dirty little secrets
The rash of 40+ deg days we've been having has left me with mixed feelings. Snow covers up the death that defines fall. I don't have to see the brown grasses, the mud, or the rotting leaves. Even when the snow isn't "fresh" it presents a uniform texture that, to my eye, is pleasurable. But when the snows melt (and spring is months away) nature reveils her equivalent of "morning face."
In the city, melting snow piles don't just leave the sidewalks dirty with soils, salt, grime, and oil, but another joy: dog poop. I noticed this today while taking advantage of the warmer temps to do some walking during my lunch hour. I was in the River North part of downtown which is one of a few recent residential growth areas (lots of conversions). Apparently, when it snows out, dog owners let their pets crap in and around the large snow piles that build up from shoveling and plowing. As long as there is fresh snow and fresh shoveling, they are hidden from view. But now that the snow has melted, the sidewalks are saturated with dog poop. Urban dog owners in this part of Chicago are either idiots, lazy, or both.
That bit of unpleasentness aside, being able to get out and walk during lunch was nice. I took the cheap point and shoot digital camera I picked up via craigslist back in October and had some fun. Tomorrow I hope to do more of the same.
Detail of a sculpture called "The Athlete" outside the East Bank Club, an athletic club in the city