Chandelier

This chandelier hangs in the Milwaukee County Historical Society downtown. This evening, the Society hosted a fundraiser to celebrate tomorrow's opening of Public Enemies, part of which was filmed inside the museum.

Daisy

Summer seems to be extremely short at times, so it's nice to capture memories of it while we can. The city has many parks and gardens, and being able to enjoy the plants and flowers can be a real treat when the weather is good.

Weather Report

Completed in 1930, the former Wisconsin Gas Company building downtown features a glass flame on top that glows at night. The color and type of flame indicate the weather forecast. Some locals use rhymes to remember the different colors and their meaning:

If the flame is red, warm weather ahead!
If the flame is gold, watch out for cold!
If the flame is blue, there's no change in view!
If there's a flickering flame, expect snow or rain!

Lakefront 7s

Today was the 27th annual Lakefront 7s rugby tournament at Veterans Park. The tournament featured competition in both men's and women's divisions at a number of levels. In today's photo, the Milwaukee Rugby Club (Old Boys Division) advances the ball against Oconomowoc. With five fields in play most of the day, there was plenty of action to see.

Nice Rack

These bicycle racks are in front of the Discovery World museum. I love the fact that the racks also function as sculpture when not in use.

World's Largest Music Festival

Today was opening day at Summerfest, and the music festival runs through Sunday, July 5th. Good music, cold beverages, close friends, and great food make for a fun time. I'm looking forward to being there, but will most likely have to wait a week or so.

Yellow Sunset

We took a ride to the lakefront tonight to see if we could get some relief from the heat. With the winds blowing out of the west, we had no such luck. At Lakeshore State Park, we found these gorgeous yellow flowers soaking up the last few minutes of sun.

Strawberries and Cream

Well, it's not quite the Wimbledon staple, but it sure does taste good. A bowl of fresh custard from my favorite stand and hand-picked strawberries makes for a great treat on a hot summer evening.

Joan of Arc II

I've featured the St. Joan of Arc Chapel at Marquette before. Today's photo is of the back of the chapel and the shaded walk behind it. It's a shame that the university students that spend the other three seasons here don't get to see it in the summer time.

Thirsty

It was hot and humid yesterday, and today was a little better with a change in the wind and some more clouds. Hooray for "Cooler near the lake"! We finished up a big home improvement project, and keeping up with fluids was a challenge. We went through a LOT of water, and did enjoy a beer at the end of the day.

Color Guard

This weekend has NASCAR in town, as the Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series are racing at the Milwaukee Mile. This photo, taken at last year's truck race, shows a group of Harley riders as part of the pre-race ceremonies. Last night's race was rained out, and the drone of the racers has been going on for the better part of the day today.

Under Water

These washtubs sit on our patio, and serve as beverage coolers in the summertime. Over the last 24 hours or so, the Greater Milwaukee area has gotten between 4 and 7 inches of rain, and everything seems to be either wet or submerged. The tubs filled up to near full, and the rest of the yard is quite soft and muddy.

Happy Puppies

As the weather warms, more and more owners can be seen taking their dogs for a walk around town. These two dogs were happy to see each other, regardless of their size... in fact, the dachshund was the more aggressive of the two dogs, barking and charging his much larger new friend.

SMV

As summer approaches, the bikers and rollerbladers are coming out and wheeling around town. I couldn't help but take a picture of this skater... his shirt with the slow-moving vehicle symbol on the back is hilarious!!

Big Baby

I was grilling out this evening, when a bird's call got my attention. This juvenile robin appears to be fresh out of the nest, and was calling for its mother, who was plucking worms from the wet grass and feeding the young one. I ran into the house and grabbed my camera in the hopes of getting a photo of mom serving up dinner, but didn't see the two of them together again before they both disappeared.

Bump-Set-Spike

The weekend weather bled over into today, and made us all wish we didn't have to go back to work today. These people enjoyed the summer-like sunshine and warmth at Bradford Beach, playing volleyball on the beach courts.

Got Your Back

These two gulls were sitting on the railing, most likely contemplating where their next meal was coming from. I had to wait a while to get the photo I was looking for, but the result was more than I expected when one of them turned around and faced the opposite direction.

Drain Pipe

I was a little surprised to see this pipe draining water into the river, as it didn't seem to have a source that supplied that much. The only thing I could figure out is that perhaps it's a roof drain from one of the larger buildings.

Merlin

This sailboat is one of the larger boats I've seen on the river. A little research shows that this is Merlin, a boat built by legendary boat builder Bill Lee. She's apparently quite the craft, setting records and winning races around the globe. I'd love to see her on the lake, spinnaker unfurled.

Yes Fishing

Much of the Riverwalk is along areas next to commercial buildings or adjacent to public parks. Some of it is between residential buildings and the river. This section advertises the fact that the area is open to the public with this interesting signage.

River Rhythms

Tonight was opening night for the 13th season of River Rhythms, the weekly summer concert series put on at Pere Marquette Park by the Westown Association. While the weather was cool for June, we're looking forward the warm Wednesday nights to come.

Stop Sign

Not far from this bridge is this sign that warns trains that they need to stop before crossing. Today, it stands alone at the side of the tracks, waiting for a train that will probably never come again.

Warehouse No. 1

This building caught my eye as a potential great place for an apartment. A little research told me that Warehouse No. 1 was a commercial-only development. Finished in 1904, this building was the first in the state to hold a permit for a storage facility, hence the name.

Fill In The Blank

Not a lot to say about this one... Perhaps someone needed an "S" for their living room?

Glass Cap

There's a section of the Riverwalk that has boat slips for the residents of one of the condos on the river. The railing between the walk and the pier has these great glass tops on the posts. Perhaps they're not the safest, but they do look neat.

Fountain

This fountain is in a small park at the intersection of Broadway and Menomonee St. Having a green space in the middle of an urban area, even if it's small, is a welcome diversion when the weather allows.

Swing Bridge

This swing bridge is in the Milwaukee River, and was used to carry railroad traffic over the river. Last week, I posted a photo of the tracks near the bridge. There's a rather large building atop the bridge... I wonder if a bridge tender lived there at one time, or if it's there to protect some of the mechanical workings.

Boat Rental

The lagoon in Veterans' Park is not very wide, but it is quite long. The county offers rentals of paddleboats and a bike-like paddlecraft with long pontoons. On warm summer days, you can see the lagoon full of these as people paddle around and enjoy the time on the calm waters.

Iris

The irises all around town seem to be flowering out, bringing their great color. For some reason, the ones in our yard have not blossomed yet... I don't know why, but I hope they come out soon.

June Theme Day - Feet

The June Theme Day is Feet

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Today's photo came from Bradford Beach. The seagull tracks in the recently raked sand make for a neat pattern.