Out on the prairie in rural Kansas, where Mrs. C grew up. There was a semi-annual reunion of the descendants of her great-grandfather, Jurgen Kruse, German immigrant, Civil War soldier (which got his citizenship) and farmer. Granddaughter Ellie came along. She was bored with all the old people sitting around and yakking. My brother-in-law, who now owns the farm with his wife, took the kid out to the pasture to feed hay to the cattle. Big fun.
Some people got really good northern lights photos around here Tuesday night. We were at home but, given the forecast, went out last night. Mrs. C, granddaughter Ellie and I headed to Art Hill, which has an unobstructed view to the north and not a lot of city lights. Nothing as of three hours after sunset. Ellie amused herself taking selfies in front of the statue of the Big Guy, and then rolling down the hill on her side over and over.
Crown Fountain is a short distance south of the Bean in Chicago’s Millennium Park. There are two 50 foot / 15.25 meter glass block towers facing each other across a black granite floor. The inner faces have LED displays with rotating faces of Chicago residents. Periodically, water streams out of the mouths for a few seconds.
I told Ellie she couldn’t get all wet because we had to get a car back to the hotel. She didn’t pay any attention. There is a very good discription of the name, design and planning process at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Fountain
St. Louis has lots of theater companies. Perhaps the most notable is the St. Louis Repertory Theater, that has been around for decades. They have a summer program for kids called Camp Rep. Granddaughter Ellie finished her session yesterday with the big group show. She says she wants to be an actress. We wish her fulfillment for her dreams but she has lots of other talents.
Happy to be at the end of the road. Dinner at Ellie’s favorite local restaurant, El Sapo (the toad), where they serve the kitty pizza. The kid is in heaven. She has her two lambies and a pair of plush sloths (there’s a concept) she talked me into buying her at the supermarket. One is tan, one is brown, and they are held together by velcro. She named them Costa and Rica.
OH, AND I FORGOT - Saturday was this project’s 18th anniversary. 6,749 posts to date.
Haven’t had the kid on for a while. That’s her on the left, with best friend Emma. I don’t remember the cat's name but it’s very used to strangers.
No new local material so I’m going with my best available. Who doesn’t want more pictures of their grandkids? Audrey, Josie and Ellie pile on and I couldn’t have gotten a better arrangement if I knew how to direct posing (which I don’t). Josie, on top, is the instigator. Irrepressible, and perhaps a prodigy. Not through the first semester of kindergarten, she sat by me watching Weird Al videos on TV and read me the captions.
…stick of butter. We’re up here in Michigan with our son, Andy, his wife, Claire, and all three of our grandchildren. St. Louisan Ellie and Michigander Audrey contribute what they can by cutting a stick of butter into pats. I didn’t shoot anything yesterday so this phone shot by Andy will suffice.
At the Cardinals baseball game. She calls these things stuffies and - I can’t be sure - she may have over a hundred. The big one in the middle is the Cardinals’ mascot, known as Fredbird. The one on her right was the give-away at the game. The one on her left was made by one of the nurses when her mother was hospitalized last year.
It’s just bloody hot here today, 100 F / 38 C, and we just got home from Kansas City. Too much to get back out on the street yet, although tomorrow should be much cooler. So for now, we’re still on the family farm. Ellie was fascinated by the farm animals and equipment, a long way from her city kid experience. My brother-in-law, Mel, took her out in the tractor and let her steer on the way back. Big time fun.
Girls just want to have fun. Ellie at one of the local branches of Urban Air, a kids’ play zone that starts with a trampoline park and goes on to lots of other adventures. Ellie loves the zip line and the bumper cars, seen here. She is having her birthday party there in a few weeks.
One of Ellie’s favorite rides at Coney Island, which she went on over and over. This photo can only offer a hint at the high speed loops and curls to come after this spiral ascent. She thought it was great fun, in part because she is 64 years younger than me.
Mandatory kid stop in NYC, F. A. O. Schwarz toy store, perhaps the most famous in the world. The doorpeople are made up like toy soldiers. Everybody who works there is VERY kid-friendly and engaging, which no doubt helps sales. Good thing for them, since the rent in Rockefeller Center is pretty high. Ellie made off with some cute souvenirs that only moderately dinged my credit card.
