Urb/Exurb

Turds-day

2008-06-24T22:24:00.001-05:00

Seen near home.

Complained about here.

Not Under Cultivation

2008-06-18T13:24:00.001-05:00

A field in the Arb, full of large-flowered penstemon (tinyurl.com/6kzxfp) and a few Canada thistles. (geolocation)

Agro-Industrial Complex

2008-06-16T13:23:00.001-05:00

The skyline of a big farm on Highway 19 east of Northfield, as viewed from a ridge in the Lower Arb.

Alumni Field

2008-06-14T13:21:00.002-05:00

The incipient savannah at the Alumni Field in the Upper Arb at Carleton.

Check back in 50 years for the real deal.

Actual Lily Pads in an Actual Pond

2008-06-12T07:01:00.001-05:00

No frogs, though.

Dam Nice View

2008-06-10T14:55:00.003-05:00

Looking south toward the upper Lyman Lake over the dam. geolocation

For the Birds

2008-06-08T16:11:00.001-05:00

Our backyard bird bath, full from the weekend's rains and reflecting the birches.

Bored delivery guys

2008-06-06T16:39:00.002-05:00

Bored delivery guys, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Speaking of deadwood, here are a bunch of delivery guys (and their cars) all lined up and waiting for the evening's first dinner orders. Took me the longest time to figure out why eight guys were hanging out behind a restaurant at 4:45pm.

Click through for some explanatory notes.

Cemetery Tree

2008-06-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

If a tree branch falls in a cemetery, and there's nobody alive to hear it, does it make a sound?

Future Art

2008-06-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

The resident sculptor's trove of trees, awaiting their fates and resting in the mud next to a warehouse made of straw bales.

Exurban import?

2008-06-04T08:22:00.001-05:00

Klog, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Hey, aren't knitting circles supposed to be a rural thing?!

From a Distance

2008-06-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

The hamlet of Dennison, Minnesota, as seen from a mile west. I like Dennison because the town's water tower (at right) looks just like one of the blue Harvestore silos you see everywhere around here.

Nameless Creek

2008-06-01T09:39:00.004-05:00

A beautiful little creek running under Lamb Avenue east of Northfield (click through to see the photo on a map).

Note the horses in the background and the electric fence wire in the foreground to keep those horses from going under the bridge.

Cement maze

2008-05-31T10:47:00.001-05:00

Cement maze, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Looks like the underground lair for a demented villain (or maybe a daytime hangout for Bladerunner), but it's really just a spot where the El tracks cross a four-way intersection at an angle.

Double Span

2008-05-30T15:27:00.001-05:00

The bridge to Mai-Fête Island on very still May morning.

Ibson Roooooooad...

2008-05-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

Take me home - or at least south to the next paved road.

Click through for this photo on a map.

Your choice.

2008-05-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

As the road goes, so goes the country.

Click through for this photo on a map.

Megawhat?

2008-05-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Carleton's wind turbine, shot from the road but close enough to hear the thrum of the blades.

Green power

2008-05-23T10:15:00.001-05:00

Solar panel reflection, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

The top of a new solar-powered trash barrel/compactor near the Morse stop on the Red Line. I love the reflection of the brick building on the left side and the similarity to Chicago's street grid.

Private Parking Spot

2008-05-22T07:23:00.000-05:00

I really dig the fact that I can pretty much guarantee myself a spot to park my bike (pictured) by simply leaving my U-lock hanging on the last bend of this bike rack. (It's a straight-line distance of about twenty feet from my office window.) I also now dig the fact that the beautiful tree in front of the rack does a wonderful job of keeping the rain off my bike.

Done and Dusted

2008-05-20T09:00:00.003-05:00

This guy motored back and forth at what looked like 20mph for the better part of Sunday afternoon. God only knows how much topsoil he sent up to the robins-egg skies...

Esther & Betty

2008-05-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

Esther & Betty, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

I've passed this "For Rent" sign many times, but I'm no closer to knowing who Esther and Betty are. I'd love to meet them. The sign is permanently affixed to the building, though, so they may be busy hosting walk-throughs and open houses.

El Trucks

2008-05-18T21:08:00.001-05:00

El Trucks, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Some sort of specialized equipment for the maintenance of the CTA's tracks. These beauties were parked at the Damen stop on the Brown line. Come the apocalypse, these things would come in real handy.

Time to Make the Crops

2008-05-16T21:07:00.001-05:00

All the fields are now tilled to a deep brown, and the fertilizing trucks are zooming along the furrows, laying down whatever nitropetrochemicals the seed companies are pushing this year. Dude here blasted up and down his fields at about 30mph - keeping up with some of the slower cars on the road in the foreground. Not quiet, either.

Aerial Urbis

2008-05-15T15:32:00.002-05:00

Chicago by day, early spring. Midway airport is centerstage.

Empty Bald Spot

2008-05-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

Too early for lounging.

Don't Miss the Right Turn

2008-05-10T22:11:00.002-05:00

If the ten-foot dropoff doesn't get you, the century-old oak will.

Chicago At Night

2008-05-09T12:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite views in the world: Chicago's grid at night. The
Loop is in the background, center.

Straightaway

2008-05-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

A scene heading north on Cedar Avenue toward Lakeville...

Subdivided

2008-05-04T21:19:00.002-05:00

Street, curb, boulevard, yard, driveway, yard, driveway... (The view on the way to our park.)

