GAS GUZZLER

Lots of Americans love big cars and trucks. Some people need them for work or towing things but I think some of us just like the feeling of power. It was easier to justify when gasoline was cheap but those days are gone. I found these two behemoths next to each other; the photo can't adequately portray how high, long and heavy they are.The cost of a fill up must be awful. Missouri is one of the cheapest states for gasoline and I just paid $31 a half tank in a  modest car. Sure, it's much worse elsewhere but we have never seen the like.               

ARTISTIC LICENSE

This painting is in the central hall of the art museum, seen yesterday. It shows a quite romanticized version of life along the Mississippi, with peaceful native Americans, some buildings made by Europeans and even a 19th Century riverboat. You could view it as idyll, fantasy or propaganda.                 

DOWN CENTRAL

The central hall of the St. Louis Art Museum. The main building was constructed as the Palace of Fine Art for our 1904 World's Fair (and we had the Olympics the same year - we used to be somebody) and then became SLAM. The architect, Cass Gilbert, was inspired by the Baths of Caracalla in Rome.                 

MADELEINE MONDAY

There were children's activities at our art museum this weekend. Ellie hadn't visited in a long time with pandemic restrictions. She hardly remembered the place. One of the things to do was a scavenger hunt on the theme of art in nature and nature in art. She had to find six objects from a variety of eras and peoples, identifying features, writing reactions or drawing interpretations. She was really into it, stopping at other works as she flitted from room to room, exclaiming "That's so cool!" again and again.                 

HE MISTER, TAKE OUR PICTURE!

I walk around with a good size mirrorless camera and zoom lens. It's not unusual at the Mardi Gras parade for groups of merrymakers to approach me and ask me to photograph them. Not sure why since they never ask me to send them a copy. I guess it's just showing off when you are in a party mood. These young men were awfully friendly. Note that it's not beer in their hands.