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Where the Hell Did July Go?
07.29.2010 9:00PM
And with that July is done. I'm not exactly sure where the month, let alone, the summer has gone. Well that's not entirely true, but for as much as I've done this summer, I feel as though I haven't done much at all. My summer kicked off in early May with the Kentucky Derby. A week later I was in Bloomington for my brother's graduation.Two weeks later I was on the road for ten days heading to Yellowstone and back. At the end of that week was a wedding in Auburn, IN and the next week was another wedding in Chicago. The second wedding was also the beginning of the World Cup. And the World Cup goes on for a month. At the end of the World Cup I found myself in Baltimore. Then last weekend I was in Louisville.For the weekends that are unaccounted for, that's for good reason. I had some ridiculous weekends that found me at the bar until 4AM. So things went down, I just don't remember it very clearly. Now we're three days from August and despite recapping the last three months, I'm still not sure how we got here so fast. And for me August is go time. That's because I have little reason to leave my apartment once September rolls around, with college football on Saturday and NFL on Sunday, I'm more than satisfied. So I'm off to DC next week, but once I'm back in Chicago I'm going to take advantage of the remaining summer days before football happily takes over my life.Today was the 28th straight day of 80 degrees or higher in Chicago. That's a record folks. Never happened before. Well at least not in the last 140 years when record keeping started. But tomorrow could be the end of streak though as the forecast calls for a high of 80. It's going to be nice sleeping with the windows open tonight.
A Leap of Faith
07.18.2010 6:00PM
I was in Milwaukee on Thursday for work, which allowed me to get these great photos of the city after dusk. If you haven't checked them out yet, what are you waiting for?! The photos speak for themselvs so what this post is really about is the work I performed on Thursday. To set the stage let me tell you about one of my favorite scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Because honestly it parallels very well with my day in Milwaukee.The scene is the "Leap of Faith" Indy must complete to get to the Holy Grail. Indy comes to the deep chasm with no way across, except for a Leap of Faith. With his heart racing and his nerves frayed, Indy steps out his foot and takes the first step across the chasm. As his foot comes come, he doesn't tumble down the chasm, but rather lands on the bridge the connects both sides. His faith is rewarded with a bridge to the other side where the Holy Grail awaits.So you're probably wondering how this has anything to do with my work, so I won't leave you hanging on any longer. My work was part of the Difficult Access Team (DAT), which is employed when it is either impossible to scaffold or swing stage a building or its more economical to use difficult access methods for a building inspection. So in Milwaukee I repelled down a 10-story, nondescript, precast concrete clad building looking for cracks. Just like Indy's first step, putting my first leg over the wall was a leap of faith.As I suited up and the expertly trained and certified co-worker set up the ropes, I wasn't especially nervous. But when the moment came to "go over the edge", my heart began to race, my nerves showed with a nervous twitch, and I had to trust the setup and equipment. And once I finally found the gumption to fully commit over the wall and trust the setup and equipment things were fine. Well besides the fact that I was entirely too tense and failed to completely rely on the equipment to make the repel as easy as possible. But before long I got the hang of it (no pun intended) and I was able to take a few photos of some cracks I found and before I knew it I was on terra firma once again.I went on to make two more repels down the building and while the repelling was much better, I don't think you ever get over the moment of fully committing over the wall. All in all, I loved it. A co-worker was kind enough to snap a few shots and they are included below. Let me remind you that the most dangerous thing I did on Thursday was drive 90+ miles from Milwaukee to Chicago. Don't worry Mom, I won't tell you about these until I'm back on solid ground.  
It's Hot. Deal With It.
07.07.2010 7:00PM
Here's the deal. It's hot. I get it. Now shut the fuck up. Oh, I guess I should have warned you that this is going to be a rant. Warning: This is a RANT! So here I am in Washington DC and the temperature today soared to 100 degrees fahrenheit and above. And the people of this city react as though this never happens. Since we all know that not once, ever, in the history of this city has a summer day been hot as fuck and muggy beyond belief. Okay, fine its only July 7 and its never been this hot this early. Well guess what? Now it is!So let's all stop complaining about the heat and deal with it through these helpful tips:- Don't go running and/or biking. You can't complain about sweating your balls off when you choose to run/bike at 4PM. Stop it. This heat is deadly even for a guy like me just sitting on his ass.- Shut your mouth. There is no reason to add to the steamy heat by jabbing your jaws non-stop. Less is more when it comes to hot days.- Stop driving your car everywhere. You know all that shit coming out your cars tailpipe? Yeah, that's not helping the situation. It's actually exacerbating it. Oh wait, but you'll get all sweaty if you walk.- So with that in mind, apply your sun block, put on your light and airy clothing, and go outside, sweat like a pig and enjoy it. Because we all know when late January rolls through and you're complaining about the cold, you'll be wishing for summer.- Move. Live in Siberia. See how you like that shit hole. Just don't call me when you're longing for the burning sun.So spare us all and just deal with the heat. We get it. It's fucking hot. Or you can do as I do and enjoy this shit. It's summer. It's July. We're beyond culpable for totally fucking up the climate. Put on your swimsuit, jump in the pool, and live (seriosuly though, this heat is dangerous and don't over do it but please I don't care that you'd prefer in 12 degrees cooler.) As Mom has told me more than once, "and people in hell want ice water." And if you're not sure how high the humidity really is, just listen to Lewis Black, "You know how you can tell if it's over 100% humidity? When you go walking down the street, and you suddenly realize "You know, I should have put deodorant on my balls. That's over 100%."
