Total Shots taken	219
Number Acceptable for Future activity	43
Number of 5 star ratings (5* yield %)	28 (9.1%)

Yes, we are still in the midst of that old school winter chronicled in my last two blog posts.  This is unmistakable since the Chicago area was hit with another 8 inches of snow last week, and this week, weather reporters are again using the words “polar vortex.”   The snow was pretty, but I am sure I am echoing the words of many Chicagoans (Midwesterners, Southerners, Northeasterners, too!) when I say I am ready for spring to come.  So, just to remind myself of what we have to look forward to, and how beautiful it can be, I thought I would send these post-card like pictures of Chicago in the springtime:

• The Walkway – In this image, the eye is drawn to the Pavilion by the flowers, trees, and buildings adorning the walkway to the open air theater.
• Jay Pritzker Pavilion  –  Chicago’s Millennium Park is the stopping point of many visitors – locals and tourists – to see one of several architectural features or public art works.  And one of the highlights is the Pritzker Pavilion (designed by architect Frank Gehry), which is the home of an open air theater in the park.   The metal ‘curls’ of this structure rise in the background, with the colorful carpet of tulips in the foreground.  This is the walkway which welcomes visitors to the theater.  This postcard definitely says “It’s a beautiful day in Chicago.  Wish you were here!”
• “Large Interior Form” Henry Moore Sculpture – This graceful figure is in the gardens of the Art Institute of Chicago, a location that provides a wonderful position to watch the morning sun rise on a warm spring morning.  Its curves are a wonderful contrast to the hard sides and angles of the buildings in the background.
• Eagle Fountain   – Sculptor – Frederick C. Hibbard – This fountain is one of a pair of matching fountains that grace Michigan Avenue a few blocks south of the Art Institute of Chicago.  I love the morning sun reflecting brilliantly from the pond at the basin of the fountain and water pouring from the fountain.
• Millennium Monument – The monument is a tribute to the original peristyle (a colonnade surrounding a building or open space) that stood in this spot until 1953.  Through the close up of the columns, you can see the corner of one of Chicago’s iconic high rises, the Smurfit-Stone Building, and the blue sky in between.

Winter will soon be over, but not soon enough for some.  The message on these postcards reads “Spring time in Chicago:  wish you were here NOW.“  I hope you enjoy these 5* pix as a reminder.