MILITARY FACILITY, SORT OF

Entrance to the visitor center at Lock and Dam 26 on the Mississippi, located at Alton, IL, a bit north of St. Louis. It's a big one and, like all of them on the major rivers, was built and is maintained by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.          

ONE LOUSY EAGLE

It's the beginning of eagle season in our area. Bald eagles who live along the upper Mississippi lose their access to fish when the river freezes over. Many come to a area a little north of the city where the river rarely freezes and barge traffic around the last two locks and dams keeps things churned up. (The change in elevation from here to the Gulf of Mexico is so gradual that there are no further locks  and dams.)

Yesterday was sunny and not too cold so Mrs. C and I went out for a look. We know the usual spots but there wasn't much to see. It's possible that it hasn't been cold enough for long enough yet. We found this one lonely bird just hanging out in a tree along the shore.                

WHERE ARE THE HORSES?

An architectural detail of some of our older commercial areas is a door set back from the front window line with a tile floor stating the name of the establishment. Sometimes it was the owners name and sometimes it was descriptive,

I doubt I could have given a good definition of hippodrome before I drafted this post, maybe just that it was some old term for a stadium. Our friends at Wikipedia tell me that it is an ancient Greek term, specifically for a horse or chariot race venue. I'm baffled by why the word was used here.         

SELF PORTRAIT IN THE WINDOW OF A VACANT STOREFRONT

Cherokee Street. Mirrored glass. I don't know why you would want that, concealing what might lie within.                 

A NOTE FROM JANUARY 6

I was preparing this post on Thursday evening, overwhelmed by the day's news. As I looked for an image to fit my mood, I found this stencil on the sidewalk in Cherokee Street.