The Daily Snap: Altered
06.28.2010 7:00PM
So you may have noticed that today's "Daily Snap" is pretty exotic. Imagine sailing on that body of water. If only it were possible. The photo featured today is actually a manipulation and collage of three photos I snapped recently. The sunset should look familiar as it's from the SUPER-SIZED photo gallery of shots from after the rain. The sailboat on Lake Michigan is from when I walked down on the beach a few days ago. And the rock formation is one of the beautiful outcroppings in the Badlands.With just a little manipulation I was able to create a wild setting. As of late I've been having a lot of fun doing more than standard photo editing and taking it to the extreme. Part of the reason may be one of the categories for the 8th Annual Smithsonian Photo Contest is "Altered Images". I have plenty of options to choose from for the other four categories - Americana, The Natural World, People, and Travel - but don't have any altered images. But I do have plenty of photos I've been playing around with that create awesome composite images and somewhat believable settings.So I'll keep toiling away until I come up with seven great altered images to submit for the category. And I'll be sure to share them in the rotation of "Daily Snaps".
After the Rain & Rural Illinois
06.24.2010 7:30PM
There are few things as awesome as a summer thunderstorm. The clash of thunder. The flash of lightning. It's all so intense. So if there's a storm rolling in on the horizon you're bound to find me with a perfect seat from which to watch the madness unfold. That is until you reach the end of a week of crazy storms. This past week Chicago, more or less, survived storm after storm. There were power outages and trees down, but nothing serious to report. I wasn't sure it was ever going to end. The claps of thunder were deafening. The bolts of lightning blinding. But all I wanted was the sun.So last night, as the worst of the storms moved through, there were tornadoes reported across the Chicagoland area, I began to wonder if the sun would shine again. As the thunder crept away and the lightning became more faint, as the clouds began to part, lo and behold, the sun peaked through as it was setting on the western horizon. No sooner had I realized the sky was glowing an eerie and yet, awesome yellow, a double rainbow appeared out my window. The lower, smaller rainbow was eclipsed by a higher, larger, but more faint rainbow. It was like the Bible story of the Great Flood. It was a sign, at least for while, that the storms were finished. But the natural beauty didn't end there. As the sun continued to set, the eerie yellow became a vibrant orange. Mixed with a variety of clouds the night sky was transformed into a magnificent sunset. You can check out photos here.And now for the other half of this post's title. At work I'm helping conduct a Rural Structure Survey. As the title alludes, we're documenting rural structures in the Chicagoland area. More specifically it includes historic farms and homesteads. So houses, barns, grain bins, sheds, and other farm outbuildings. The survey involves taking a photograph of each structure and indicating the materials of each building.Its fun work. It gets me out of the office. It lets me escape the urban jungle. And I get to shoot photographs. I love shooting rural landscapes. I think it has something to do with the vast blue sky and ever-stretching fields. Both elements serve as a wonderful backdrop to the structures, which serve as wonderful datum. And you can't beat a historic barn. The part I don't like are the property owners.Obviously we seek permission from all property owners that are home during our visit. They have already received a notice from the county asking for their cooperation. Let me remind you that it is simply a survey of record. Just a snapshot of what buildings exist on that particular date. It's an update of a 1988 survey. While we're contracted by the county to do the work, it has nothing to do with taxes or any government business.But one would think I was asking the property owners to give up their right to bear arms. It can't be me, I don't look that suspicious. The only explanation is an irrational fear of the government. The owners are afraid that the photographs will be used by the government in a way that will eventually hurt them. It defies logic. As a very rational person, who thinks the government should play a vital role in many aspects of our lives, it's hard to comprehend. All I want is a photo for posterity sake.These are the people who vote for Sarah Palin. And there's a lot of them. They scare me shitless. And even still I was able to capture some great photographs in rural Illinois.You can check out photos here.
