This gallery contains 13 photos.
Yesterday, I decided to spend my day capturing the wonders of spring busting out all over the Wicket City. Click on any picture for a close up view of the entire gallery of spring.
Category Archives: A PHOTO FEATURE
THE TOTAL PICTURE!
On occasion, after I’ve posted a photo to the Weekly Photo Challenge, I will occasionally supply a little background on the photo I’ve submitted or about the other photos I was considering submitting. Today I would like to submit the entire ESCAPE photo. You might want to click on it to see the larger size.
THE TOTAL PICTURE — GOOSE ON THE LOOSE!
ENJOY!
WHAT’S IN YOUR KITCHEN?
THE TALKING CLOCK
This was the clock that lived in my mini-cubicle when I worked in the salt mines pounding out mindless drivel that passed for advertising copy, sales motivation, training programs, and radio and television commercials. I once wrote a series of commercials for a shoe store in Arkansas that drove the customers of the store to beg and plead that if the store stopped running the commercials, they would buy more shoes. The store stopped running the commercials and soon went out of business. Customer’s lie!
The clock also served to remind of scheduled meetings and lunch with either an annoying animatronic female voice or an equally annoying crowing rooster.
When I was asked to retire, I took the talking clock home to serve as my kitchen timer.
Mlle. Renee hates it … especially the crowing rooster.
IF THIS ISN’T LOVE … IT MUST BE LUST
While sorting through photo files Sunday afternoon I found a photo I took at the STL ZOO last fall. It would have been perfect for last Friday ‘s Weekly Photo Challenge which was LOVE.
On second thought, that look in his eye might be more LUST.
But if it is he has to be gay, because only the males of the Greater Kudu antelope species have those great spiral horns.
But what difference does that make, the Smiling Bagel does not discriminate!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Green
Today’s Photo Challenge is a multi-photo challenge sharing pictures in a gallery which means green to me.
I never really realized how many photos I’ve taken actually fall into various shades of green classifications. The shaded pool is a lush summer green. The blue parrot in front of the background trees is a wild and free green. The swimming fish is obviously a Mississippi River green. The hazy buildings seemingly being swallowed up the encroaching growth is a victorious green. The Green Planet is going to win in the end! The same goes for the Chihuly Glass artwork in tropical swamp. The Chinese garden is cool, comforting green. The head of cabbage is a nutritious green. The sculptures in the reflecting pool is and artistic green. The praying mantis shows a creepy green and the dandelion puff a fairy-like green. The Granny Smith apples is an end of summer green. But the green of the old bird house among the budding branch is the finest green of all … the green of spring and the season of rebirth. (Clicking on each thumbnail will allow you to see the full sized photos.)
But in all honesty the green we probably prize the most is the one we find on the back of the dollar.
Just A Photo Illustrated Day In My Life!
Well, yesterday was yet another rainy fall day. It was also Election Day and Mlle. Renee woke me up early so I could get out and vote before the waiting lines got too long. It’s only a 15-minute walk to my polling place and since I’ve been walking there every Election Day since I turned 21, I decided to risk the occasional drip-drop of the falling rain.
It’s an easy walk … except for the last two blocks which is uphill all the way.
For some reason that walk to the little red grade school seems to get steeper every year.
And the voting line always seems to run out of the door of the gym and around the corner.
Actually, I only had to wait in line for about an hour.
Then I took a bus and a train …
To reach my destination…
MALLVILLE!
Also known as Brentwood Pointe to differentiate itself from Brentwood Square and Brentwood Center which are a little farther down the road.
My first stop was …
Yes, I know … it’s a dumb name for place you go to get a haircut
After I was looking dapper again I walked next door to …
Dierberg’s
Which is really a high-class stupid-market.
I wanted to stop there for lunch at LuLu’s Chinese Express, which is the fast-food version of LuLu’s Seafood which is currently the to Oriental food restaurant in the city. 
I ordered Kung Pow Chicken and a Lo-mein side and the food is just as good as the original restaurant. The serving size was so large, I took half home for my dinner. You know when you eat Chinese, you’re away’s hungry again in an hour.
