Chicago, my kinda of town

I think only in hot, humid weather after a thunderstorm can grass smell like a perfume. What would the scent be called? "Brown grass after rain"? The fragrance was intense today, just like when I was a teenager riding horseback in the back pastures around Denton. Not so humid today, the breeze off the water was deliciously cool. It felt like the entire world was out cooling themselves. Chicago, or what I saw of it in the blur of my review mirror was pretty fantastic. Enormous, white, Annabella hydrangeas lining the city streets. Flowers, everywhere. Huge columned museums. But my favorite moment was when I saw the Indian on a Horse statue. Called "The Bowman and The Spearman" sculpted by Ivan Mestrovic, installed in 1928.

If you hear a little excitement in my voice, it is because there is a laundry area in the hotel. I am doing laundry as we speak (instead of doing my work/note taking of the days' events). Clean underwear tomorrow! 

We came into the city, and skateboarders, hoards of them ... on the streets. 

 The sky was very pastel blue today, with big puffy clouds. We drove through a really bad thunderstorm getting here. One of my dreaded things is driving behind big trucks, with all of water slushing up on my windshield. 

We drove into South Chicago. On every street corner someone had set up a snow cone stand. That was great. I was tempted to stop and get one and have that red syrup (that never washes out) drip all over the front of my white shirt.

Some guy in South Chicago was explaining about how to stay safe. Told me something about the Wow Wow West (as it pertains to the street numbers, I am looking up that reference). We have been in some pretty sketchy neighborhoods and so far I have felt very safe. Everyone has been really nice and helpful. Only one bad experience and that was at some exclusive workout gym to the stars ...

Okay, very tired. Got laundry to finish. Good night. Tomorrow, Gary, Indiana and beyond. 

ps ... can I say how much I love La Quinta ... iron and ironing boards in every room! I just ironed all of my cotton shirts ... NOW to bed ;0

 

csm242000 on Flickr has the goods on this statue!