Beavers and Ducks Summer Mix
06.22.2010 8:00PM
It finally felt like summer in Chicago, so it's perfect to unveil this year's Beavers and Ducks Summer Mix. Of course, we have the timeless classics that just scream, "SUMMER", joining a collection of new songs. So without further ado, the 2010 Beavers and Ducks Summer Mix. Click on the song title and the song will play from Youtube in a new window.Nightswimming- R.E.M.- For me, the quintessential song of summer. I can't tell you how many hours during my youth I spent nightswimming. It's a song reminiscing about the good old days and the innocence lost as summer comes to a close, "Nightswimming, remembering that night/September's coming soon"Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison- The entire song sounds like the perfect way to spend a summer day - "laughing and running", "standing in the sunlight laughing", and of course "making love in the green grass". Ah, to be young. Innocence and summer loving.Anything But Mine- Kenny Chesney- Another song about a summer fling but this time we're at the beach. The lovers are hoping beyond hope that its love, "Ah but Mary there's a summer drawing to an end tonight/And there's so much that I long to do to you".Fireflies- Owl City- I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw the first lightning bugs of the season. The summertime youth sport of choice. But watch out, they make your hands smell awful. Crank this tune poolside and you're bound to have a good time.Down on the Corner- Creedence Clearwater Revial- It is impossible to put this tune on and not instantly tap your feet. Heck the song even uses that line. A lot of CCR songs fit the summer bill with their southern tinge, but nothing beats this one.Steal My Sunshine- Len- This is about as cheesy as they come. But ever since my brother put it on a mix I heard just about every day during the Yellowstone road trip I couldn't convince myself to keep it off this year's list. I'm not exactly sure what's really going on in the song, but it sure has a summer sound.Summer in the City- Lovin' Spoonful- This is about any American city that enjoys a ridiculously hot and balmy summer. Maybe its Chicago. Maybe its Louisville. Wherever it is, it sucks the life out of the city with the summer sun blaring, but once the sun goes down the city bursts to life.Forever Young- Jay Z- There is a common theme among most of these songs- the innocence of summer. Summer is often associated with a break from school and the laid back atmosphere the exists. There are very few deadlines or requirements of summer, just living in the moment. And once the real world kicks in, there's always a moment when we wish we had a summer break and could be forever young.Summertime Blues- Eddie Cochran- Yep, this is what I mean when I say the real world. There's only so many vacation days when you're working, so its really hard to live in the moment.In the Summertime- Mungo Jerry- This song is infectious. Sure, its a one hit wonder but seriously look at Mungo's sideburns! "Sing along with us..."Strawberry Swing- Coldplay- This song isn't screaming "SUMMER" but since "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends" came on in May 2008, I listened to it every day all summer going to and from work. This song became ingrained in my head and I've loved it ever since.Electric Feel- MGMT- It's like summer put to music.Boys of Summer- Don Henley- This song takes all the themes of the songs ahead of it on the list and wraps them up into a narrative about summer and its nearing end. Innocence. Summer fling. Yep, it's got it all. Like "Nightswimming", a quintessential summer song.And as a bonus track, Party and Bullshit (In the USA)- Notorious B.I.G. and Miley Cyrus mashupWhat are your favorite songs of summer? Let me know in the comments!
Summer at Beavers and Ducks
06.19.2010 2:00PM
Ah, summer. Bring on the fun in the sun. I learned an interesting fact yesterday. Because of its location, the longest day of the year in Chicago is not the summer solstice but rather the two days following the solstice. I'm hoping for scorcher this year since last summer was quite cool. With summer comes some new features here at Beavers and Ducks.The first is "The Daily Snap", which will feature a new photograph from my collection each and every day. It may be a photo I just snapped that day or one from the archives which I've never spotlighted. To see the day's featured photo just head to gregorydowell.com and slide your mouse over "The Daily Snap" placeholder. Better yet, just bookmark gregorydowell.com and use it as your entry to Beavers and Ducks. The first one is already posted. Check out Jeff as he makes his glorious return to Rosenblatt Stadium.Then of course there's the "Songs of Summer". As I always like to do I'll feature my picks for the best songs to make an awesome summer mix. There's a bunch of new additions to the classic standards. Be on the look out for that list in the next few days.And finally with this being my first proper summer in Chicago, I introduce "Savory Summer". The idea behind "Savory Summer" is to either visit a different restaurant each week to expand my culinary options or fix a new dish with the ingredients I pick up at the farmer's market. I'll report back here with a review and photos. Oh yeah, this will also include beer.There will also be the regular posts and full galleries of photographs. Its going to be a fun summer at Beavers and Ducks. So sit back, relax, and check back often.
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Gregory 'Jesus' Dowell
Chicago, IL
- "There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold."
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July 23-25 Louisville
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