Same Kids, Different Trees

If ever there were a blog post that didn’t need any explanation, this would be it. Except, perhaps, to say, in order, Jim, Mike and Andrew. Merry Christmas from Shoulblog! ***** Previous Shoulblog Christmas messages: A Christmas Card (2010) “You Are Welcome Here” (2011)...

Tourists

I’m a big fan of Andrew Sullivan’s The Dish blog. In fact, I’d say I read it more than all other blogs that I follow, combined. Maybe twice as much, really. One of the many features of the blog is a daily “View From Your Window,” in which he posts photos that readers have...

The Yellow Cap

Note: When written, this was one of a series of posts describing the pictures that appear in the blog header. However, I’ve since changed the design of the blog, and hence, the pictures are different. Nothin’ stoppin’ you from reading the posts, though; previous posts are here and here and here;. Admit it. You...

Out Of The Trees

Your city may have an ocean. It may have mountains. It may have an NBA franchise, or even a Major League Soccer team. It may have real subways. It may have a happily integrated population and a vibrant downtown nightlife. But unless your city is my city, it doesn’t have an Arch. Or at...

From The Old (New) To The New (Old)

In honor of today’s St Louis Cardinals home opener, I thought I’d put up a few photos of the construction of Busch Stadium. This is, of course, the third Busch Stadium in St. Louis; the first one was on the north side of town, and the second, opened in the 1960s, was right downtown....

Two Easters, Far From Home

For a few decades there, I wasn’t much of a churcher. However, on two Easter Sundays during that time, I found myself at churches that were a long way—both geographically and ideologically—from home, and they were probably my most memorable Easters ever. Easter 1987 It was Jean’s and my first Easter together as husband...

The Arch At Sunrise

Spring Break for my family meant that I could leave home early this morning; a clear sky meant that I was able to do something I’ve never done before, which is to stroll around the Gateway Arch grounds at sunrise. It was a combination of my favorite photographic subject and my favorite time of...

Eros Bendato by Igor Mitoraj in City Garden St. Louis

City Garden

  In the middle of downtown St. Louis, just a half-mile or so directly west of the Gateway Arch, sits City Garden. Completed in 2009, it is both a traditional horticultural garden with more than 100 species of flora, and a sculpture garden with all kinds of whimsical statues and works sprinkled throughout. When...

About That Statue…

Note: This statue has been moved. You can read a June 2016 update to this post  here. Just downriver from Eads Bridge in St. Louis, on the St. Louis riverfront, is a statue called The Captains’ Return. It depicts the return of William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, along with their dog, Scout, from their...

Pictures Of 2011

Last year was something of an off year for me, photography-wise. I took a lot of pictures, but nowhere near as many as I’ve taken in some previous years. And a big bunch of photos, some of my favorites, were lost to a computer crash. But life goes on, and here are some of...