Windy City versus window scenes and Garden Cities

What a surprise! My anti-picture-taking offspring sent me a huge number of snaps from over the pond: The Windy City, The Lake, Petrified Forest... Nice!

The other pictures include family members so I am not publishing them in case they object.;-)
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Well, I can only share the scenes watched through my windows these days, until I am well again:

1. What disturbed the cat? Watch carefully!
 

  
Such a big cat and got scared of a tiny ladybird! Hang on! I know why! Halloween is on the doorstep! That's why!

2. A view from above the kitchen sink, no drama:

  

3. Symmetry:
   

I've heard of a nice and easy bike ride that takes in two famous garden suburbs: Bedford Park and Brentham Village. It's very tempting... I very much prefer Brentham Estate with its tiny fairy-tale cottages among trees, shrubs and flowers. Anyway, both are very picturesque and historically interesting, especially if you are into architecture.
You may like to read this little excerpt from The Bredford Park Society Website:

'Bedford Park’s buildings and community spirit were an inspiration and model for the creators of later garden suburbs and cities. It may have lacked their planned social structure, but Carr provided a church, adjoining parish hall, stores, a pub called The Tabard (in contrast, the founders of Hampstead built tea rooms as they disapproved of alcohol), not to mention a Club with a stage for theatricals and where the progressive residents even allowed ladies to join in debates – not exactly the usual Victorian behaviour.
Judging from contemporary accounts, there were also frequent fancy dress balls and ladies cycled around in bloomers. Early residents included painters and illustrators – quite a few houses had studios – writers, actors, poets (the Yeats family rented various houses over the years), general free-thinkers and even the odd Russian anarchist.'

I found it rather amusing. From the society website I went on to read about the Garden Cities and their architect which led my to.... Chicago from where my today's post started! How come? Because of The World's Columbian Exposition! And this led me to a meeting (virtual only) with a remarkable woman (a bow towards G. I. Gudjieff who wrote 'Meetings with Remarkable Men' and a dear friend of mine, the one who travelled in the footsteps of these men, inspired by the author). The woman in question, Sophia Hayden-Bennett was one of the first female architects. Being in her early twenties, she won the competition to design the Women's Building for The 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition which was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus arrival in America in 1492. You can read about Sophie at the exposition if you click here. It's a pity the majority of the edifices didn't survive as they were not built to last.
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