Bolted together

A sight I saw frquently in Chicago: old masonry buildings with bolts sticking out. Obviously recent additions, purpose to reinforce the structural integrity of the walls. The side of the historic Hotel Vendome is also bolted (above); it's a view I caught while having coffee at Cuppers one morning.

But one does do a double take when spotting the same sort of bolts pounded into a hillside cut, in this case over at the Peridot parking lot. No, I don't think the idea is that a few bolts will hold up a mountainside. However, the basalt looks to be pretty crumbly at this location, and the bolts presumably hold the chain link fencing in place to prevent rocks tumbling down into the drive and parking lot.

Plant Carnival: I submitted my post showing a collection of leaves to the monthly Berry-Go-Round botanical interest blog carnival and, lo and behold, was featured, complete to one of the pictures. Do pay a visit!