LOSERS AND SUCKERS

In 2018, Donald Trump canceled a visit to the American World War I cemetery outside Paris. It was raining, and he claimed his helicopter could not fly there and the Secret Service would not drive him. Both statements were false; there are indications that the rain would have messed his hair. The visit wasn’t worth it to him, as he characterized the fallen soldiers as suckers and losers. Trump denied making the statements but there were witnessed, including the retired four star Marine general who was then his chief of staff. Several veterans at the No Trump rally still take offense.                 

VISION

I am so proud of this woman, out at the demonstration with perhaps her son helping her, expressing her conscience. Hard to see at this resolution, but her shirt has a face known to most Americans, Smokey the Bear (only you can prevent forest fires or, more recently, only you can prevent fascist liars). The bear wears mirrored sunglasses, reflecting the desert in one lens and mountains in the other. The word RESIST is  written across the hat. Hooray for her.            

ACCORDING TO MARK TWAIN

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.

Another image from the No Kings demonstration in downtown St. Louis. It was scheduled to go from 2 to 5. I got there at 1:30 as a brief shower broke out. By 2:45 Kiener Plaza was very crowded, my old creaky spine was wearing out and I was soaked in perspiration. I left but people continued to stream in. Only the next day did I learn that thousands more arrived and began a march many blocks long along the adjacent main avenue. I missed it but it’s a consequence of getting old.

And by the way, Mr. Twain, it doesn’t.                      

 

 

NO KINGS

There were at least six No Kings rallies around the metro area yesterday but the big one was downtown. I got there early and Kiener Plaza was already busy. By 40 minutes after the official starting time it was so crowded I could hardly get a clear shot, yet people were still streaming in. As of late Saturday night I have not seen an estimate of the number of people but it must have been well over a thousand. More to come.                 

QUEEN OF THE ROLLER DERBY

Possibly a last pic from Circus Flora, pending what happens at today's No Kings demonstration in downtown St. Louis. It’s hard to see at this resolution, but there is a sturdy strap around the man’s neck that wraps low on the back of the woman’s head. I was able to use a fast shutter speed to freeze this but just looking at it was a blur. 

This afternoon should be interesting.                   

NO NET

America’s first family of acrobats and aerialists, The Flying Wallendas, joins Circus Flora every June. The act included both a generation older and younger than what we see here. Rough estimate is that these three were +/- 30 feet / 10 meters off the floor, with nothing but their skill to protect them.

I need to do at least one more day of circus images. There are No Kings rallies planned in every city in the U.S. on Saturday, and I plan to cover the one in downtown St. Louis.                   

DOGS AND FRISBEES

One of the reasons we go to Circus Flora year after year is because granddaughter Ellie loves animals (particularly her somewhat indolent tabby cat, Gizmo). Whether it’s dogs, horses, goats, rabbits or you name it, she loves them all. I’ve seen dogs catching frisbees before, but never with such choreographed precision.                        

 

FREE DIVER

That’s what the image makes me think of, someone floating through the deep blue without a mask and tank. She performed a ballet in three dimensions, emphasizing the vertical.                    

ARC SEGMENTS

The circle, gentle arc and lines in this picture make me think of high school geometry class. Of course, this is a bit more interesting and, by definition, there weren’t any girls in my boy’s Catholic school.                           

LEVITATION

Or close to it. I can’t imagine the strength, balance and coordination (not qualities I am known for) it takes to do this. At some point the performer was straight up on his hands with his legs perpendicular to his spine. Stunning.                   

THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN

One of the nice things about St. Louis is that we have our own resident circus company, Circus Flora. Last night was opening night. Dad and all four grandparents took Ellie the kid, who can’t get enough of this stuff. One of the acts was this young group of tumblers and acrobats known as the St. Louis Archers. More to come.                   

A TINTYPE

I needed a bit of filler  before a major photo event later today (the circus is in town). A year ago I learned about a $1 iPhone camera app called TinType. It produces images reminiscent of 19th Century low resolution snaps with striking effect. I go out and shoot with it once in a while. You can just see the Arch in the haze.               

