Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr. Country

A brief stop at Indianapolis, but no time for any motor racing.

Entering Louisville, Kentuckey the birth place of another hero, second only to Jimi Hendrix, Cassius Clay, Mohamed Ali or the Louisville Lip whichever you prefere.

The Ohio River.

Shame about the distortion through the coach window of this old 'puddler'.

One of the 'new generation' of Greyhound Coaches. One driver told me the company had recently spent 'millions' on updating the fleet.

Sunrise saw us close to Dothan, Alabama, the driver announcing just a 10 minute break. As we stopped my eye caught a small movement up a telegraph pole some 200 yards down the street. Quick to investigate, this is what I found one of the New World Woodpeckers not until then on my World List.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Front view.

Back view.

Northern Mockingbird

My Kind Of Town Chicago Is - Frank Sinatra

Another 'all nighter' on the Greyhound, but at least I have made Florida and more precisely Tallahassee. I'm taking a short break here before moving down to the coast at Panama City in the hope, more than anything else, of a few more birds.

A chance also to catch up with the Chicago experience which was quite the opposite to my last visit where I felt a little nervous. This time however I found the people most friendly and the city interesting, so here are the shots:-

Willis Tower, formerly named Sears Tower, is a 108-story, 1451-foot (442 m) skyscraper and at the time of its completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York, and held this rank for nearly 25 years. The Willis Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world, as well as the fifth tallest building in the world to the roof.

Although Sears' naming rights expired in 2003, the building continued to be called Sears Tower for several years. In March 2009 London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, Ltd. agreed to lease a portion of the building and obtained the building's naming rights. On July 16, 2009, the building was officially renamed Willis Tower.

The Chicago River

Commuters scurry to work.

Another impressive skyscraper but unnamed, it simply has a postal address.

A statue to Industry & Agriculture.

Looking every bit like it dropped off the sleeve of a Pink Floyd album!

The austere looking Public Library.

The overhead Metro.

Chicago sky-scape,

and continuing the panorama.

Central Metro Station.

Even managed to get as far as Lake Michigan, looking north

and south.

There I found Canada Geese and these

Ring-billed Gull adult

Ditto, looking like already in

Winter Plumage.

Ring-billed Gull 'first winter'.

and a couple of shots on the way back to

the Greyhound Station.

A Chance To Catch Up

I'm beginning to think I may have a screw loose, but I'm really enjoying these long distance Greyhound rides. I left Omaha, Nebraska at 19-30 last evening managing to view some of the countryside and the sunset before darkness blanked everything out at about 21-30. As a rider, I would stronly recomment anyone who ventures in this direction to visit Omaha, it is a fine city with much of interest including the:-

I just got back from the Windy City
the Windy City is mighty pretty
but they aint got what we got
no sir e

Arriving in the 'Windy City' (Chicago, Illinois) at 05-30, after a decent bit of kip, the first objectives were coffee and Internet access. Having discovered both to be available at most Starbucks, not only is the caffeine hit the best I have had in the States there is also no urgency from the staff to get rid of you. Having covered so much ground and seen so much of interest in the first 8 days, I got a rush of (perhaps) over ambition as I studied the map during this latest leg of my journey. Is Florida really an option?

During my last visit to this huge city I had a feeling throughout of unease, but can say this time it seems the opposite, so I'm going to at least have a short wander. My ticket is already booked for Birmingham, Alabama which is slightly more than half way to Tallahassee, Florida so guess I should make it. I'll keep you 'posted'.

I just flew in from the Windy City
the Windy City is mighty pretty
but I aint a swopping half a Deadwood
for the whole of Illinois

from the musical 'Calamity Jane'

Common Yellowthroat, which took sometime to

entice out of the bush, but with persistent 'pishing'

it finally succumbed.

If this is a Bee it's a good looker.

another Grey Squirrel but again rather strangely marked.

Brown Thrasher, with apologies for yet more photographs of this already over-exposed species,

but when the images are much improved from the last it's best you see them!

American Robin

and another in some stage of moult.

Coney, or Rabbit to you and me.

House Wren

Yellow Warbler

juvenile?

and something a little more familiar at least to our UK readers, House Sparrow.