Ice Ribbons

I've ridden to Sandy Creek Covered Bridge Historical Site a number of times, but Heather had never been. Since it was going to be a chilly day we decided a little road trip there would be a good plan.

We hung around the bridge, took some photos, and did the same things I do when I ride out that way.

I've never thought of this place as one to walk about, but Heather noticed a path leading off toward the woods and headed toward it. I followed.

As we walked into the woods we saw what looked like plastic bags scattered about. If there hadn't been so many we might not have looked close enough to see what they really were.

Vaguely, I remembered reading about this phenomena, but couldn't remember where. I know I certainly hadn't expected to ever see it.

I took a photo with my phone and sent it out to my Facebook friends asking if anyone knew what these things were called.

I called them ice ribbons, although this one looks more like cotton candy.

One friend called them ice blossoms or frost flowers.

   
But, by whatever name you call them, they were beautiful.

Once again, Heather and I walked right into the middle of an outbreak of complete serendipity. 

Later I did a search and found an article online. It answered all my questions about these little ice structures and then some. Click here to go to the article.

Heather's Dart

Back in September Heather decided to participate in an photography event. It is called Dart St. Louis. This is from their website:
DART St. Louis is a participatory photography challenge that started with one basic premise - that beauty can be found anywhere by those who seek it. In September 2012 over 375 creative St Louisans threw darts at a huge map of St Louis City. Over the following month, participants visited the area where their dart landed and made a photograph. The resulting collection of photographs show a snapshot of St. Louis as it is today, one random block at a time.

When Heather threw her dart it landed closest to the intersection of  Grand and Union in Forest Park. This explains why she and I have spent a bunch of time there of late.

The photos have finally been posted. (Click here to view the photos)

To see more of Heather's photos you can click here.

Enjoy.

Holding On

I had expected my riding today to be limited to a trip up to Neve Shalom to help pack things up for the move to a new space. It didn't work out that way. When I got there I found the number of folks who turned up to lend a hand had exceeded expectations. This was good news for the project and meant instead of spending the afternoon packing up, I was able to leave after a couple of hours. When we finished packing up the books in the library I took off and wandered up to Creve Coeur Lake.

This was a tree outside Neve Shalom when I first arrived around noon.

There are still patches of color to be found but...

A couple hours later and a different location, it didn't look so colorful.

It is beginning to look more and more like winter is drawing near.

This pair of mallards apparently doesn't feel it is time to move on yet.

But, in most places it is looking pretty gray.

There are two trees just outside my garage that seem not to have gotten the memo about Autumn falling away.

They are gold and red...

...smooth, and...

...fuzzy.

Autumn is holding on here and there, but it doesn't appear it will holdout much longer.

Oh My

This was parked on a used car lot I rode by yesterday. I showed the photo to a friend who asked me if this was going to be "my next set of wheels". Aesthetics aside, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to drive a chicken.

Veteran's Day, 2012

Today the words are from 2nd LT Chris Westfall, the son of dear dear friends. He is presently serving in the Air Force. The photos are mine and were taken at Jefferson Barrack's National Cemetery.

From Lexington and Concord to Gettysburg and Antietam,
Normandy and Iwo Jima to Iraq and Afghanistan,
to those who came before and blazed the trail,
I salute you!

To those who answer the call in the future,
To those stationed around the country,
and especially those overseas and deployed downrange,
it is my honor to call you brothers and sisters.

To those who answer the call in the future,
Godspeed and may God bless you all and keep you safe.

And to you all,

I say thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

And, thank you Chris!

Cheating

I finally got a dragonfly to hold still for me to photograph it.

Hanging out at the Fabrication Arts Center.

I suspect there are some who might say this was cheating.

Well Spent

It seems I been going, going, and going some more...

It's mostly been busyness. It needs to be done, but doesn't really lead anywhere.

People stuff is very draining physically for me. I need a lot of alone time.

Alone time has been in short supply of late.

There are changes at work.

Fortunately, I'm old enough to accept stress as normal...and human enough to feel fragile and exposed as well.

Perhaps that's why I'm drawn to old buildings. It is in their company I'm reminded even brokenness has a wholeness about it, a character of its own, a random beauty and an humility that can't be faked.

Everyday I ride past this old friend of a building. I finally took an opportunity to spend some time in its company. It was time well spent.