FURRY FRIENDS

 

Another from Tower Grove Pride. I suspect that there characters represent something specific but I have no idea what. (Suggestions?)

Artica starts today. Hope my spine holds up.                      

I ALWAYS RUN INTO HER

 

More Tower Grove Pride. Whenever I go to these events, I'm always running into the wonderfully named Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, all the more meaningful for my Catholic background. They wear these little plastic name tags, just like Mormon missionaries. 

Artica is this weekend. Still listless but gotta pull it together.                   

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW

 

Another late post. This bug has still got me down. And my creaky back is bad enough that I’m seeing pain management next week. The joys of getting old, but we must press on. So, another pic from Tower Grove Pride. Want to accept a dare?                

HELP OUT SOME PUNKS

That’s what the sign in the lower right says, and it seems appropriate. Things on the blog have been moving slowly. Mrs. C and I came down with a nasty bug, possibly acquired in the mega airports we passed through recently. These three were selling artwork at Tower Grove Pride. Good attitude.                               

TOWER GROVE PRIDE

 

Back home and a big change of scene. There is more to edit from Scotland but I’ll put those on Flickr.

There are two major Pride festivals in STL, a big parade downtown in June and a stationary event in Tower Grove Park in September. There were lots of folks who were out there. As happens often, it got so crowded it was hard to pick out individual people with my camera. This makes for a nice start, though.                

TOWER GROVE PRIDE

 

We have two major annual Pride events. There is a big parade downtown in June, which I was not able to attend this year. This weekend we have what is called the Tower Grove Pride Festival, named for the city's second-largest (and my favorite) park. Stages, entertainers, food, artists, craftspeople, churches, healthcare, politics (guess what kind), social services, clothing (some provocative), and lots and lots of interesting strollers. This dad and I are like the shortest distance between two points on a plane, but we are open minded and sympathetic.                     

KISS A PARROT

But I have to say I'm not certain that this is a parrot. It's colorful enough but smaller than I would think. If any avian experts out there can provide any help I'd welcome it.

Another scene from Tower Grove Pride. I'm pretty hard up for material but Artica is this weekend, which is an image gold mine.          

I THOUGHT SOMETHING SILLY WAS NEEDED

Late post. I'm surprised by how busy some days can get for a retired person. Anyway, after the last two days of posts about political extremism, I thought that something decidedly unserious was called for. This is one of those inflatables that gyrates wildly, usually to attract attention  to a business. Seen at Tower Grove Pride.            

OUT THERE POLITICS, PART 1 OF 2

Well, good luck. The concept hasn't worked very well in countries who've gone for it whole hog. Even the Chinese Communist Party backed way off. Although, IMHO, there are some things better run by society as a whole than by predatory capitalism (like healthcare, although mixed private-public systems can work). But come back tomorrow for the opposite end of the spectrum. It's much scarier.

Seen at Tower Grove Pride. 

I SURE HOPE SO

Sadly, not everyone is. Seen at Tower Grove Pride.                     

SQUAWK

STL has a couple of annual events that come in twos, a big, official one involving a mass parade downtown and a smaller celebration that's more fun in one of the neighborhoods. St. Patrick's Day is one. The other is Pride Fest. There is a huge thing in the city center (I was out of town for this year's) and a smaller, more informal affair in Tower Grove Park. Everybody is friendly, the crowds aren't onerous, and people are happy to talk and be photographed.

I learned that this macaw was cared for at a wild bird shelter. Its handler said that it doesn't talk but will bite if provoked (note taken). She also said that it was found during a bust at a drug house. How it got there is anyone's guess.