STRING BAND

Another act getting ready for Artica in October. This “string band” has a name, which I didn’t write down and don’t member. If someone who sees this knows, let me know and I will edit the post. They played a variety of bluegrass-y and country-ish music, with some humor thrown in. Note the seldom-seen bass guitar.

By the way, I have my late brother-in-law’s banjo, which I can’t possibly play. If anyone would like it, let me know.              

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS ACT

There was a get together last weekend for Artica fans. People who are interested in participating were invited to show their concepts or proposals. This man (I’m  sorry that I don’t know his name) is a stilt walker. I remember him from last year. The framework of what he is wearing is, I think, bent PVC pipe. Garlanded all around is light plastic tubing filled with colored LED lights. You can’t see them in daylight unless you stand right next to him. He plans to cover himself with them from head to stilt tip.                     

L FRIED RICE

A little food shop, L Fried Rice, on South Jefferson Avenue. STL flavor.                         

SITE VISIT

 

Our favorite free-form creative festival, Artica, takes place in early October, but it’s time for people who would like to participate to submit proposals. It takes place in an empty square block near the river. There was an opportunity last weekend for people to check out the space.                  

1ST AND O'FALLON

A block or so from the odd sculpture park and power plant seen over the last few days. This is the edge of the rust belt, when the economy has moved on and found no use for what it left behind other than late afternoon colors on old St. Louis brick.                  

CITY DAILY PHOTO JUNE THEME - SHADOWS

Maybe the most famous shadow in St. Louis, but one that is rarely seen in its entirety. The view, of course, is looking down from the little windows in the top of the Arch.                          

 

LACLEDE POWER COMPANY

Turning the lens a little farther to the right from yesterday’s view. This is the back of an old steam-powered electric plant. It is well-described by St. Louis historian, preservationist and photographer, Chris Naffziger: Just north of the Ashley Street is the old Laclede Power Station, which along Lewis Street takes on the form of a massive Italian Renaissance loggia, complete with giant, arched portals. But instead of being filled with famous sculpture like the Loggia dei Lancei in Florence, this building housed rows of boilers, now long gone. The power plant, made of red brick and terracotta, also sported five iron smokestacks. On the river side, a giant white glazed brick sign advertises the power plant’s name.                     

ARS GRATIA ARTIS

A wider view of the installation near the Mississippi by the late local artist and general strange person, Bob Cassilly, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Cassilly. All concrete and steel, much painted through the years. Cassilly is best known as the founder, along with his former wife, of our amazing City Museum, https://citymuseum.org/ . Factoid about Cassilly: he and his first wife were honeymooning in Rome when a mentally ill man attacked Michelangelo’s Pieta. Cassilly was the first to act and subdue the assailant.                  

SNAKE IN THE GRASS

Out-there sculpture in an old industrial area of the riverfront. There is a lot more of this construction than fits in the frame and a lot more to the back story than I can tell here. Probably more images to come.                   

SUMMER VACATION

School’s out for summer. When I was a kid my friends and I would tumble out into the streets of New York and occupy ourselves with endless adventures. Mrs. C grew up the oldest of six on a family farm, with lots to do with her sibs and plenty of chores. Ellie is more isolated. No friends walking distance, so we need to take a more active role. Yesterday we went to an indoor slide park with her best friend. The girl likes to grab some air.                      

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT’S OVER YOUR HEAD

Bringing brews to you wherever it’s most comfortable and convenient. The trailer is portable, taking the malt to wherever it is needed. Looking at the blackboard, I wonder what Murica Walking Beer is. It’s pretty cheap.                      

WOULD YOU?

We do sometimes. It’s Mrs. C’s home state and there is lots of family. It has a bad reputation in much of the country as bland and featureless. Not so. Since my first visit when we were dating, I found subtle beauty in a rolling, green to amber countryside and vast vistas. The Kansas City metro area, which is divided between Missouri and Kansas, is always worth a visit. This van was seen at a local art fair.                

