EFFLUENT PIPE

Okay, not really, but that's the visual association I got from the scene. You see metal plaques around street drains here that say "Caution. Sewer drains to river," with a picture of a fish. This looked to me like some giant, rough pipe that thrust out of the levee next to the Mississippi.

But of course it isn't. It's in Citygarden, one side of the large sculpture Eros Bendato that's been seen here before (e.g., https://saintlouismodailyphoto.blogspot.com/2013/08/all-you-need-is-love.html). You can crawl right in there, and lots of children do. I just don't want to see that worker washed away by slime.              

A WELL PLACED BARRIER

I often mention Citygarden, downtown STL's two square block sculpture park. For some reason, when it was built the designers left the street open between the blocks but then immediately barricaded it. During the summer they roll in an ice cream truck and it's been a venue for small performances pre-COVID. Maybe that was the intention.                                

WE ARE THE . . .

I've mentioned Ballpark Village, the real estate development next to the baseball stadium. A couple of years ago they installed a giant replica of the championship trophy in front of the main entrance. Our team has won it quite a number of times. When it was unveiled, many commentators said it looks really tacky, and they are right. In fact, I think it's a bit of an eyesore.

The base is cylindrical. The funny thing is, a bit out of the frame to the left, there is a big dent in it. I'm not showing it today but the shape and distance off the ground makes it obvious that an SUV or pickup truck ran into the thing. There's some poetry in that.                         

Hanging Out

Masked or unmasked, downtown at 7th and Market. You would never get me on one of those things. Well, with my spine, my knees and my lousy sense of balance it would be plain foolish.

The streets were nearly empty on a weekday afternoon.             

WHERE WERE THEY WHEN WE NEEDED THEM?

Actually, the caption is totally unfair. I wrote it just to get your attention. There's no blame on the city health department. It's on our incompetent state administration and governor and all of those fine "it's my free choice whether to wear a mask" folks. 

The state's vaccine distribution system is a disaster. I was lucky to get my first shot through the big doctor-hospital network I use. However, we read in the news about vaccine sent to rural areas going to waste and St. Louisans in the currently eligible group driving long distances to get a shot. I got an email yesterday from the state registry offering vaccination appointments in Kansas City, four hours drive away. Remember, this is the state that gave us Josh Hawley. See https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/us/politics/josh-hawley.html .