Oh to be able to roam the alleys in Chicago, once again. Unable to do so at the present time due to the inclimate weather conditions, I have only the memory of what is to be found in those dark byways.
Such hidden beauty can be found in our historic alleys. My mind is reminded of the art treasures locked from the view of the casual tourists. Pictures not found in our world class museums. Yet to my untrained eyes this is really a form of "urban folk art".
For the sake of history, again with my camera, I have recorded some examples.
Some may argue, this is just another form of defacing a brick wall. That of course may be true. On the other hand, if done properly, the pictures add a certain type of beauty to an otherwise dull, ugly brick wall. Judge for yourself.

Lacking "snowshoes" and other items required to survive in this City Of Chicago, a suburb of Moscow, Russia, located in the foothills of Siberia, we are left to ponder our faith.
Unable to forge for food until the first "thaw", we find ourselves under a form of "house arrest". Why, we wonder, are we so "insane" to live here? Nature, in all her glory, has cast her wrath upon our sinful souls.
Risking bodily harm, I took it upon myself to photograph a view of what lies outside our humble dwellings.
To some, this may appear to be a scene of natural beauty. We, who somehow have to exist in this element, it is a battle against every falling snowflake.

We are feeling the effects of Global Warming in Chicago. This month, December, is one of the coldest months on record here in the sister country of SIBERIA.
Sunday, I was forced to spend some of my food funds to get gas for my "museum quality" vehicle. Under normal circumstances this would be a routine undertaking. Not so in Chicago
After putting a few pints of precious gas into the vehicle, I inserted my credit card into the slot on the gas pump designated for credit cards. As is the story of my "miserable" life...TROUBLE!
Instead of a regular two inch receipt coming out of the gas pump, like a roll of toilet paper, out of control, the paper kept rolling out of the machine. Many feet of it covered my feet. I was informed the machine acted up because of the frigid weather (due to Global Warming).
Time to get on with the rest of horrible life, never knowing where and when the next "mishap" will take place.

Many wonder why I am such a GROUCH? In my profile I stated that dogs run away from me. Animals, other than dogs have the same feeling toward me.
Not far from Chicago is Brookfield Zoo. In one of my "escapes" from Chicago, I ventured into the Zoo. Hoping to relieve my mind of all the troubles in Chicago and the rest of the world, I thought I would take some pictures of the many animals.
I came across what to the more "educated" among us is known as a ZEBRA. Showing NO respect toward me, this is how the ZEBRA posed for me. Very depressing.

Exploring the many mysteries one finds walking the streets of Chicago, I came upon this strange scene. Location of this incident was on a wall under an expressway bridge on the north side of Chicago. April 19, 2005, was the date. Naturally, I had my ever present camera to capture the event.
For all practical purposes, this was just a water stain, nothing more. However, as you can see, many individuals took this to be a image of the Virgin Mary. Needless to say, the stain created a traffic jam.
As will happen in Chicago, several days after these pictures were taken, one of our finest "drunks" threw paint on the stain and destroyed it.