A 50TH OPENING NIGHT

Curtain calls at the opening night of the 50th season of Opera Theatre of St. Louis, arguably the best regional opera company in the U.S. The production of Die Fledermaus was spectacular, top singing throughout the cast, witty staging and laugh out loud comedy. Looks like a great season.                  

DOWNTOWN ABSTRACT 2

The roof of a multi-level garage, looking down from my high-rise perch. Since the post-Covid reduction in downtown office occupancy, there are rarely any cars unless there is a busy baseball game across the street. Plenty of room for someone to spin wheelies.                    

DOWNTOWN ABSTRACT

Turning the lens a few degrees to the right of yesterday’s photo of the Arch. The shot is into the side of a curtain wall building, which, of course, is not perfectly flat. The reflection on the left is the high rise hotel I’m standing on. The tan one farther back on the right is a tall courts building. The city lies between.              

THURSDAY ARCH SERIES

Yesterday we looked down into the baseball stadium from a high rise’s rooftop restaurant. Turning left, we face east toward the Arch, Mississippi River and Illinois. The semicircle in the foreground is the entrance to the underground museum and the trams that ride up the legs to the top.               

PLAY BALL

Going back a couple of weeks. On the day we went downtown to the the reopened Old Courthouse, Mrs. C and I took a lunch break on the top floor restaurant of a high rise hotel. It is called the Hilton At The Ballpark for this reason. There was a day game in progress, sparsely attended on a Wednesday when school was still in session. I like baseball. It is a sport that lacks the crass violence of American football and, unlike hockey, basketball and soccer, doesn’t remind me of Brownian motion.                     

AFTERMATH, PART 2

A more dramatic example of storm damage found in Forest Park. The tornado went through around 3 PM on Friday and this car had the misfortune of being parked at the wrong place at the wrong time.                   

AFTERMATH

I went to our largest city park to see what might be visible from Friday’s storm and tornado. A lot of trees were down and there was some structural damage. I wish there were a person in this picture to give it scale but this is a big tree. The right side of the shard in the center foreground is about as high as an average person.

It seemed better to avoid the residential area nearby that suffered worse damage. Some of the streets are narrow and the relief crews didn’t need me in the way. However, tomorrow we’ll see a more striking example of the damage.                 

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

There is a farm across the Mississippi in Illinois whose business is pick it yourself. Eckert’s rotates through strawberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins in season. It’s strawberry time and we took granddaughter Ellie and a friend yesterday. Fill up a basket and pay for it by weight. I later found that they charge more than the supermarket but it was fun for the kids and amusing to see all the families engaging in field labor.                       

WOULD YOU TRY IT? AND SOME BAD NEWS

Mrs. C and I went to a special wine dinner last night at a favorite local place. Parking is in the rear so we went in and out by a back door. When we left, there was a large group of people behind an adjacent store that sells outdoor equipment, https://www.fieldtheory.us/. It was a party for a runners’ club after a group exercise.

There was a tiny, two-person sauna with a tub of ice in front. This young woman showed no signs of pain after jumping in. Did the ice or the sauna come first? The rubber duckie must help.

Our American friends may have heard that a tornado hit us yesterday afternoon. Not in my neighborhood, but there has been extensive damage in the central-north area of the city with five deaths reported so far. The link may not be up to date - https://tinyurl.com/56kpjpv3 

               

DOME WITHIN A DOME

A model of the Old Courthouse made mostly of clear plastic, revealing some of its interior structure. I’m particularly interested in how much larger the outer dome is than the inner one, pictured recently.            

LAW AND TYRANNY

A display in the Old Courthouse about the American federal legal system. Obviously, I didn’t need to read the details. However, the inscription is true - but I hope not prophetic.                                                      

THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS

Architectural detail inside the Old Courthouse. The stairway is straight and steep up  to a landing, then curls back to reach the next floor. The rail is wood and the cross bars are iron. The rosettes at their center are cast iron, made in sand molds on display in the museum.              

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

The Old Courthouse, of course, has courtrooms. Although I practiced law for 47 years I rarely set foot in one, since my work was in a niche specialty of federal administrative law. This room has a ponderous 19th Century vibe. The circuit court name was also antique. When this building was in full use Missouri was pretty rural outside of St. Louis and judges “rode a circuit,” traveling from one county to another at a regular schedule. The name persists in the in the state’s modern legal structure.                

