Shall We Dance?

These two were consuming generous amounts of the official beverage of Oktoberfest. They insisted that I take their picture and get both shirts clearly. Aren't they sweet?            

Lederhosen

I suppose that leather pants could be comfortable if they were soft enough, more like gloves than shoes. It's a way of proclaiming "I'm German," a statement like a French beret or cowboy boots. We saw people wearing them at the Fischmarkt in Hamburg last month. Does it look a little silly to you?             

Beer and Zombies

We have a little one-day Oktoberfest in our Soulard neighborhood. Last Saturday the oom-pah band and beer were flowing freely. One participant was getting an early jump on Halloween. If you've had enough German brew, why not dance with the undead?         

Oktoberfest

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St. Louis had a lot of German immigration in the 19th Century and they remain a large part of the population (think Anheuser-Busch). We have a modestly sized but enthusiastic Oktoberfest in the Soulard neighborhood. It's not the Hofbräuhaus but liters of beer flowed freely and the crowd danced in heavy 2/4 time. Fun for all the brew swillers and bratwurst biters in the area. Lacking in dirndl dresses, though.

WHAT I'M BRAGGING ABOUT: The American Institute of Architects is slowly building a web site called The Shape of America, celebrating the great achievements among our nation's modern buildings. The newest addition is St. Louis' Gateway Arch. They approached me months ago about using some of my work. The Arch section just went online - you can see it here. If I counted correctly, 14 of the 19 photos, including all of the B&Ws, in the slide show and discussion are mine. GLORY! RECOGNITION! Now if someone would occasionally offer to pay me for my stuff I'd really be rolling.

TOMORROW: religion, gone to the dogs.