PANDEMIC IN SPRINGTIME 1

The buildings and the streets and the healthcare workers are still there. (Courageous, dedicated people. Part of the mighty Washington University Medical Center is in the background.) But the only sound is the gentle hiss of the fountain and the wind engaging the blossoms of the red bud trees. By design, no one there for me to talk to.       

NO BALLS, NO STRIKES, NO OUTS

Despite my general aversion to professional sports (especially football), I do love baseball. It reminds me of happy days decades ago in the cheap seats at Yankee Stadium, when a kid could get a general admission ticket on the day of the game for the money in a kid's pocket. No more.

The baseball season should be well underway by now but Busch Stadium, seen through the center field gate, holds nothing but ghosts. No crowds stream past the iconic statue of Stan Musial. There is talk of starting the season in Arizona and Florida before empty stadiums. The umpires would be computerized camera systems so the ump at home plate doesn't take his usual crouch inches above the catcher. When it is safe the regular season would resume. The purists won't like it but the Cardinals will be back on TV. It's the only thing I ever watch.     

I GOT RHYTHM

Friday was a glorious spring day in The Lou. I had to spend most of it in my office (lawyers are considered essential here for some reason) but it was so pretty my camera and I had to go for a cruise afterward. Forest Park was pretty busy, although people were keeping adequate distance. As I drove past this street entertainer I had to turn around, stop the car and find out what was going on.

So meet Derrick El-Sumadi, www.dadidrums.webs.com.  He cobbles together a living doing what he loves, including studio work and live performance fill in, teaching, events, parties and working the streets. He said he'd been around for years, playing outside of sporting events and public festivities. Never run into him before but he's really good.

BTW, the shot was horribly backlit but he said candidly he'd rather the afternoon sun was in my eyes than his. Tough image to work with but TGFP (thank God for Photoshop).       

BLUE PERIOD

I didn't see anything about it in the national news but there was a meme going around yesterday of lighting up things in blue in honor of health care providers. Downtown had new street lights installed recently. The stems can be lit in any variety of colors and patterns so they were with the program. The Arch was not. 

It was very quiet downtown. As you can see, my tripod and I were in the middle of a traffic lane. A bit more of this to come.       

ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS IS?

We live in a residential area that has little to look at on a walk but other suburban houses. There is a park quite nearby, though. It's got a baseball field and a playground but the rest of it is made up of rolling lawns and groves of trees. No developed walking paths. If I have to get out of the house (and it's getting to me more and more) it is a pretty, quiet place to go.

I never leave home without a camera these days, collecting whatever crosses my path. This plant was in the park. I don't know if we are looking at leaves or flowers but they are visually striking. The normal ground covering where I grew up was asphalt and concrete. Can anyone help identify this plant?