So, this is the last of the Halloween series. These pictures don't require explanation except to say that one image portrays a blood relative and blog team member, plus an in-law.
More from Saturday night's Halloween party in the Central West End:
Saturday night in Maryland Plaza in the Central west End, where all the ghouls were out and St. Louis says BOO! Nobody cared if you take their picture. Everything was on display.
Halloween has become such a big deal in the U.S. and I've heard the marketeers are spreading it to Europe. When I was a kid in NYC we would throw together a crude Frankenstein get-up and go around our apartment building mooching candy, without any parents keeping watch. One development of recent years are big commercial haunted houses, where you can wander through dim corridors and have high-tech spooks threaten you with chainsaws and axes. Some fundamentalist Christian churches in this country have opened religious haunted houses, trying to scare the youth straight with terrifying scenes of eternal damnation. Whether this is good for mental health has been questioned. There is an interesting discussion of religious Halloween terror here. Also, check this fascinating documentary film on the phenomenon, Hell House.
At the Soulard Farmer's Market near downtown. I did not get this man's story, just his picture. He was selling onions and other produce. His hat has the badge of a military boarding school in central Missouri. He has a taste for out-of-season Mardi Gras beads - our small but raucous Mardi Gras celebration is in the same neighborhood. It is hard to see at this resolution, but his sunglasses have a Miller Lite beer logo over the nose. You might be able to see my reflection just to the left of his nose and, a bit farther still, U "R" Us, who had just finished a 14 mile / 22.5 km training run.
Let there be light. This is an old power and steam plant in an industrial area along the Mississippi. I may show the whole facade tomorrow. The full wording across the top says Union Electric Power and Light, the original name of our electric company. The plant gave us light but is hardly emblematic of it any more.
Very soft, barely there, almost hallucinatory. Today's Arch photo is ambiguous about what is on the other side of the portal.
My professional association had its big national conference in St. Louis last week. I took some friends from Seattle and Port Angeles, Washington, out to dinner at STL's most popular Italian restaurants (Trattoria Marcella, for the locals). For dessert, we went to Ted Drewes, one of St. Louis' great institutions. There has been a link to their web site on my sidebar since I started the blog. Ted Drewes serves freshly made frozen custard, made on the spot with all-natural ingredients in semi-antique machines. Their most famous treat is called a concrete, frozen custard mixed with any of a score of flavors and so thick that if you hold the cup upside down the contents won't fall out. It's heaven.
...to mom and dad, anyway Chicago CDP blogger U "R" Us, who ran the half marathon (13.1 miles / 21 km) in 1:59:18. That's not bad for his first long distance event. He placed 107 out of 237 for men aged 24 to 29 and 1,385 out of about 5,000 overall in the half length part of the Detroit Marathon. This photo was shot when he had run almost 10 miles / 16 km.
Hello from beautiful Detroit. There must have been a communication mix-up with ShadowyOne but my hotel has free DSL. So, here's a snap taken earlier this week of the often-posted statue of St. Louis and the front of the St. Louis Art Museum, whose motto is "Dedicated To Art And Free To All."
In the old industrial area south of the Arch, under the railroad bridge across the Mississippi. Who loves what?
Back to dancers to help me fill a very, very busy week. These kids were terrific. I can't dance to save my life. The very thought of trying to do so reminds me of the famous (to the initiated) Firesign Theatre line, "He's no fun, he fell right over." (Some explanation here - scroll about a third of the way down the page or search for the word "fall." Well, I guess you had to be there. )
Shot at some event or other last summer, Mike Roberts, a weatherman for the local NBC affiliate gives his evening report while riding a Segway in front of a giant inflatable Southern Comfort bottle. Kids, don't try this at home. You should never give a weather report while drinking Southern Comfort.
Superman won't mistake it for Metropolis. Ah, beautiful downtown St. Louis. You can see a bit of the baseball stadium at left center. My office is a bit to the upper right in one of those rectilinear buildings. I posted a picture pointing out my window on May 6 when I had nothing better to upload. The blurry spot at about 1 o'clock is from a dirty window in the Arch observation deck. The buildings on the right with the light green pointy tops and on the left with a darker green dome are ever so slightly shorter than the Arch. Just a matter of perspective. There is no zoning rule that buildings cannot be taller than the Arch. It's a mutual understanding.
Another shot from the top of the Arch, looking southeast across the Mississippi into Illinois. The dock in the foreground is the base of riverboats that can take you on a ride for a couple of hours. The cars in the lower left are parked on the levee, the old cobblestone slope from Wharf Street into the water. When the river is high this area is inundated.
Am I right?
Okay, I caved. This week's Arch picture is a "postcard" shot, contrary to my usual style.
Well, not exactly. This man was playing the violin for tips at Soulard Market last Saturday. He was pretty damn good, playing a variety of music from country and western to classical. I think he was wearing the big hat because his skin is so fair. His gaze is distant. This could make him seem disengaged but I think reflects complete confidence with his instrument.
A family Sunday afternoon on Art Hill in Forest Park, the largest urban park in the United States. Blog contributors U "R" Us and ShadowyOne (sometimes known as Thing 1 and Thing 2 or simply the kids) test the wind. Notice the nearly identical color schemes of their clothes. Must be the fashion these days (I wouldn't know). Also note the camera on ShadowyOne's left hip, ever at the ready. That's my girl.
Soulard Market is the oldest farmers market in the U.S. west of the Mississippi. The site, just south of downtoan. has been in continuous use since 1843. The market is shaped like an elongated H. The long arms are covered but open to the sides. The vendors sell produce, flowers and crafts. The cross bar, indoors, has spices, a pet store, places to get a snack and the butcher shop pictured above. Looks like they has a special going last Saturday. I'd rather have my alligator on a stick than in my lap.
Well, half-marathon man. Chicago photo blogger U "R" Us is in town for the weekend. He is training for the half-marathon (13+ miles or a tad over 21 km) at the Detroit Marathon in two weeks. He ran 14 miles / 22.5 km on a hot St. Louis morning. It is supposed to be autumn but it was 90 F / 32 C here today.
Roller derby is an American original. People skate around an oval track, trying to pass and block one another. It gets rough. Roller derby was popular in the 50s and 60s, The sport faded but came back strong in recent years. When I was a kid there were separate competitions for men and women. Now it's women only and they are tough.
And now for something completely different. Well, sort of. See U "R" Us' guest post of April 13. Last Sunday, I rode to the top of the Arch for the first time in perhaps 20 years. What fun! If time permits, I'll post something soon about its surprising design and construction. The observation deck at 630 feet / 192 meters above the base is a bit vertiginous. This picture was taken mid to late morning, looking northwest. During the time I was working, the shadow of the Arch crept across the grounds like a sundial.
Another participant at the Grand Center Dance in the Streets festival. She seems unsure, still in need of an adult hand. Her face looks like a porcelain figurine.
From the Grand Center Dance Festival last weekend. For our international visitors, Geek Squad is the name of the installation and service department of Best Buy, a major consumer electronics chain. The guitarist is looking pretty good, for a geek, anyway.
