Chicago! My Kind Of Town????

It's funny to be in a large city among the building where the sky is blocked. This picture was taken at noon and it appears to be twilight!
I'll take suburban life to city life any day! To much traffic and to many people.
It was fun to see all the sights and sounds!!!

The "L"

After many years of seeing it in movies and on TV I was finally able to see the famous "L" for myself!! I walked up the stairs however the platform was empty!
The 'L' consists of seven rail lines totalling 106.1 route miles (57.1 miles elevated, 36.9 miles surface, and 12.1 miles subway) on over 222 miles of track, including yards, and 144 stations. 17 of these stations include "Park-'n'-Ride" facilities for customers who drive to CTA rail stations. The total number of parking spaces systemwide is approximately 6,639.
The Chicago Elevated is one of the busiest mass transit systems in the United States. The Chicago Transit Authority says 494,743 people ride the Chicago Elevated each weekday!

Sears Tower In The Mist

Due to flights I arrived early today in Chicago so I visited a store located in downtown Chicago for another DM.
As I was walking towards the store the mist cleared for a moment and I realized I was directly under the Sears Tower!
A few moments later and the tower was covered by mist again.
Chicago became home to the world's tallest building in 1973 when the Sears Tower was topped off. The Sears Tower remained the tallest building in the world until February 13, 1996. The Sears Tower continues to be the tallest building in North America.
Sitting on two city blocks and rising one quarter mile (1,454 feet) above the ground, the Tower's 110 stories comprise some 4.5 million gross square feet of office and commercial space. It was designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, and was constructed in a little less than two and half years.

Louisville KY

Last weeks CVS store visits took me to Louisville KY.

Beth tells me it is pronounced "Luvul KY", lol!!!

As the 16th largest city in the U.S. and the largest city in the state, Louisville, Kentucky is home to over 90 attractions, 17,000 hotel rooms and 2,500 restaurants and the world famous Kentucky Derby horse race.

Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778. While its initial growth was slow, the advent of the steamboat in the early 1800s sparked booming industrial development, and by 1830 Louisville had secured its place as the largest city in Kentucky.

Tiger Lilies!

Now in sharp contrast to the Indy snow picture my Tiger Lilies are leaping towards the Woodstock spring sky!!
They are the high light of my garden and will grow to 4’ and put on many dozen salmon colored blooms! Lilium lancifolium. The TIGER LILY is often grown in the flower garden but in the Orient it is cultivated for its edible bulb. In fact when grown as a root crop the Chinese actually pick off the flower buds to stimulate the production of larger bulbs. All other members of this genus also produce edible bulbs, though these can often have a bitter flavour. When baked, lily bulbs taste rather like potatoes.

Snow In Indy!!!

Due to airline ticket prices I was only able to find a reasonable price ticket to visit the Louisville KY CVS stores by flying into Indy and then driving to Paducah KY.
Once I arrived at the airport I found that my flight was delayed by snow. I final arrived in Indy about an hour late to 9” of snow! Oh and 26 degrees!
This picture is heading SW on I-70.

New Hummingbird Garden

This is a picture of last years flower garden below our deck!
This year we're planting annuals to attract Hummingbirds.
Some of the plantings will be:
Beard Tongue (and other penstemons)
Firespike
Fuchsia
Impatiens
Jacobiana
Jewelweed
Petunia
Shrimp Plants

Beth's Parents Home.

Located two miles from us is Gram and Papa's house.
Judd and June moved in a year before Beth and I bought our home.
We visit often and its great having them just down the street from us.
I couldn't ask for better inlaws!!!!

Forsythia In Full Bloom

This picture is from the front of our house. We have several Forsythia bushes and they are all in full bloom.

Spicer Grove Spring

Spring is coming to Spicers Grove. This is a picture of the entrance to our subdivision.
Daffodils are in full bloom.

Model Railroading.

As some you might know Dad and I are model railroad buffs.
Dad has a four sided railroad layout in his basement. I had a 16’ x 4’ layout in my basement however two years ago decided to demolish it and start a four sided layout of my own. I have a small section of it competed now with plenty of work ahead of me.
I love the scale modeling and have built many scale buildings and block senses.
Here is a downtown corner.

To see more of the railroad and it’s buildings visit my Woodstock HO Train Blog at http://woodstockhotrains.blogspot.com

New Downtown Cornerstone!

This has to be the most unique CVS Pharmacy I have been involved with. Located in Shelby Township MI it is the cornerstone of a new downtown project.
The upper two floors are completely fake and empty!

"Stag", The Stag Horn Fern!

Two years ago while setting new CVS Pharmacies in California I took a Sunday drive with a friend to Los Olivos near Solvang. If simple charm appeals to you, then Los Olivos has your name written on it. With several art galleries, tasting rooms, restaurants and the upscale Fess Parker Inn, your agenda is to relax, slow down and smell the wine grapes or taste the apples grown locally.. "A Day in the Country" held each October in Los Olivos celebrates the apple harvests but most days throughout the year, you can sample local wines from fields grown right around Los Olivos.

Well in Los Olivos we happened to find “Patrick’s On the Side Street” a real cute diner tucked away on, you guessed it, a side street. The owner Patrick gave us a guided tour of his garden and there I was introduced to the “Stag Horned Fern”! “
Stag Horns are “A” sexual, prehistoric plants, one of two remaining today! They grow in moss and develop spores.
So taken by the 400 pound Stag Horn that Patrick had in his garden I bought a cup size one and returned to GA with it. Two years later Stag lives in the office window and is loving life. He still hasn’t developed spores!

Air Tran Talking Me Home

Climb out from Midway Airport Chicago this evening. Air Trans new Boeing 737-700's are very nice airplanes.

F4 Wildcat At Midway Airport