Mike Chinander
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Mike Chinander
@mchinand.bsky.social
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A beaver (or maybe a muskrat) found the one unprotected cherry tree. #JacksonPark #Chicago
A photo shows the trunk of a deciduous tree with rough, brown-gray bark that splits into three main trunks near the ground. The base of the central trunk shows significant damage from gnawing, with the outer bark and sapwood removed in a ragged ring, exposing lighter wood. Sawdust or wood shavings are visible on the ground around the base, which is covered in fallen brown and yellow autumn leaves. In the background, is the Columbian Basin and the Museum of Science and Industry. A green banner with the word "SPECIES" and the text "American Beaver" is digitally superimposed near the top of the tree trunk, suggesting the cause of the gnawing damage. A slightly wide, low-angle photo of several young, thin-trunked trees in a park in late autumn or early winter. The ground is completely covered with a dense layer of fallen leaves in shades of orange, brown, and red. One of the trees on the left has a section of its trunk wrapped in a protective mesh or wire fencing. Another tree near the center has a visible ring of light-colored, chewed wood around its base, indicating beaver damage. In the background, there is tall, dry brown grass and brush, and a large, stately, light-colored stone building with many windows and columns is partially visible beyond the trees. The sky is overcast.
November 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Here are a few more photos from today.
A light-colored stone building with a circular corner tower, photographed at dusk. The building is illuminated, with warm light glowing from the windows. An American flag flies from the roof, and the building is situated on a grassy hill with trees around it against a colorful twilight sky. The Chicago skyline at dusk, viewed from across a body of choppy water. The skyscrapers are lit up against a dramatic, cloudy sky, with a dark spit of land and trees in the foreground on the left. A great blue heron and a great egret stand together on a large log over calm, greenish water. Their reflections are visible in the water below them.
October 12, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Another hellish Saturday in Chicago with (camp)fires and people wielding (golf) clubs and (croquet) mallets. #Chicago #JacksonPark #PromontoryPoint
A group of people gathered around a circular stone fire pit on a grassy shore next to a large body of water at dusk. The fire is glowing in the pit, and the scene is framed by several large trees under a cloudy sky. A wide, green golf course fairway on a sunny day, with two golf carts visible on the grass. A line of dense trees stands in the background under a clear blue sky. A view through the leafy branches of a large tree showing four people standing on a green behind a black metal fence on a sunny day playing croquet. A group of people gathered around a small bonfire on a grassy bank at dusk. They are silhouetted against a purple and orange sunset sky, with the silhouette of a city skyline, including a large domed building, visible across a body of water in the background.
October 12, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Double dose of @sarahspain.com today.
A screenshot of a podcast app showing two downloaded episodes from today. The first podcast, from "Good Game with Sarah Spain," is titled "Asking for Help with Allison Schmitt" and is 41 minutes long. The second podcast, from "casuals with Katie Nolan," is titled "WNBA Finals, Phee vs. Cathy, and Not Marrying a Billionaire with Sarah Spain" and is paused with 1 hour and 28 minutes left.
October 10, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Update, still majestic this morning.
A panoramic shot of the Chicago skyline from Northerly Island on a clear, sunny day. In the foreground, a body of dark blue water is bisected by a rocky, overgrown spit of land. Beyond the water, a grassy hill leads to the distant skyline filled with numerous skyscrapers under a bright blue, cloudless sky.
September 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Promontory Point this evening. #Chicago
A serene, wide-angle view of a grassy park next to a calm lake at dusk. A rocky shoreline separates the green lawn from the water. In the distance, a small group of people practices yoga on the grass beneath a grove of lush, green trees, as the sky fades from pale blue to the soft colors of sunset on the horizon.
