ASSURANCE

A business on Delmar Boulevard in The Loop. I don't feel assured but then I don't know what's going on inside. I think it is a tattoo parlor. Maybe you're into that or maybe you're not (I'm horrified by it but my children have lots) but I can't imagine how it could be done safely. 

The public response to the pandemic remains unsatisfactory. The Governor of Missouri, Mike Parson, has declared the state to be wide open, subject to greater restrictions by local government like St. Louis City and County. Restaurants are reopening albeit with reduced capacity. Everyone in my suburban supermarket wears a mask but my one visit to Walmart was a horror. I am shocked by the number of people in our parks who don't bother with protection. They don't respect me or give a damn about my health. We just hope we hope we come out well on the other side.        

SEEN IN THE LOOP

The portrait on the wall is well known by now. I find it, hard, though, to interpret the man's hand gesture. I asked his permission to photograph him. It wasn't clear whether he was trying to strike a dramatic pose for me, if he wanted to squeeze something or whether he was a little anxious. His right hand is pulling the bottom of his tee shirt while his eyes and mouth may express uncertainty. You can read as much as you want into a photograph.

              

CHUCK BERRY MATTERS

Chuck Berry, sometimes called the father of rock and roll, was born in St. Louis and lived here most of his life. We got to hear him play a few times. Even though my interest in popular music declined through the years (I mostly like unpopular music now), it was always a joy to hear him perform. He often played, sometimes unexpectedly, at a bar and restaurant in The Loop called Blueberry Hill. A statue was erected in his honor in 2011 across the street. I was acquainted with the sculptor. After the dedication, he got me into Blueberry Hill for the party. I got a decent close up of the great musician, https://tinyurl.com/ybndyrot . 

Berry died in 2017. I think he would have approved of the sign.         

MADELEINE MONDAY

A couple of recent shots. Might as well use them both.

First, from last week's trip to the zoo. The carousel is always a hit. BTW, her shirt says resiSTL. She's her mother's daughter.

Second, she likes to play with water guns and in the sprinkler in the cul de sac in front our house. This led to a suggestion that she wash Mrs. C's and her mother's cars parked there. Then she was invited to wash the van of a couple who were visiting our next door neighbors. They paid her a dollar, which was probably fair since she couldn't reach the top.         

IN THE LOOP

Not in the sense on being in the know or having the right information. The Loop is a stretch of Delmar Boulevard that straddles the line between St. Louis and University City. The area got its name a long time ago because trolleys from the city proper would barely edge out into the newly forming suburbs and turn around on a loop of track to head back in. Now it's full of interesting restaurants, offbeat shops, an art house cinema and the bar where Chuck Berry used to play. The feel is adventurous and the politics pretty far left.

The Loop has been the scene of several recent demonstrations. Many businesses have boarded their windows as a precaution. I walked the strip yesterday, taking pictures of some of the things painted on the wood. This got my attention.