It snowed in Chicago last night and this morning, blanketing us with between 3 and 5 inches. That’s not a lot for here, but I put my car in the University garage (one of the perks of being Emeritus) since further snow is predicted. Here are a few shots I took on the walk to work (my car was parked, as it often is, in front of my building). Quality is minimal as these were hand-held in the dark, and two were taken on an iPhone.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in snow:
Plowing the sidewalks (I think the University is open today, despite the holiday):
Botany Pond, future home of (I hope) Honey the Duck. Turtles and goldfish dwell beneath the snow-covered ice.
The tower of the Reynolds Club, the student union and theater next door:
The entrance to Hull Court, the biology quadrangle. Note the famous gargoyles:
I’ll leave the light on for you! (This is my office on the third floor, showing MAN AT WORK):
Do turtles not have to breathe at all in winter???
You are not going to like this but I understand they breath underwater through their BUTT.
We had a bit of snow down here in Wichita as well.
…I have to look that up!
I told you you would not like it. I heard about this recently but do not remember where. Somewhat new discovery I think.
Haven’t read yet, but this seems to be it: http://theconversation.com/the-secret-to-turtle-hibernation-butt-breathing-86727
Also fascinating: they consume calcium from their shells to buffer lactic acid buildup from anaerobic respiration!
Excellent, is evolution not great.
I am familiar with the low and decreasing oxygen in the water when covered with ice for a long time. Have seen it kill many fish on a lake but not many turtles so they must be able to survive on very low oxygen.
Yep, and while absolutely zero idea on how turtle evolution is thought to have proceeded from shell-less ancestors. But wouldn’t it be something if the shell originated as an adaptation to enable winter hibernation by consuming the calcium during the winter and afterward developed into a protective feature?
IIRC, and without running a search, the shell is an elaboration of the vertebrae, but that’s reaching far back in memory.
Lovely.
Romantic imagery.
It’s been cold with some snow here in the NE. Blame it on the disruption of the Polar Vortex. It has something to do with the open arctic ocean causing the Vortex to wobble south.
It is possibly very cold for I recognize powder snow. This kind of snow is rare here in Southern Germany.
Here in Wichita, we had some sleet first and then a powdering of snow on top, about 19 degrees fahrenheit or -7 Celsius. Probably colder in Chicago.
Chicago temps todat are a high of 19F (-7C) low of 13F (-11C). We got 2 to 4 inches of snow (5 to 10 cm). All light powder. No sleet. Easy and fun to clear with a shovel. Did not use the snowblower.
I love that the Jerry/Honey soap opera is still going. In this episode, Jerry, still pining for his beloved, works late nights at the office and travels the world to educate others, but his grief cannot be assuaged and no amount of work can replace his lost love. Meanwhile, in Florida, Honey and her new paramour, evil real estate developer Enrique Montaño (who has a thin, twirly mustache), enjoy a life of luxury. But Honey knows in her heart that something is missing.
Jerry realizes his life is incomplete without Honey, culminating in a powerful scene of him running through Miami’s airport…and out the door to a pond nearby, just in time to Catch Honey before she takes off with Enrique. Will Honey take him back? Will Jerry find another duck, one who accepts him for who he is? Find out next week!
Anyway, lovely pictures. The entrance to Hull Court is gorgeous. I didn’t realize your campus had so much intriguing architecture.
Thanks BJ, I can see it all.😊
I live along a creek in Kelowna BC. Over the years my late husband John was involved in a few extra marital relationships with Mallard hens. They adored each other – and I got past it. The hens brought their ducklings to him on the patio to duckysit. Really. Of course it might have been the sacks of bird and duck feed he was proving. Anyway, bribery or not, it was a joy to have that kind of interaction.
How salacious! Perhaps Honey of Days Past is a sequel to your own show, A Mallardous Affair.
In Peoria, IL (just about 160 miles south west of Chicago) we got 2-3..most of it was fluffy.
Nice to see the photos of the lovely snow — and not have to deal with it.
Here in Tampere, Finland, the lake has finally frozen. This week we’ll have temperatures around –8C. I’m not a winter person, but of course these pictures are infinitely nicer than the dark, muddy late autumn we’ve had.
“Snow Predicted” – Oil on Canvas”
You wusses on the west shore. Come over to the Michigan side if you wanna see real, lake-effect snow! 😀
(Cool pix!)
Those of us who have lived there understand and sympathize.⛄