Monthly Archives: June 2016

Flag Gate

Posted on by
Reply
Flag Gate, 1876, Unknown Artist

Flag Gate, 1876, Unknown Artist

I’m going to take tomorrow, Friday, off from work and get a jump on the 4th of July holiday weekend. By doing so, I’ll likely get at least one sunny day during this weekend. They are forecasting up to 8” of rain here this holiday. Now, we need the rain, but couldn’t it wait until after the holiday? Also occurring this weekend will be the big Saint Louis 4th of July festival. Again, it is being held in Forest Park, because of continuing construction on the Arch grounds. I think that this will be the third and final year for this venue. I’ve been out-of-town during the two previous iterations and was looking forward to checking the event out, but not if it is raining. Fortunately, while there will be long periods of rain, they are not forecasted to be all day events. Think of a series of waves crashing upon us. Hopefully, the intervening dry times can be taken advantage of and I can get out and enjoy the cool weather that will be also accompanying all of this wet.

The pictured American flag gate is probably the signature artwork in the American Folk Art Museum exhibit, currently on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum. It was created in 1876, in way upstate New York. Made in the year of our country’s first centennial, it has thirty-seven stars on one side and thirty-eight on the other. Colorado entered the union in 1876. I like how each of the stripes have been separately carved, with rippling waves so that the flag seems to be blowing in the breeze. 140 years ago, some unknown, but creative mind transformed what could have been just a common farm gate into an artistic and patriotic statement. The piece shows the maker’s pride in country. Have a great 4th of July! The photo has been colorized to restore it to its original splendor.

Michigan by Bike or Bus!

Posted on by
Reply
Michigan by Bike or Bus!

Michigan by Bike or Bus!

The title and graphic for this post is a test, a test for reading comprehension. Last weekend, we were cycling in Forest Park and came upon this old Trailways bus in front of the history museum. The museum was inaugurating a new Route 66 exhibit that day. We stopped and toured the bus and spoke with the owner operator, an enthusiast. Anne is seen pointing to the vanity license plate that bears her initials. On this ride, Anne got her 300th mile for June. The woman is all about making and meeting her goals. Fast-forward to today or should I say last night? We got up at uh-oh dark-thirty (3 AM), so that Anne could be downtown at the bus station by four. The area around the new bus station is a happening place at that time of night. The nearby post office distribution center had a dozen semis milling about. I was able to dodge them all. Amtrak had a train idling nearby and Anne caught one of two Greyhound buses heading to NYC. Who knew there were so many alternatives available for people who just had to get out-of-town in the middle of the night? Anne changed buses in Indy and is now with her folks in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, I went back home to bed and slept in. I did make it into work about the time Anne was in Indy. I worked until noon and then went for another bicycle ride. Spacely Sprockets is on the move don’t you know. There were a lot of workmen in the park preparing for this weekend’s 4th of July festival. I think that I’ll be catching some of that action.

Great White Egret

Posted on by
Reply
Great White Egret

Great White Egret

My retirement luncheon was held today at the St. Chuck casino. There was a nice buffet and a good turnout (20+). Thanks to Carrie and Mat for organizing the event. I still have almost two more weeks of work, but today meshed best with most people’s schedules. I still have cake scheduled for next week. Eight more work days to go!

Lotus Blossom

Posted on by
Reply
Lotus Blossom

Lotus Blossom

Saturday was a rest day. We did get out to walk in the morning, but our walk turned into more of a shuffle than a hike. We drove over to Tower Grove Park and attended their farmers market. The Tower Grove market is different from any of the other farmers markets about town. It seems more artisanal than the others. Many of the booths featured products that are available in the stores, but these local providers take this opportunity to showcase their wares to the markets mostly young and hip clientele. There are also plenty of causes represented too. One was a bird rescue organization. They rescue pet birds, who frequently live a long time and then try to find them new owners. We ended up buying fixings for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Acquired was ‘naked’ bacon, black bean humus and orange coconut butter. Breakfast we consumed on the spot. After the market, we did walk a little in the park and found a stand of lotuses that were at peak bloom.

Self-Taught Genius

Posted on by
5
Freedom Quilt, Jessie B. Telfair, 1983

Freedom Quilt, Jessie B. Telfair, 1983

Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum is the big summer show this year at the Saint Louis Art Museum. This traveling exhibit opened here just this week. We saw it on Free Friday, because the SLAM-mer is “dedicated to art and free to all”, at least on Fridays. It was an interesting show, full of many eclectic works. I chose this quilt as the graphic for this post, because of its strong, vibrant colors, the colors of the American flag and for its message. The artist has successfully invoked the power of a single repeated word. A word that has reverberated throughout the history of the United States, from slavery, through the Freedom Marches of the sixties, to Ferguson today. Telfair lost her job in a school kitchen as a result of registering to vote. The bitterness of that experience still burned years later and inspired this quilt.