Water Trough and Blossoms – Spring in South St. Louis

St. Francis de Sales Church – The Cathedral of South St. Louis

I have a great backlog of photos and do not feel very motivated to get them up, so perhaps this shot of a favorite subject taken on last Wednesday will prime the motivation.

Tower Grove Park Jonquils – Daffodils on a Late Spring Afternoon

The light in Tower Grove Park this evening was lovely, casting long shadows from the trees and backlighting the jonquils. Some of these shots are very similar to one another, but I just couldn’t decide between two slightly different compositions.

Creating Art, Helping a Community – Danger Schmanger

OK, though much like Pope Benedict is soon to be this site is largely functioning as a Blog Emeritus to the new site I do want to use it from time to time, though, for special announcements, etc. Won’t you consider donating to this worthy project. I know a lot of people (including a ton of artists) are asking for your money these days, but I can vouch for these gentleman and their heart and vision and I want to promote their cause wherever I can.

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Some gentlemen I know from church are part of an endeavor to create a business that does good by helping to foster new artists and to change the perception of a much maligned but amazing city, my city, St. Louis.

Would you watch the video on their page and consider donating? As a personal connection, the house that the video was shot in? Yup, that’s das Haus, my house, right in the middle of the aforementioned city. Check them out on Facebook here and the web here. Click on the image below to go to their fundraising page.

From their Indiegogo page:

“Hey there people. My name is Cardin Irakoze and I am one of the interns for Danger Schmanger. I’m originally from Congo. I have been in St. Louis for five years and the first thing I noticed about St. Louis the danger. It took me awhile to notice the beauty of St. Louis. The first thing I want other people to notice about St. Louis is the beauty not the danger. One of the best ways we can do that is through Danger Schmanger. One t-shirt can make a huge difference. We need your help. We need $4500 to finish buying equipment and things for our shop. And even if you can’t help us financially, you can still pray for us. Thank you.”

Cardin is an awesome kid studying at Forest Park Community College to do web design. We are truly privileged to be burning screens, pulling ink, and making T-shirts with him.

How it all works:

Sea Lion Sound, Take Two – The Harbor Seal – St. Louis Zoo

Yesterday, I made a quick dart into our excellent free zoo and had a visit with the sea lions and harbor seals. It was only yesterday, actually, that I realized that the smaller beasties were not simply young sea lions, but rather harbor seals. This is take 2, and I am afraid there are likely to be many more as I am rather enamored with these animals and this exhibit. On this day, there were not many folks at the zoo and this one harbor seal literally did rolls and dipped and twirled as a boy waved his hands like a conductor and shadowed him back and forth as he ran along the glass. It was a wonder! I am going to have to take the video camera next time

Of Trees and Ducks and Reeds – Beside the Lily Ponds – Tower Grove Park – St. Louis

Our Hearts at Half Staff – Tower Grove Park – St. Louis

Like Fire in the Fields – Autumn Grasses – Forest Park, St. Louis

Fog in the West End – Morning Mist in Autumn – St. Louis

Upon Democracy and Kingship – An Election Day Reflection

After all the debate over American exceptionalism, after all the worry over the country lagging in various international rankings, in the basement of Christ’s Southern Mission Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri a pretty exceptional process was occurring this morning. In a fairly blighted portion of the city, in a building in which people can gather freely to vote or worship, a long orderly line of voters were exercising their right to be heard. As I stood in line, above the checkerboard linoleum floor, above the tables with the slight cardboard voting screens all akimbo, in the light streaming through plain protestant stained glass, a large banner left over from some long-forgotten pageant proclaimed “Worship the King!” I smiled and thought—after it all, after a revolution and 200 plus years of crawling toward a more perfect union—I am a Royalist at heart

Note:To those of you here for the photos–I wish I had my camera with me, it was an amazing shot (it may be time to get a smart phone)– please bear with a little religious and even littler amount of political sentiment. It will soon be over.