Yesterday I helped clean up a portion of the Mississippi River bank. I was part of a group of 200–300 volunteers who boarded boats from the cobblestones under the St. Louis Gateway Arch and rode downstream a few miles to an area on the Illinois shore, where we disembarked and, trash bags in hand,...
Reading List: July 2015
Whoa. Hey, it’s been a while, sorry. Let’s get this blog (re)started with a reading update. Haven’t done one of these in a couple of years, but for those of you who followed this thread in the past (here and here and here and here and here), there’s some good news at No. 1. Here,...
14 In ’14
I did these 14 things in 2014. “But wait!” you say. “There are 15 things on this list!” That’s because I’ve added one more “thing” that I didn’t actually do … but I’m not telling you which one, so I can preserve my deniability for the other 14. Got it? OK, here we go....
Sunrise On The Beach, Continued
Woke up, peeked through the blinds, and all I could see in the sky was red. Checked my phone: 4:58 a.m. Plenty of time to get down to the beach for some pictures before we had to finish packing and clean up. Threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera, and hustled down as fast...
Sunrise On The Beach
I had hoped that a vacation—six days at a beach house on Lake Michigan—might rekindle my interest in photography. Away from home and my deeply ingrained habits, and in a place with abundant natural beauty if you’re willing to look for it, I should be able to relearn the joy of capturing interesting scenery with...
Home For Christmas
On a chilly winter morning in the 1980s, many members of my family gathered at the St. Louis Airport, awaiting the arrival of a flight from the West Coast. The flight, or at least the passengers we were there for, originated in Seoul, South Korea. The airport was hustling and bustling, on a busy...
A Not-So-Fictional Character
In 1984, Jean and I flew to New York for my friend Geoff’s wedding. Our U.S. Air flight back to Chicago had a stopover in Pittsburgh. As we arrived at our gate at La Guardia, there was an unusual buzz in the terminal; the gate people were all smiling, and there were lots of...
The Next Meal
Last weekend, I took part in the 30-Hour Famine with the Youth Outlet at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves. The 30-Hour Famine is an event organized by WorldVision, a Christian humanitarian organization that fights poverty and hunger around the world. At our church, they needed a male chaperone, and I volunteered. (A couple*...
It’s Been 100 Days Since Christmas…
…And that means there are 100 pictures in my picture-a-day blog, Shoulpix. Well, not exactly. I’ve missed a few days, and I’ve made up a few days, but I don’t think I’ve made up as many as I missed. But to apologize, I’m giving you this post at half the regular price! Anyway, these...
Back From The Decaf World
Well, I made it. 46 days of Lent, without caffeine, and I survived. I woke up early this morning and brewed a pot of coffee—REAL coffee, not the “decaf” stuff I’ve been drinking for the last six and a half weeks—and set about to enjoy my day. And it’s a beautiful day. Life...