On the Prairie at Dusk, with the Rising Moon – August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area

The Glory of Grasses – The Wonderment of Weeds – August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area

Last night, restless and a little melancholy, I drove westward in search of the outdoors–the sky, the sun setting and hopefully something interesting to shoot in the foreground. My meandering led me to the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, where I had been once to fish but never just to hike around. My walk led me through an area which was very like a prairie, full of some of my favorite plants: Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod, and thistles, among other sundry grasses and flowers. The most interesting thing I saw was a bee on a thistle which had obviously died and was fixed to the flower. It was only after I processed the pictures that saw that it is sitting on something bright yellow, which almost certainly is a Ridge-faced flower spider, which I had to look up to identify. That must have been quite a final battle for both. I am very tempted to go back for the thistle and see if it is still there to get some better shots. In the meantime, enjoy these.

The Storks of Bevo Mill, with Contrail – St. Louis

I must confess that I never paid much attention to the Bevo Mill in South St. Louis until I was tasked to photograph it. It is funny how often when one takes the time to look at something, one actually sees things. I was delighted to “see” the pair of storks on the roof, placed there for luck, according to the Bevo Mill web site. First created as a dining room for August A. Busch, Sr. of Anheuser Busch fame, it later became a restaurant and now is open for limited public events and private parties.

So was it ever actually a mill? Alas, the answer is “no,” but still it is a striking building:

Complete in 1916 for the then-incredible sum of $250,000, the Bevo boasts quite a few unique architectural points of interest. The windmill is 60 feet in diameter and revolves on a 24 inch shaft extending through a marble bearing. Originally, the blades were wooden and propelled by wind. In 1954, the blades were damaged by a fierce wind, striking the tower. They were replaced by aluminum blades and are now electronically operated. The exterior of the building is finished with specially selected stones of all colors, shapes and textures, personally gathered by Mr. Busch from Grant’s Farm, and set in stucco.