Day 345 - Chicago River

Thought of the day: I think I am in love with this city. The people, interesting; The street scenes, entertaining; The architecture, fascinating; The evening lights, dazzling. It’s a heaven for photographers of all kinds - portrait, architecture, street, night, and even wedding photographers can all find something to point their lenses at. After getting used to a place as quiet as Boulder, the vibrant night scenes of Chicago are particularly striking to me. The neon sign of Chicago Theater, the live broadcast of 7 News that can be viewed from outside of the tall glass walls, the watery reflections of skyscrapers on Chicago River, the magnificent night view of the entire city from the top of Skydeck of Willis (formerly known as Sears) Tower - all of these created an indelible memory not only on my camera, but also in my mind. I think one of the many benefits of living in a town like Boulder is that I can be completely in awe of a big city like Chicago whenever I have a chance to visit. Boulder provides a solid home base for me to explore and appreciate the magnificence of the rest of the world - it’s as indispensable as the rice in a Chinese meal or the bread in a western fare. At this moment I’m enjoying Chicago, thoroughly and without reservation, as I know that I will be happy when I get home too.

Photo of the day:

Night reflections on Chicago River.

Day 344 - Homeless Man

Thought of the day: I flew into Chicago today for a 20-year class reunion. Even though I missed my family already, it was liberating to be able to do something on my own once in a while. There was a great many things that I took for granted before having a family - reading a book without interruptions, wandering about in a strange place without any particular direction, falling into sleep without any thoughts for tomorrow - simple, yet not insignificant, things that you noticed only after you didn't have them any more. When I had them back, at least for this short while, I found that I still missed them after all these years. So, after all, I really haven't changed much, have I? Do people ever change over time? When the opportunities arise, do we fall back into our old behaviors and habits as readily as snow flakes drift effortlessly onto the ground? Are we the drops of water in an ocean that evaporate, form a cloud, come down in a shower, flow into a river, return to the sea after a long journey and end up being exactly the same drops of water that we were many years ago and many continents away? I guess I shall find out in the next few days - a reunion after 20 years of absence shall at least shed some lights to these questions.

Photo of the day:

A homeless man near Chicago's Magnificent Mile. On his left lies a bible and on his right sits a cardboard that says "God Is Good". Amid buzz of the city, he seems remarkably calm. He is one of the fascinating characters I ran into while wandering aimlessly in Chicago downtown.

Day 343 - Play

Thought of the day: Our chiropractor is a pretty amazing person. She has not only a reservoir of knowledge of her field, but also of other related fields as well. She is well connected to the local homeopathic community and is often able to introduce families to a variety of practitioners ranged from doulas to massage therapists. She is a go-to person you can trust. Today I found out that she has a good heart as well. There is a very unfortunate local family that lost their house in the Fourmile Canyon Fire last year and then suffered an even worse blow this summer - a drunk driver hit them, left the father dead and his toddler girl severely injured. Our chiropractor went to the memorial service of the father and was so moved by the desperate situation of the family that she and her colleagues decided to do something for them. They donated an entire day of their work for the benefit of the little girl. I am glad to be part of it and I am grateful to belong to a community that's so generous in heart.

Photo of the day:

Izzy playing with blocks on the floor of a theater. The injured girl is even younger than her. I hope the little girl will be able to fully recover and enjoy a normal life soon.

Day 342 - Lila

Thought of the day: The best time of my day was when I picked up Lila from preschool in the afternoon. Other kids had already left so we were the only ones there. The ground of the preschool was small but it was nice and peaceful so we hung out a bit outside. Lila showed me a collection of painted rocks in the garden, climbed the trees and relished in the opportunity to run about freely. We watched the moving shadows casted by the late afternoon sun while devouring delicious apples Lila collected from the trees. It was fun for Lila and relaxing for me. With two active kids, I have come to enjoy and appreciate these slow and simple moments more ever day.

Photo of the day:

Lila basking in the afternoon sun.

Day 341 - Pink

Thought of the day: Aspen was a great place to visit once in a while but it didn't feel like home to me. Since the town was pretty small, the choice of stores was pretty limited. I left part of my camera battery charger at home and I had been shopping around for the replacement part all around town but couldn't find one.  The only camera store in town didn't carry it either.  It was pretty costly to live here, too. I think I would feel stranded living in a town like this, even one as beautiful as Aspen, for a long time. In any case, after a couple of days of visit, I was happy to return home to Boulder today.

Photo of the day:

Lila holding a pink umbrella on a lawn in Boulder. She was happy to be back home again too.

Day 340 - Maroon Bells

Thought of the day: Maroon Bells. So that's where people go when they visit Aspen in the fall.  It's hardly surprising that this is the most photographed place in Colorado. The mountains are decorated by layers of colors at the base.  In the stillness of an early morning, the mountains and forests are reflected on the lake in their full glory. It's an irresistible place for hikers and photographers alike. We have never been disappointed when we visited here and I know that we'll be back again and again.

Photo of the day:

Lila walking towards the Maroon Bells.

Day 339 - Gallery

Thought of the day: We took a hike in the forest today. It had been hard to predict the best days to visit Aspen in the fall. We had been here last year when the fall colors were in the prime. This year we picked the same weekend to visit but the reds were not quite here yet. We did get an abundance of yellow, green and many shades and colors in between. To our surprise, throughout the day, we didn't see any other hikers in the forest.  Indeed, other than the occasional booming sound made by all terrain vehicles nearby, the only sounds we could hear were the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds. It was good to be here.

Photo of the day:

A couple having dinner in a restaurant in Aspen downtown near an art gallery.  There were some nice autumn paintings on display behind the windows.