MADELEINE MONDAY

The St. Louis Zoo has a big carousel with 64 painted wood animals. It's another stop on Ellie's don't miss list. Note that she chose a penguin.    

MADELEINE MONDAY

A couple of recent shots. Might as well use them both.

First, from last week's trip to the zoo. The carousel is always a hit. BTW, her shirt says resiSTL. She's her mother's daughter.

Second, she likes to play with water guns and in the sprinkler in the cul de sac in front our house. This led to a suggestion that she wash Mrs. C's and her mother's cars parked there. Then she was invited to wash the van of a couple who were visiting our next door neighbors. They paid her a dollar, which was probably fair since she couldn't reach the top.         

THE ZOO REOPENS

Many things are reopening here, although I question the wisdom of it. People are very tired of being cooped up and are bursting to get out, although the danger isn't much different than when the quarantine started. Compliance with masks is fairly good, but only fairly. Social distancing is often ignored, although some are careful.

The St. Louis Zoo reopened this week. It controls the number of people by requiring online, timed tickets (although, as always, it is free). This week was members only and we took Ellie. My daughter and I had to work some of the day so we went at 10, getting me the worst possible light. Plus, it's summertime hot. Ellie was bouncing off the walls while my legs turned to rubber. Mrs. C and I sat for a while while the kid took a spin on the carousel.    

MADELEINE MONDAY

After shooting at the Veterans Day parade I met the family at our repurposed Union Station for lunch and amusements. It has a new carousel, among other things. Ellie knows no fear as a rider as long as her steed is made from molded acrylic. She wasn't even wearing her cowgirl boots. 

I'll be going back and forth between Saturday's events for a while. First snow here predicted for today. That's very early.                     

MADELEINE MONDAY

There are more pictures of Paris. I could bore you with them for weeks but I think it's time to move on.

On Saturday we took the kid to a local attraction known as Grant's Farm. That takes some explaining. Civil War general and US president Ulysses S. Grant retired there when his public service was over. The property came into the hands of the Busch family, as in Anheuser-Busch. Adolphus Busch established a great estate a day's ride from the brewery (now a 30 minute drive at most). It stayed in the hands of the same family. In recent decades it became sort of a petting zoo-animal ride-little amusement park for kids. Plus the grown-ups get two free draws of AB products.

Madeleine liked it all. No horsemanship problems on the carousel.     

The Best Zoo In America

Is the St. Louis Zoo, according to a recent poll conducted by that esteemed journal, USA Today. Last year it was named the best free attraction in America. It is! A little bump in our real estate taxes keeps the zoo, art museum and history museum free to everyone.

Frankly, we deserve the title. The community has made a huge investment in it since our kids were small and the place is transformed. Our family spent the day there yesterday, mostly for the benefit of you-know-who.

We could not have ordered a better spring day from Amazon. It was almost impossible to choose among all the great shots of Madeleine on the carousel so I may have to edit a bunch more and put them on Flickr. And the children weren't the only good portrait subjects.

The Cardinals' opening day rally is this afternoon. Looks like I'll have enough material for awhile.

Madeleine Monday - Guest Photographer

Mrs. C and daughter Emily took Madeleine to the butterfly house and carousel in a suburban park yesterday. (I had to go to work.) Emily is a pretty good shooter herself. The tyke had a good time but she's usually up for anything..