I then did my grocery shopping and headed home on the train.
When I got home the first thing I saw was …
Mlle. Renee’s friend who was hoping I’d put out some sunflower seeds for the birds. I did, and then I took a nap before dinner and a long evening of watching the Election Returns on TV.
And it was a very long and surprising evening.
SAINT LOUIS MUNICIPAL THEATRE
As promised, here is my Tourist Trek to the Saint Louis Municipal Theatre located on a hillside in Forest Park. It was established in 1917 which makes it not only the oldest, but also the largest outdoor theater in the US. The first production in 1917 was actually the opera AIDA …
and for many years it was known as the Municipal Opera. But grand opera doesn’t play there much these days and most of the local folk simply call it …
The Box-office and whatever you call a mural on the ground.
The theater seats 11,000 people for each performance. And the last nine rows or 1,500 seats are FREE SEATS that are given away on a first-come basis. I’ve spent a lot of summer evenings in the FREE SEATS.
The stage is rather large, too. So the big production numbers really are BIG! The center of the stage is the world’s largest revolving stage, which allows for some pretty fast scene changes.
The Muny season runs from June to August with six to eight musical productions each year that range from the latest Broadway hits to the sentimental favorites from the past. And while Saint Louis summers do occasionally get a little hot, the theater’s location in the tree-shaded park make it one of the cooler locations in town for an enjoyable summer evening … except when it rains.
FALL FAMILY FUN FEST … PART TWO – JUST THE PARK
As part of my visit to the Fall Family Fun Fest I just went for a walk in the park … capturing my visions of Forest Park in photos to share with you.
A place where people and dogs can share the wonders of fall.
Wonderful Waterways!
Floral Fountains!
Relaxing Reflections!
Pure escape from the world around you.
Roots!
Wondering how many people have tasted the ornamental peppers to see if they’re really hot.
And if you’re not inclined to walking …
You can ride the Trolley around the park stopping and getting on to visit all the sites for just $2:oo for the entire day. And it takes you to and from the MetroLink train station. Unfortunately, no one ever followed through with my suggestion to add a Clang, CLANG, CLANG! sound when it stops and starts.
And at the end of your visit!
MY CREEPY, CRAWLY, HOPPING WEEK
Be forewarned if things that creep, crawl, hop or go bump in the night bug you!
As you might have guessed, I spend the early part of the week working, fixing, painting and cleaning up around the exterior of the house and garden. And my camera was at hand to catch any surprising photos that might cross my path.
Ok, I cheated! This was from my last Zoo visit.
I found this cloisonné-like Bug hanging out on one of the back window screens.
I do believe it is actually an Ailanthus webworm or ermine moth.
Oh creeps! He had his eyes right on me.
This one I called a shield bug. Thanks to Lynn (see comment below) I learned that it is really a Halyomorpha halys aka.a brown marmorated stink bug.
This one was praying I wouldn’t paint over him.
Obviously, this was a wood splinter or thorn bug. Surely, I jest, Google was no help.
This little fellow seemed quite hoppy.
And this one was setting up a STING!
Ok, sometimes I get carried away with macro photography or seeing how close I can get to a bug before it flies, hops or crawls away. And some are even in focus, too!
FALL FLORA / PLAIN AND FANCY … A Photo Feature
Today’s post is just a lot of pretty pictures of fall flora I discovered over the week-end. You’ll find both plain (weeds) and fancy (flowers) and unless I’ve supplied a name, I have no idea what they are.
This is a fantastic looking flower. And check out the size of that seed pod. Here’s a close up look.
I wish this next display was growing in my garden. Guess the Zoo has better landscapers.
Behold the red clover and foxtail … the native flora of West Walnut Manor.
Found these colorful berries growing along the walks of the proposed retail and business mall. They look mighty pretty, but even the birds of the hood don’t stop to nibble on them.
So enjoy the pictures, and if you can identify any of them please leave a comment.
... a somewhat unknown or perhaps imaginary actor, writer, director, producer, photographer, friend, brother, uncle and all round good fellow that you really should get to know because he lives with that most glamorous fourpaw Mademoiselle Renee. (Mlle. Renee for short)