September 3, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Chicago this weekend. Wow. Part 3
Buckingham Fountain in the foreground with Chicago's skyline in the background. A great egret with its reflection. Jackson Park, Chicago, IL Bicyclists biking on Dusable Lake Shore Drive during Bike the Drive, Chicago, IL Dozens of bicyclists biking on Dusable Lake Shore Drive during Bike the Drive, Chicago, IL
August 31, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Chicago this weekend. Wow. Part 2
Temporary volleyball stadium for AVP tournament with a ~20ft in diameter volleyball at the entrance, Oak Street Beach, Chicago, IL A view of part of Chicago's skyline, include the Hancock Building, in the background with Lake Michigan and several boats in the foreground. Bicyclists and walkers crossing a bridge in Chicago. Lake Point Tower is seen in the background. Several open-deck tour boats filled with tourists are in the foreground. Navy Pier, with its prominent Ferris Wheel, is seen in the background. Chicago, IL
August 31, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Chicago this weekend. Wow. Part 1
Lego F1 car. Pioneer Court, Chicago, IL Cloud Gate (The Bean) with a throng of people enjoying the beautiful day in Chicago The Art Deco Carbide & Carbon building, Chicago, IL A crowded sidewalk along Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
August 31, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I'd prefer something else as a replacement for Bonne Sante, but the one at State&Lake is relatively understated.
A screenshot of the Google Maps interface. The top half is a Street View image dated August 2021, showing the exterior of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at 198 N State St in Chicago. The bottom half is a map view of the same location, indicating its proximity to the State/Lake transit station, a Potbelly restaurant, and The Chicago Theatre.
August 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I thought the last one was a joke, but it's real.
MAIN STAGE event schedule with two entries: "12:00pm - 1:00pm: 'Are You Smarter Than a UChicago Physician?' Game Show" and "3:00pm - 5:00pm: Kicked Outta Choir".
July 2, 2025 at 3:56 AM
We were team 'Here for the AC' and agree with this, but similarly knew nothing could be done about it. I think their AC has been updated since this 1950 Maroon ad.
From the June 9th, 1950 issue of the University of Chicago Maroon newspaper, A humorous newspaper clipping from "JIMMY INSTALLS AIR CONDITIONING; PATRONS DROP LIKE FLIES." The article describes chaotic effects of a new air conditioning unit at "JIMMY'S," including predictions of fresh air poisoning and customers being "quick-frozen." It also mentions a new paint job and the removal of an ancient Wurlitzer, replaced by a "new juke box system whereby everybody can now be equally annoyed by the noise."
June 27, 2025 at 5:53 PM
The Metra map in the latest Android Ventra app shows the old fare zones and doesn't have a legend.
An old Metra System Map shows the rail lines fanning out from Chicago, with different colors representing the fare zones. The map includes city names along each route, indicating stops and the extent of the Metra commuter rail service in the Chicago metropolitan area.
June 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Looks like the State-Chicago station. The chimney below 'Loop' on the sign matches Google Streetview.
A screenshot from a map application for the address 5 E Chicago Ave. The top portion of the image shows a street-level view of a city street with cars, trees, and tall buildings. The bottom portion shows a map of the Near North neighborhood in Chicago, with a blue arrow indicating the location near Water Tower Place and The Richard H. Driehaus Museum.
June 6, 2025 at 1:59 PM
#TurretTuesday Chicago
A sunlit, multi-story, red-brick corner building under a clear blue sky, featuring an ornate, cream-colored cylindrical turret with multiple windows at the corner, and a street sign for "Willow St" visible on a traffic light pole.
June 3, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Previously, the golf cart storage area was fenced in by ~6 ft high wooden fence.
A Google Maps street view image of Jackson Park in Chicago. A low, dark brown, rectangular structure on a mulched incline, surrounded by green trees and a wooden fence. The bottom portion displays a map, indicating the location near the "Statue of The Republic" and the "Jackson Park Golf Course".
May 29, 2025 at 3:12 AM
What's with this monstrous new shed next to the Jackson Park golf course's clubhouse? #JacksonPark #Chicago #ChicagoParks
A long, dark green metal building with a white garage door and white trim, viewed from an angle. The building sits on a gravel pad next to an asphalt driveway and is surrounded by large, leafy green trees under a blue sky with scattered clouds. Electric golf carts are visible in the distance.
May 28, 2025 at 2:54 AM
The basement bedroom is amazing too. The wall art/lights, vintage adding machines, and a princess-and-the-pea bed.
A bedroom with a higher than average bed, a large art piece on the wall which includes two pendant lights. There is a wooden chest at the foot of the bed and a wood desk with shelves and drawers on each side. On top of the desk is a printer and a couple of vintage desktop calculators.
April 7, 2025 at 12:34 AM
I agree that Metra should have more capacity, but those people at the Arlington Heights station likely got on an extra train 10 minutes later whose first stop was Arlington Heights.
