MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN

And St. Louis golfers go out in the mid-day sun. About 2 PM yesterday afternoon in Forest Park with a view of my car dashboard while parked under a tree nearby. 104 F = 40 C.       

SUMMER REFRESHMENT

Some friends had a potluck dinner last night. Despite the heat, it wasn't too bad to sit outside once shade covered the patio. Our hosts had misters out, which kept everyone comfortable albeit with soggy napkins. 

Since my culinary skills are limited, my contribution was a pasta-teriyaki-chicken-sesame-orange-spinach-and-stuff salad I found in Potlucks For Dummies. The big hit, though, was my Aperol spritz bar. We were introduced to this by a photographer friend in France and it's the perfect summer drink: half Aperol aperitif, half prosecco, orange slice and ice. Many guests were unfamiliar with it but it was a big hit.              

WARM WEEKS, CLEAR SKIES IN THE LOU

Pretty, but heat resistant plants.Finally something interesting to shoot here today. Hope the storms hold off.

SUMMER

Still hot here, although some rain today may give us a break. It seems like I'm out on the streets with a camera less since I retired and don't go downtown every day. For now, an old picture of summer in The Lou, chilling out in Citygarden.            

SUMMERTIME, AND THE LIVING IS EASY

Back in the local jurisdiction, as one of our City Daily colleagues might say. The weather this weekend has been flat-out gorgeous for high summer in the heartland. Warm but not hot, modest humidity and gorgeous late afternoon light. This is along the Grand Basin in Forest Park, a legacy from the 1904 World's Fair. We used to be somebody, to paraphrase Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront.                  

IN ST. LOUIS? IN JULY?

This town is dead quiet. Hot. Pitiless cloudless skies. Hardly anyone on the street. Nothing going on, of course, but I have to find an image somewhere. There were a couple of these signs in Kiener Plaza near a turned-off set of water jets where kids usually splash. Information for the uninformable, just like mask advice. 

The language police has a strong presence in our household. Why is there a comma after the first line but no period at the end? Why are "park" and "hot" capitalized? Inquiring minds want to know.       

And The Living Is Easy

Summertime, here at the fake ruins in Tower Grove Park. (Yes, it was built that way on purpose.) Many people love the original of this beautiful song from Porgy and Bess. However, I am partial to Janice Joplin's version. Few singers can approach her intensity. 

It's already hot here and the official first day of summer is over a week away. It could be a bad one.      

It's Too Darn Hot

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To its great credit, Citygarden lets people soak in its ponds and fountains rather than putting up "No Swimming" signs all over the place. That was an act of charity yesterday when the temperature was 98 F / 37 C.

Some of my clients do not have air conditioning. In fact, a fair number don't have electrical service. There have been a few heat-related deaths in our city. Other cities have had worse. I was 104 F / 40 C in New York City on Friday and 108 F / 42 C in nearby Newark, New Jersey. It never hit 100 F when I was growing up in NYC. And lets not even get to Arizona and down that way.

I'm 61. Sometimes I wonder whether I had the random fortune to hit human civilization at its apogee and that the general trend is downhill from here. No one knows yet. Let's keep taking pictures and leave a record.

It's Hot

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We've had a pretty miserable summer. I know, there are lots of places that are worse but we like to complain about it anyway. In this picture, a produce vendor at Soulard Farmers Market needs towel to soak it up.

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In The Good Old Summertime (Citygarden)

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I wonder if the people who planned Citygarden foresaw how parts of it would be used as a public swimming pool for children. The authorities clearly don't object, so perhaps this was part of the plan. It's one of the many reasons the place has become an instant hit with St. Louisans.