Garages of Wilmette Redux

It is spring break in the north suburbs of Chicago and I spent the week in Wilmette dog sitting. It took me five days to get into the grove of the north shore; big houses, cable on demand and driving everywhere. The dog walks were the pleasant exception to an otherwise uneventful daily routine, but once again it took me about five days, and a warm-up in the weather, to figure out my take on the experience. Frankie (the dog) and I found ourselves walking the alley as much as the streets. Walking the dog actually legitimizes what otherwise might be considered slightly irregular suburban behavior. If anyone glared at me aggressively I would mime dropping off the dogs 'little package' in the nearest trash container and we would continue on our way. The alleys are such a unique take on the suburban experience, literally the behind the scenes view of this privileged way of life. It is as if they let their guard down a bit, you see their garbage, and many of the standards that are upheld in the front facade are allowed to relax a little in the back. I use the work 'redux' not only because I'm reading John Updike right now, but because I made a similar photo essay about the garages of Wilmette back in December during my last dog sitting stint. Three months later the snow is mostly melted away, a few buds are appearing on the trees, and the light has changed dramatically. Below are three photos I made last week.