A bitterly cold afternoon, January 2018. Inhospitable weather, even for most Chicagoans. My favorite time.

I'm heading home, rolling south on Columbus Drive when I see a plume of steam snake across Jackson Boulevard. I make a u-turn, park, grab my camera and get out... waiting for it to happen again.

I stand, poorly dressed, in that ridiculous cold, in the middle of the street, for over half an hour. Steam - morphing into all manner of shape and size, no snakes.

Just when I'm about to give up, it happens again. I get off one shot before it disappears.

Back in the car, fingers and cheeks are burning.
Hardly the first time.