I haven’t been in Chicago in the winter for decades! Technically I’m not in Chicago and it’s not winter yet, but I’m close enough and it feels like winter! Monday was a beautiful day and we had a great view of the Chicago skyline, with a lot more buildings than I remember.

Before the snow flew and the temperature plummeted we enjoyed a wonderful, warm fall. We took our walks around town and enjoyed the fall foliage and the multi-colored leaves swirling around on the sidewalk, until we encountered the Stinko Gingko! The golden fan shaped leaves scattered on the ground hid the odoriferous fruit, it was too late, you step on one and you are engulfed in the smell of dog poop! The Gingko biloba is a living fossil and is dioecious, with separate sexes, some trees being female and others being male. They are not known to exist in the wild , but are widely cultivated as ornamentals and for fruit production (the ginkgo biloba supplements that are supposed to enhance memory and focus). The trees mature at between 20 and 30 years old, and until then are indistinguishable from each other. The females then produce the little nuts that are encased in the stinky flesh that caused us to check the bottoms of our shoes repeatedly! I vaguely recalled these facts from college botany, but on more research discovered the amazing fact that 6 Ginkgoes near ground zero of the Hiroshima A-bomb site survived the blast and are still alive! Check it out here.

A malodorous nut from the Ginkgo biloba tree, 'don't tread on me' or you'll be sorry!

Tracks in the snow.

The source of the tracks!

The weather outside is frightful! Windy & COLD! But Mavrik is a trooper, always game for a romp as long as we’re not outside too long, he loves the couch!

The town is decorated for the coming holiday. We enjoy our walks around the neighborhood, even though we are in the deep freeze right now!