RAIN COMING

Just back on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River in a grungy area a little north of the Arch. Looking at this picture, I realize that I know nothing about how trees branch and why. Part of the floodwall runs across the bottom. The structure with too many syllables in its name, the Stan Musial - Veterans Memorial Bridge, is in the background. It is the newest span across Big Muddy in our area.          

MALCOLM MARTIN

Malcolm Martin had a long career as an attorney in St. Louis. His big firm and my tiny one were in the same building for years and I would often see him on the elevator, always a gentleman, always with a kind smile for a young lawyer. He was deeply involved with local civic organizations, was a member of the Board of Education and a co-founder of our local public television station.

The story has it than he never married and had no children. When he died in 2004 he left $5 million to acquire the land in Illinois directly opposite the Arch. There is now a large open green space, an observation platform 40 feet / 12 meters high with the best view of the Arch around, and the Gateway Geyser we've seen in the last couple of days. (If we get better weather I'll go back.)

Now his likeness sits on top of the view site, gazing for some fraction of eternity at the Arch and downtown St. Louis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_W._Martin_Memorial_Park        

JUST THOUGHT I'D DROP THIS IN

I was editing some more photos of the Gateway Geyser and came up with this. Thought it was worth publishing. See tomorrow's regular post about Malcolm Martin, the person for whom the park is named.       

MADELEINE MONDAY

The best teacher I ever had in my life is the photographer Bobbi Lane. I studied portraits with her at the Maine Media Workshops some years ago. She has daily and weekly photo exercises for her alums on her Facebook page. Yesterday's weekly challenge was to photograph a person with an object that is precious to them.

Madeleine was an easy choice. Here she is in front of chez Crowe holding Brown Lambie. It was given to her as a newborn by our good friend Virginia. There are newer back-up lambies but none but the original will do. It's been through the washer, the wringer and mom's doll hospital quite a few times. Hence, brown lambie. Heaven protect it.                

GEYSER

There is a park in East S. Louis, Illinois, directly across from the Arch. It has a tall overlook facing downtown, and this thing, the Gateway Geyser. It looks a lot better on a clear day and when it is spraying up to its full height, but I took what I could get. 

On a day when the air is perfectly still the spray can go over 600 feet, about 190 meters, as tall as the Arch itself. It wasn't half that yesterday although there was little wind. I'll go back on a nicer day.