Now That's Desperate

A sign of despair, seen while stopped at a traffic light in my neighborhood.          

Grove, Black and White

We've visited my favorite park in STL before, Tower Grove on the south side. It was laid out in the 19th Century on the model of an English walking park. Unlike its more famous and much larger cousin, Forest Park, it is quiet, even intimate. There is a central east-west road which, at this point, splits into an oval. It has a tall stand of evergreens with the same split down the middle, maintaining the view from end to end.          

Semi Frozen

An artificial stream in Forest Park with a tiny waterfall and some ducks sitting on the edge. Cold enough to freeze the quiet water but not what is gently moving.           

THE Place For Sledding In The Lou

There are lots of hills around town where kids can sled but there is just one classic venue. Art Hill is the long slope between the art museum and the Grand Lagoon in Forest Park, an artificial body of water that stretches a long way from the base. You would have to know it's there to see it but there is a line of hay bales at the bottom to keep speeding sledders from plopping into the freezing water.

It was very busy last weekend. Bare spots were starting to appear.          

Madeleine Monday

The kid has no fear of cold (not that it gets bitter cold around here). What she did object to was dragging the sled back uphill by herself. Daughter Emily didn't own a pair of snow boots and wasn't about to trip downhill in her street boots with 2 inch heels. So, it was declared to be hot chocolate time.

Yesterday morning she and her mom built a snowman in front of our house. I think that's a baby carrot for the nose. Nothing handy for a mouth but her old broken sunglasses were an inspired addition. 

              

We're Not Used To This

Okay, no sniggers from northerners. I've been lazy about posting lately but this is what has been going on around us. We don't get a lot of snow most winters. This weekend has been an exception.

It's unusual for me to get a shot from the passenger seat of a car. I had to have my neck magnetically resonated on Friday. It's messed up enough that they had to give me some narcs to be able to lie flat for 20 minutes and I was not allowed to drive myself home. Mrs. C did the honors. This shot is from mid-afternoon Friday. I'm writing this mid-day Sunday and there is still a little bit falling. The Lou panics when it snows. It took us an hour to get home from the Washington University Medical Center, a drive that would be fifteen minutes off rush hour.           

Drill, Baby, Drill

I always admire the craft of ice sculptors. We see them working freehand with precision. Do they have some kind of template when they start the process? Where do you get an ice template? 

About out of material so may have to go archive diving. We are expecting a fair amount of snow from Friday afternoon into Saturday and that should provide plenty.  I may not like it so much but Ellie will.