For the entire 10 years I've been here and the life Doug's been here - we've never taken a water taxi. So - here is the photographic documentation of our first water taxi journey. I just realized that some of you may not have heard of a water taxi before. It's a group of boats that go up and down the Chicago River and have stops at Navy Pier, Michigan Ave and then Union Station right near the Sears Tower. We got off at Union Station and walked to Doug's office.