Central Block

2008-05-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

The beautiful cupola on the Central Block building in downtown Northfield, black against today's gray sky.

(Not) For the Birds

2008-05-01T14:59:00.001-05:00

Going back to the bird theme to point out what we think of birds here in the urb. The El platform is not exactly an aviary utopia.

Red Maple Bud

2008-04-30T19:09:00.001-05:00

On the now-towering tree behind our house.

Trees are trees

2008-04-29T22:40:00.001-05:00

I love how the budding leaves look like birds in flight. Nothing notably urban here, but I wanted to share the pic anyway.

Evening Callers

2008-04-28T13:51:00.001-05:00

The bare branches of this tree - visible out the back windows - always sprout starlings at dinnertime, inspiring a certain Tippi Hedren vibe.

Birdbaths are for the birds

2008-04-27T16:44:00.001-05:00

Hot Dog Stand, originally uploaded by ChicagoSadler.

*This* is how you feed urban animals. Hot dog cart from Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

Photo credit to Jordan.

Rabbit Garden

2008-04-26T11:24:00.002-05:00

Sorry - we're not planning to plant any carrots, and we didn't steal those paver disks.

Big city manhole cover

2008-04-25T16:37:00.001-05:00

Custom manhole cover, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

I don't suspect many parks are big enough to mint their own manhole covers -- as a Midwestern kid, I was always fascinated by the "Neenah Foundry" manhole covers I saw everywhere. I actually spotted this one in Rogers Park (a neighborhood), about 5 or 6 miles from Lincoln Park (the park that abuts the neighborhood of the same name).

Ballin'

2008-04-24T19:40:00.002-05:00

Big ballfields, exurban style. (A westerly view from the Upper Arb toward Evans Hall and Bell Field.)

Urb Away From Urb

2008-04-23T11:53:00.000-05:00

Night game, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

A "small" urban crowd of 14,000 showed up in Cincinnati to watch some men play baseball.

Exurban Fruit Tree

2008-04-22T15:28:00.002-05:00

Just a security light. No CCTV.

Urban fruit tree

2008-04-21T16:39:00.001-05:00

Watching you, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Security cameras are sprouting like, well, trees.

Tree Alley

2008-04-20T21:26:00.002-05:00

An alley of trees deep in the Arb, just past the northeast corner of Best Woods. Unless the endowment tanks, this will probably never be houses.

Once upon a time...

2008-04-19T11:06:00.002-05:00

Alley, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

...this was farm fields, too. For the second half of the 19th Century, people were using this land to raise hay and cucumbers. Now the land is used to raise rental income.

Northbound alley between Sheridan Avenue and Lake Michigan, taken from Pratt Boulevard (6800 N.)

Farm Fields Awaiting

2008-04-18T15:30:00.002-05:00

Farm Fields Awaiting
Originally uploaded by Tassava

Soon, all this will be tract homes.

Taxi queue at the airport

2008-04-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

Water Tower Place

2008-04-16T21:40:00.003-05:00

One of the Northfield water towers, just south-southwest of our house. Soon to be sponsored by Google Maps, no doubt.

From inside a Google Map

2008-04-15T21:46:00.001-05:00

inside a Google Map, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

The shape of the pushpin is so distinctive that I knew it was a Google Maps ad even from inside the train.

Monday, Trash Day

2008-04-14T22:12:00.001-05:00

The trash truck cometh.

Country Road

2008-04-12T08:52:00.002-05:00

Decapitated silos, gravel roads, farmhouses, metal sheds, no-hunting signs...

Originally uploaded by Tassava

Sheep Meadow

2008-04-11T08:16:00.001-05:00

Sheep Meadow, originally uploaded by ChicagoSadler.

The midtown bulidings within view from this little corner of Central Park would constitute a healthy downtown in all but one or two other American cities.

Spring Oak

2008-04-10T23:16:00.001-05:00

A beautiful oak tree on the campus of Carleton College, just west of Goodsell Observatory.

Rainswept

2008-04-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

Rainswept, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Thunder only happens when it's raining.

Gould Library, 8:30 p.m.

2008-04-08T15:17:00.002-05:00

Gould Library, 8:30 p.m.
Originally uploaded by Tassava

The north side of Carleton College's Gould Library at about 8:30 p.m. on a cool spring night, as seen from the edge of the Arboretum.

Rhymes with Mies

2008-04-07T16:07:00.001-05:00

Rhymes with Mies, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

Some urban trees at the bottom left. Michigan Plaza building by Mies Van De Rohe in the foreground.

Late-Afternoon Treeshadow

2008-04-06T22:16:00.001-05:00

A tree along Heywood Road - or the horizontal simulation of it.

Late-Afternoon Treeshadow
Originally uploaded by Tassava

Uplit

2008-04-05T10:52:00.000-05:00

IMG_0305, originally uploaded by Limz Akimbo.

The building’s uplights turned the rain into steam. It looked supernatural, like magical fire was escaping from the urban underworld.

Corner of Clark and Lake, just south of the Merchandise Mart.

Campus Sundial

2008-04-04T12:05:00.001-05:00

Campus Sundial
Originally uploaded by Tassava

The campus sundial, inscribed “Love alters not, nor light, with time’s swift flight.”

70’s Corporate Glam

2008-04-03T10:45:00.000-05:00