IF YOU COULD GET CLOSER

I rarely use two pictures in the same post but today’s topic deserves it. Yesterday I complained about the Old Courthouse having no plans to reopen the second and third level circular balconies under the dome. The staff told me it was a safety concern but I suspect it was a matter of budget. These pictures were taken from the first balcony. The next two were open before the recent restoration, making it easy to admire the historical and allegorical paintings.

                  

UNDER THE DOME

The copper clad dome of the Old Courthouse stands out in the exterior views seen the last couple of days. The inside, however, is richly decorated. It’s a shame that you can’t get close enough to see the paintings. There are three levels of circular galleries above the ground floor and, sadly, only the first has been reopened (with a chest-high glass barrier, at that). I asked a staff member if there were plans to reopen the next two. No, safety. It’s absurd.                       

ELEVATION

The Old Courthouse seen yesterday, but this time from above. As pointed out by one of our colleagues, the neoclassical style stands in marked contrast to the grids of the modern buildings behind. That’s the Mississippi in the upper right corner.

We will come back later to the reason for the high rise view.                     

THE OLD COURTHOUSE

The reason for our trip downtown on Wednesday was to check out the just-reopened Old Courthouse, one of our most significant buildings. It was built in stages when St. Louis boomed in the second quarter of the 19th Century and is now part of the national park that includes the Gateway Arch. One of the most significant trials in the country’s history, the Dred Scott case, defining the rights of black people and leading to one of the most appalling decisions in the history of our Supreme Court (well, there are competitors). I won’t write an essay about its history, but, if interested, look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Courthouse_(St._Louis) .                  

RETURN OF THE THURSDAY ARCH SERIES

I used to post a picture of the Gateway Arch most Thursdays. It was easier when I worked downtown and it was a short walk away. Over time, though, it got harder to find something new to see in a 193 m / 630 ft stainless steel wicket, so the series withered. However, one of our most historically and architecturally significant buildings, which we call the Old Courthouse, just reopened after several years of restoration. Mrs. C and I went down to check it out and found this view through the east portico.                   

DOWNWARD FORCE

 

A last old photo from a Cinco de Mayo festival on Cherokee Street. There is something new to shoot today. All the photography courses I’ve ever taken have taught me to avoid having objects protruding from people’s bodies, e.g., no light poles growing out of someone’s head. However, I kinda like what happened here.                

MEXICAN ACCORDION

Sampling more old Cinco de Mayo and People’s Parade pix to fill for last weekend’s rainout. The lettering on the instrument says Monterrey. I wish I had an audio recording.               

NOT SO FUNNY

Quick, send in the clowns

But where are the clowns?

Don't bothеr, they're herе.

Going with more old People’s Parade pix because of Saturday’s rainout. The crew of scary clowns always shows up.           

 

IF IT WEREN’T RAINING SO MUCH

One of our best annual photo ops got washed out yesterday. The first part is the People’s Parade, where anybody can sign up, dress and display as they will and march down the street in one of our funkiest neighborhoods. The area is also the center of our Latino population and the venue for the Cinco de Mayo festival. It’s a minor event in Mexico, celebrating a victory over French colonial forces, but lots of Americans use it as an excuse to swill tequila in public. St. Louis sure does.

But it rained all afternoon and evening, leaving me without days of material. I’ve been shooting these events for years so I can bring back some old favorites.                         

SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE

                

An order of nonconformists, to be sure. The sisters turn up at many events and I’ve photographed them lots of times. Their liturgy is a little, um, uncertain. I confess I don’t know exactly what they are doing at Earth Day,

Big annual photo op today if it doesn’t get rained out and my spine holds up.                 

DURABLE FLOWERS

Back at Earth Day. This woman’s creations were bright and cheerful, perhaps not natural flowers but made of durable cotton. I would have loved to buy some, but we’re in the phase of life when we are trying to have a lot less, not more, stuff in our home.