“Drought”, by Jenny Thomasson

Most of the wreaths on display in the Ridgeway Center at the Missouri Botanical Gardens are ornate examples of the classical holiday wreath. The other wreaths in this show are all easily recognizable as products of the domestic arts. None of this is true for Ms. Thomasson’s “Drought”. Constructed primarily of driftwood, collected along the Missouri River during last summer’s drought, it is almost the anti-wreath. It is a stark contrast to the rest of the show.

We viewed these wreaths again yesterday, when we took Rey to the garden. Before that Anne, Rey and I went out for breakfast at the City Diner. Rey fortified himself with a slinger. The Slinger is a Saint Louis specialty consisting of two eggs, hash browns, and a hamburger patty all covered in chili con carne stew and generously topped with cheddar cheese and onions. It sticks to the ribs. After the garden, Rey got back on the road again, heading west to Colorado. He’ll be back later in the week.