Pic Today 12/31/14

MENTAL BREAK TIME

Those blue, blue Caribbean waters,

swaying palms on a deserted white sand beach,

warm coastal breezes,

and a water taxi to an outer island.

When it gets this cold,

my mind wanders to my days

 on the north coast of Colombia!

(You've never seen blue waters like this.)

Happy New Year,

where ever you are!

Pic Today 12/30/14

THIS ART IS HOT

. . . which feels so good

on this freezing-cold day!

Our weather just snapped

into winter.

No more sunny, warm days

waiting for the cold stuff.

It's here.

Which is why I visited my friend,

Esteban, while his furnaces were fired up

making his beautiful drinking glasses.

(Takes your mind off winter.)

Pic Today 12/29/14

GINGERBREAD

GATEWAY ARCH

There's a gingerbread display worth seeing

at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel lobby in St. Louis.

Pastry chef, Nathaniel Reid, and 6 fellow workers

spent 320 man hours building an 8-foot tall

St. Louis Gateway Arch replica, over a

6-foot holiday tree and Santa Claus village

out of fresh baked gingerbread and sugar icing.

Guests and visitors were able to have

their own personalized gingerbread "bricks"

for a donation to Ronald McDonald House charities.

The entire holiday display is 100% edible.

(They must have one big oven!)

Pic Today 12/28/14

FIREWORKS IN THE RAIN

There was some question

whether the planned fireworks display

would take place as scheduled

in downtown Kirkwood, Missouri last night.

After all,

the weather took a turn for the worse,

with cold, blistery weather

and rain!

But local residents showed up,

with umbrellas.

And the skies caught fire!

Pic Today 12/27/14

OLD MAN WINTER RIVER

Winter barge traffic heads south

on the Mighty Mississippi.

The "day after Christmas" was

sunny and warm in St. Louis,

a good time to visit Old Man River

and watch the tug boats push

their cargo down to New Orleans.

More than 70% of all grain exported

from the U.S. is shipped on the Mighty Mississip!

Interesting factoid:

It takes 3 months for the headwaters

(the Mississippi starts up in Minnesota)

to reach the Louisiana delta

some 2,340 miles down south.

Pic Today 12/26/14

SURPRISE HOLIDAY GIFT

DECEMBER 25, 2014

RECORD GASOLINE PRICES

MAY 27, 2014

Gasoline prices have dropped 50%

in the past 7 months.

On Christmas, in St. Louis,

gas was $1.84 per gallon,

down from $3.60 in May.

Thanks, Santa.

What a nice gift!

Pic Today 12/25/14

THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas is the happiness that

lights our children's eyes.

Let the light shine on.

Pic Today 12/24/14

CANDLE LIGHT 

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

AT POWELL SYMPHONY HALL

The Bach Society Chorus

performed at Powell Symphony Hall

for their annual Christmas candle performance.

The choral ensemble parades through

the hall with lit candles

while they sing holiday favorites.

The evening ends with the audience

joining the orchestra and singing

traditional Christmas songs.

No one leaves without feeling

the Christmas spirit!

Pic Today 12/23/14

RAINY DAY

IN ST. LOUIS

Walkin' in the rain.

The city has so much great art,

great buildings, great people.

So much to see and enjoy.

Especially when it's raining.

(Tonight I photograph the

Bach Society Christmas Concert

at Powell Symphony Hall,

candle ceremony.)

Soooo beautiful.

Pic Today 12/22/14

CHRISTMAS STORE

HYSTERIA

Christmas decorations, anyone?

Need some ornaments, figurines,

nut crackers, toy soldiers,

nativity scenes, snowmen,

candy canes, scented candles,

reindeers, elves?

There are Christmas stores here

that are over-stuffed with everything

for the holidays!

(These stores are over-stuffed

with customers, too.)

Pic Today 12/21/14

ROGUE UNDERGROUND DINING EVENT

INSIDE 4-HANDS BREWERY

The 44th Rogue Underground Dining event

was held inside the most festive

4-Hand Brewery in St. Louis.

Aged barrels of ale and stout

surrounded 20 lucky diners

who were treated to a fabulous

8-course meal, especially paired

with seasonal ales brewed on site.

This is one of many micro-breweries

who has come to life 

in our famous "city of beer."

Pic Today 12/20/14

A BEE KEEPER'S CHRISTMAS

Meet Joy Stinger . . .

naturalist, artist, gardener,

collector and master bee keeper.

(10 bee hives with 30 frames!)

Joy lives in the city, farms her backyard,

raises chickens, rabbits, doves, dogs

and ships her delicious honey nationwide.

(And yes, that's her real name!)

At 80 years young,

Joy hasn't slowed down 

and now does yoga and pilates

to stay strong.

She loves to decorate her house

for Christmas, and has many

antique ornaments and figurines.

I love to stop by and wish Joy Stinger

a Merry Christmas, and see how

she's decorated her house for the holidays.

(And yes, I picked up a jar of her

wonderful honey.)

Such a remarkable woman.

And good friend.