A timetable for the Metra's UP-NW line
March 15, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Anyone know what that letter is at the bottom of today's NY Times Spelling Bee?
Hexagonal grid of letters from the NY Times Spelling Bee daily word game.
March 12, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Goldy gets some collateral mayo.
University of Minnesota's mascot, Goldy, raising his arms with Duke's mayo on him after hugging coach P.J. Fleck. Flavor Flav is in the background.
January 4, 2025 at 4:17 AM
This photo is from early last year but I didn't realize there was actually a raccoon in there until a few days ago when I was looking through all my 2024 photos. #JacksonPark #Chicago #ChicagoWildlife
A tree trunk with a large oblong hole in the side of it. The top of a raccoon's head is visible at the bottom of the hole.
January 3, 2025 at 12:19 AM
As a new #Heisman trophy winner is named tonight, let's not forget that the Univ. of Chicago's Jay Berwanger was the first winner in 1935. Also, William Shakespeare (Notre Dame) finished 3rd in that inaugural year. Had he won, his acceptance speech would have been one for the ages. #UChicago #CFB
Article from the University of Chicago's Daily Maroon, December 5th, 1935. Article title, "Berwanger Receives Most Valuable Award from Eastern Club". Article text, "New York, Nov. 4 (UP) Jay Berwanger, captain and right halfback of the University of Chicago eleven, has been chosen the most valuable football player east of \the Mississippi river for the 1935 season, the Downtown Athletic club announced tonight. Berwanger accordingly will be presented with the Downtown A.C.'s first annual bronze 'most valuable' award on Tuesday, by virtue of his overwhelming selection by the eastern sports writers. The Chicago back won the award with 84 points, against 29 for Charles 'Monk' Meyer of Army, second, and 28 for William Shakespeare of Notre Dame, third. The poll was conducted by the Downtown club. Berwanger will fly to New York Monday and be presented with the heroic bronze figure of a football player at the club on Tuesday." Photo of Jay Berwanger wearing a leather helmet. He is posed as if running with a football in his left hand and his right arm outstretched.
December 15, 2024 at 12:39 AM
Is that really Peyton, where's the quarter-zip? Is this some sort of AI experiment?
Peyton and Eli Manning
December 10, 2024 at 1:16 AM
On Thanksgiving Day 1895, Jackson Park was the start and finish of the first automobile race in the U.S. The marker is currently removed (and will hopefully return) due to the construction of the Obama Library.
Carson Pirie Scott & Co advertisement in the November 8th, 1940 University of Chicago Daily Maroon newspaper. The ad text: YOU EXPECT THAT TO REPLACE THE HORSE AND BUGGY? NONSENSE! On Thanksgiving Day of '95, thousands of Chicagoans braved the biting cold to watch the big Motorcycle Contest and the six "wagons" that raced from Jackson Park to Evanston, and back. Three entries dropped out early. One ran into an Adams Street horse-car. But Charles Duryea's entry made the 54 miles in a little over ten hours, and took first prize! There hadn't been such excitement since the Decoration Day bicycle races, but opinion was divided. Would you have one of those carriages? Would you? Well, maybe as a curiosity, some said, but they were pretty dangerous to drive, and went too fast for comfort. However, a few daring souls did trust themselves to the horseless carriage. And because of them, today millions ride in the smooth comfort of streamlined automobiles. Those who have faith in the future, build the future. In 1895, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. had been growing for 42 years, building its future. In the eighties it had sold the Clark and Erie store and moved the Madi- son and Peoria store to Wabash and Adams. In 1890 it had moved again, to the Gossage Store at State and Washington-and welcomed World's Fair crowds from that site. • See Our Anniversary Sale pages in the daily papers. CARSON PIRIE SCOTT & CO Picture of a historical marker in Jackson Park, Chicago, Illinois that commemorates the first automobile race in the United States on Thanksgiving Day 1895. The marker's text: THE FIRST AUTOMOBILE RACE IN AMERICA This Jackson Park location marks the start and finish of the first auto- mobile race in America. On Thanksgiving Day, 1895, six cars four gasoline powered and two electric raced fifty-four miles to Evanston and back. J. Frank Duryea won the race in seven hours and fifty-three minutes driving a gasoline powered vehicle. This race introduced the automobile to America. Presented by The American Autosport Centennial Committee November 23, 1995
November 28, 2024 at 2:26 PM